Critical thinking assessment in engineering education: A Scopus-based literature review

Abstract

Critical Thinking (CT) skills are highly valued by employers, leading to their integration into engineering education through various design- and problem-based approaches. Despite their recognized importance, the varying perceptions of CT present challenges in achieving a unified approach to its development and assessment. This paper reviews CT assessment in engineering education, particularly mapping Facione's CT skills with assessment approaches to discern how CT is evaluated. We conducted a systematic keyword search in the SCOPUS database and identified 462 articles from 2010 to March 2023. These were reviewed and distilled down to 80 articles included in this study. We find that CT has been recognized as an essential skill set, but there are no consistent definitions or means to assess it. Further, while CT is a multifaced skill, we find that very few assessment methods assess CT holistically. We identify three goals for CT assessment: 1) understand and recognize CT, 2) demonstrate CT, and 3) identify if CT has changed due to intervention. We discuss how different assessment approaches, including rubrics, surveys, standardized tests, and customized assessments, have been used and propose recommendations to support reaching a better understanding of CT assessment in engineering education. Further research is needed to understand better how these skills can be taught and assessed as part of engineering education to meet the needs of employers.