This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Carrithers, D. Articles by Bean, J. C. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Using a Client Memo to Assess Critical Thinking of Finance Majors

Seattle University, dfcarrit{at}seattleu.edu

John C. Bean

Seattle University, jbean{at}seattleu.edu

This article describes a holistic, discourse-based method for assessing the critical thinking skills of undergraduate senior-level finance majors. Rejecting a psychometric assessment approach in which component features of critical thinking are disaggregated, this study is based on a holistic scoring of student memos. Students were asked to recommend and justify a course of action to a lay client facing an ill-structured finance problem. Analysis of student memos reveals critical thinking weaknesses that may be ameliorated by changes in assignments or instructional methods. The memos reveal four kinds of critical thinking problems: (a) failure to address the client's problem, (b) random rather than purposeful application of finance tools and methodologies, (c) inability to translate finance concepts or methods into lay language, and (d) inability to construct rhetorically useful graphics. The curricular implications of this study are discussed.

Key Words: critical thinking • assessment • writing • rubric • finance • learning

Business Communication Quarterly, Vol. 71, No. 1, 10-26 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/1080569907312859


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				D. Carrithers, T. Ling, and J. C. Bean Messy Problems and Lay Audiences: Teaching Critical Thinking Within the Finance Curriculum Business Communication Quarterly, June 1, 2008; 71(2): 152 - 170. [Abstract] [PDF]