Using “Think-Alouds” to Understand Variations in Political Thinking

One of the most important skills students can learn is how to use multiple, conflicting sources of information to formulate and defend positions on political issues. However, when we assign students to do this, all instructors see is the final product. Not knowing the process by which students do these assignments makes it difficult to help them perform the task better. I report on “think-alouds” done with upper-level political science majors and with introductory-level college students. Students use multiple articles about capital punishment to help them form/refine and defend their arguments about capital punishment. They do this while “thinking out loud” as they engage in the task. My results suggest that experts make more connections between sources and more effectively argue with the sources; knowing this will help me better scaffold this assignment to support novice students. I conclude by discussing possible future directions for work on the learning of political information skills.