title: In search of a course design and teaching methods to improve critical thinking skills.
abstract: This article describes a unique course design to teach critical thinking skills to students in formal academic degree programs preparing to become healthcare administrators. The course and its experimental design were motivated by several factors. First, intelligent and competent problem solving and decision making, most would agree, are directly dependent on critical thinking proficiency. Therefore, elevating students' critical-thinking competence will inherently improve their problem-solving and decision-making ability. Second, problem solving and decision making consumes the majority of an administrator's time. And finally, a review of AUPHA's catalog descriptions of healthcare graduate curriculums listrelatively few critical-thinking courses compared to the time administrators devote to it.
authors.affiliation: College of Business, University of Tampa, 401 W. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa, FL 33606-1490, USA. simendinge@aol.com
authors.forename: Earl
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Simendinger
mesh_terms: D003479:Curriculum; D003659:Decision Making, Organizational; D004500:Education, Graduate / Q000379:methods; D006270:Health Facility Administrators; D006298:Health Services Administration; D006801:Humans; D019359:Knowledge; D011340:Problem Solving; D018794:Problem-Based Learning / Q000379:methods*; D011361:Professional Competence; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013850:Thinking; D014481:United States