ABSTRACT
In the latest research-based model of adult cognitive development, Wolcott and Lynch adapt King and Kitchener’s reflective judgment sequence to include transitional phases, while incorporating Fischer’s scaffolding scheme. Their approach allows for a more accurate assessment of students’ critical thinking skills. Lynch read a large sample of college writing samples and sorted them into groups based on King and Kitchener’s sequence. From this sort, she developed a criterion-based rubric for using short writing samples to assess the learner’s position in the reflective judgment sequence (Wolcott and Lynch 1997, 59-78). They then devised a set of prompts that provides the appropriate level of challenge for each position.
