SAGE

F acilitating student transfer of content knowledge to other realms of their lives is a struggle for many instructors as they strive to create instructional value for students. How do we allow our students to see the value of what they are learning in our courses and apply it to the knowledge and skillsets they need to succeed in the educational and career trajectory they are on? Critical thinking is such a challenge in today's classroom because there is no singular definition, no one set way of teaching these skills to students. Every course and instructor may offer a new way to evaluate and teach critical thinking skills. When students have the ability to leverage strategies for self-regulation and strategic thinking in their learning, such as learning time management or effective reading habits, they can then transfer what they have learned to thinking critically about the challenging questions or situations instructors pose for them. Pawlack (2016) defines critical thinking as, "problem-solving skills, a path for complex decisions or a collection of ideas, assumptions, inferences, arguments, opinions, beliefs or conclusions." This paper defines self- regulation and strategic thinking and their important relationship to critical thinking. It also discusses several approaches to teaching critical thinking and ways instructors can successfully incorporate critical thinking skill development into their classrooms. SELF-REGULATION Self-regulation is a fundamental element in critical thinking, because it breaks down fundamental elements of content so students can understand the "why" and "how," rather than just the "what" of the content they are learning. It "requires learners to direct their own thoughts, allowing them to apply their cognitive efforts towards specific skills" (Schneider-Cline 2017, 2). Self-regulation helps students understand the skillsets they'll need to succeed in their future careers. Watanabe-Crocket (2018) explain that critical thinking "means thinking in a self-regulated and self-corrective manner." Acknowledging the strategies and efforts needed to become a self-regulated learner helps students create meaning with the content and, furthermore, helps them develop a sense of purpose within the learning process. While many institutions require students learn these skills to help them post- graduation, it comes down to the instructor and classroom to ensure that students actually master self-regulation skills. Nold (2017) notes how self- regulation can be facilitated by the instructor to encourage critical thinking skills within an online learning environment. "Frequent engagement by the instructor in online threaded discussion, in which the instructor remained neutral but questioned or challenged the student's What's the point of critical thinking anyway?

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