CA2 TUTORIAL PAPER 2

Name of Student: Michael Curtin G00313894

Article/Reading: Leaving Cert by Rote: Critical Thinking seen as Vital
Skill
Author: Denise Burns The Irish Times

1. CONCISE SUMMARY OF READING

Trinity College recently carried out a study, investigating whether the
Leaving Certificate (LC) was in fact based on rote learning and memory
recall. The research was carried out through an analysis of LC exam
papers and the corresponding marking schemes of twenty three
subjects. This was achieved by identifying key verbs in the questions
such as: list, identify, illustrate, devise, synthesise, etc. By doing this it
could be determined whether the student was asked to critically think or
problem solve in order to answer the question. The study also contained
qualitative research where thirty students who had completed the LC
exam were interviewed.

A major finding of the study was the method in which students used to
prepare for exams: predicting the questions, formulating answers, and
learning them off. Not only was this the preferred method for students
but also for teachers as it is seen as getting results (Burns, 2016).

The article carries on to question the quality of the learning that was
taking place through this method. The research highlighted that students
often could not remember information they had learned off just two
months previous. However, some students did indicate that learning was
profound and meaningful. In fact, a number of students spoke highly of
their growth in appreciation for literature and of poets. The study did
show that the exam papers were not entirely based on memory recall,
though it did illustrate a very low occurrence of higher order skills.
Worryingly after review of the syllabi of the subjects studied, the
research revealed that there was an emphasis on the importance of the
development of these higher skills in adolescents and yet they were
lacking from the exam papers.

The study concluded by highlighting the need for reform of the LC. The
author of the article recalls that in 2004 the National Council for
Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) made proposals for this reform.
These included assessment over a longer time-frame with an element of
school-based assessment similar to the new junior cycle. The author then
makes it clear that reform would be supported by international studies,
however for its implementation to be successful there are three key
areas which must be addressed:
Trust in teachers
A system which provides comparability of standards
Substantial professional development of standards

The author concludes by highlighting the need for assessment which will
drive learning and help develop critical thinking and problem solving
skills of our youth. She also affirms the need for reform of the LC while
also realising that it would be extremely resource intensive (Burns,
2016).

2. CRITICAL REFLECTION
The Cambridge Dictionary defines rote learning as learning information
in order to be able to repeat it from memory, rather than
in order to understand it (Cambridge Dictionary, 2016). The problem
with this is twofold: the reliance on memory, and the learning is not
meaningful or based on concrete experience. Passer describes memory
as the processes that allow us to record, store, and later retrieve
experiences and information (Passer, et al., 2009). To retrieve
experiences and information. Immediately, according to the Cambridge
Dictionary, experiences has been disregarded and rote relies solely on
the memorys recall of information. Irish Novelist, Elizabeth Bowen said of
memory the charm, one might say the genius of memory, is that it is
choosy, chancy, and temperamental (Gillies, 2011). Rote learning is just
this, choosy, chancy, and temperamental, a reliance on the short-term
memory. Short-term memory too can only hold so much information.
Depending on the stimulus this information over time can either fade or
move into the long-term memory (Passer, et al., 2009). The latter is where
memories are stored, or where concrete experience is stored not
information that is passively learned off for an exam and merely forgotten
after.

Passer describes rote learning as maintenance rehearsal, comparing the

student to an actor repeating their lines over and over again until they
have memorized them (Passer, et al., 2009). He also notes that
habituation, a decrease in the strength of response to a repeated stimulus
(script), can occur. Passer advocates for elaborative rehearsal which he
again compares to the actor. This time however, the actor doesnt try to
memorize the lines, instead he tries to get into the mind-set of his
character asking, why does he say this? Through elaborative rehearsal the
student now begins to think critically about what they are learning and
tries to link new knowledge with previous experiences (Passer, et al.,
2009). Studies have found that this is a more effective method of
transferring information into the long-term memory (Benjamin & Bjork,
2000). Philosopher, Paulo Freire described the traditional education
system as banking education, where the student is seen as the bank,
and the educator must deposit knowledge. The student must then learn
this information to be recalled later. In this way the student is passive, no
real understanding of information has taken place, and the student has
not thought or critically reflected on the information (Freire, 1968, p. 72).

Referring back to the article, the study in which in focuses found that
critical thinking skills were lacking in exam papers. The Oxford dictionary
defines critical thinking as the objective analysis and evaluation of an
issue in order to form a judgement (Oxford Dictionary, 2016). This
judgement that critical thinking demands is not something which a
student can; list, define, or simply recall, resembling the LC exam papers.
It is a judgement which is formed through analysing, comparing, and
critiquing, which exams currently omit (Burns, 2016). Cottrell states that
critical thinking focuses on argument, or as seen earlier, judgment. In
her view a critical argument will include; a point of view or position on a
particular subject, an attempt to persuade others to accept the argument,
and most important, reasons to support the view point (Cottrell, 2011, p.
40). Rondamb states that in order to engage students in critical thinking,
the educator needs to act as a facilitator to allow for discussion and
encourage a freer thought process (Rondamb, 2014). According to
Trinitys study outlined in the article, this is not happening, instead the
students are disengaged with the material as they are being passively
thought by their educators, who favour a rote learning approach (Burns,
2016).
To conclude, it is clear from the study that rote learning is the tried,
tested and preferred method of knowledge transfer for both the student
and the teacher. What is also clear is the lack of higher order skills
students possess leaving post-primary education. The NCCAs proposal for
leaving cert reform specifically in the area of assessment, and how
questions are phrased is a welcome recommendation, after all,
assessment drives learning (George E. Miller). However, the question
must be asked, can Irish education afford another unsuccessful attempt at
reform given the recent resentments of the new junior cycles
implementation?

3. LIST OF REFERENCES

Bibliography
Benjamin, A. S., & Bjork, R. A. (2000). On the Relationship between Recognition Speed and
accuracy for words rehearsed via rote vs elaborative rehearsal. Journal of
Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 638-648.
Burns, D. (2016, 09 26). Leaving Cert by rote: Critical thinking seen as vital skill. Retrieved
from The Irish Times: http://www.irishtimes.com/news/education/leaving-cert-by-
rote-critical-thinking-seen-as-vital-skill-1.2805249
Cambridge Dictionary. (2016). Meaning of rote in the English Dictionary. Retrieved from
Cambridge Dictionary: http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/rote
Cottrell, S. (2011). Critical Thinking Skills: Developing Effective Analysis and Argument.
New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Freire, P. (1968). Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Retrieved from selforganizedseminar:
https://selforganizedseminar.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/freire_pedagogy_oppresed1
.pdf
Gillies, A. (2011). Keeper: A Book about memory, identity, isolation, Wordworth and cake.
Retrieved from googlebooks: https://books.google.ie/books?
id=egaVNJ0jQWQC&pg=PT160&lpg=PT160&dq=elizabeth+bowen+-+the+charm,
+one+might+say+the+genius+of+memory,+is+that+it+is+choosy,+chancy,
+and+temperamental&source=bl&ots=gOAS3CNrk-
&sig=lE2t5Q1YTbayWMNt4iVZp6Gmh8E&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0a
Oxford Dictionary. (2016). Critical Thinking. Retrieved from oxforddictionaries:
https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/critical_thinking
Passer, M., Smith, R., Holt, N., Bremner, A., Sutherland, E., & Vliek, M. (2009). Psychology:
The Science of Mind and Behaviour. Berkshire: McGraw-Hill Education.
Rondamb. (2014). The Importance of Teaching Critical Thinking. Retrieved from
globaldigitalcitizen: https://globaldigitalcitizen.org/the-importance-of-teaching-
critical-thinking