To promote critical thinking among learners, which approach is best?

Promoting critical thinking among learners is most effectively achieved by facilitating peer assessment and discussion. This approach encourages students to engage with one another's ideas, challenge assumptions, and collaboratively analyze concepts. Through discussions, learners are exposed to diverse perspectives and methodologies, which fosters a deeper understanding of the subject matter.

Peer assessment also encourages students to critically evaluate their own and each other’s work, enhancing their ability to reflect on their reasoning processes. This interactive environment nurtures analytical skills, enabling learners to synthesize information and develop well-founded arguments.

In contrast, the other approaches like memorization of facts, rote learning, and minimizing group activities tend to limit the scope of thinking to basic recall or solitary work, which does not challenge learners to think critically or engage deeply with content.