Brianna Vespone

Bri Vespone is the Assistant Director of Facilitation for Year One Programs. Previously, she worked with the College Restoration Program, the Academic Success Center, and the Center for Residence Life. Bri has a master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling and is currently finishing her doctorate in Human Development and Education, both from the Warner School of Education at the University of Rochester. She is also a fitness instructor for Better Me Wellness and teaches classes in the HAC on Mondays and Wednesdays after work…stop by and check out a class!

1. How do you teach or exemplify Applied Critical Thinking?

In my past role on campus with the College Restoration Program, I taught a class on academic strategies. One of the lessons focused on critical thinking. There are many ways to approach teaching that particular part of the curriculum, and in the most recent semester of teaching, I opted to challenge my students on an epistemological level. I wanted them to really think about knowledge itself. What exactly is knowledge? How do we "know" things? I then shared with the class that I believed the earth was flat (I don't actually believe that, it was just a tool to spark conversation). The discussion went something like this:

Students: “The earth is not flat! Why would you even think that!?”

Me: “You just told me that knowledge is based in scientific fact and research, and there is research that says the world is actually flat.”

Students: “Yeah but that's not good/real/valid research!”

Me: Well then how do we know that research is valid?

Students: [give examples of all the ways we "know" science research is valid]

me: [uses those same examples to "prove" the earth is flat]. “Have any of you actually read the research of flat earth theorists? They have sources to support their claims, too. Who is to say they are wrong and you're right? Have you actually been to space and SEEN that the earth is round?"

That's usually when my students' voices rise and faces burn red, and I love to watch their reactions. They are being asked to defend how they “know” things, and the resulting discomfort forces them to think critically.

2. Why do you think Applied Critical Thinking is important in your domain or role?

When I reflect on teaching moments like the example above, it makes me wonder...has anyone ever challenged our students to question knowledge itself? How do we ”know” things? Where does our truth come from and how do we know what we know? What are the influences, biases, and life experiences that informed and shaped what we know? Have WE as educators ever asked ourselves those questions?

That’s why applied critical thinking is so important. If we don’t question our fundamental understanding of what knowledge is, where it comes from, and what has informed the shaping of our own understandings, how can we make informed, meaningful contributions to an ever-changing society?

3. Can you share a story where quality Applied Critical Thinking was key to your success?

I can’t pinpoint a specific example, but in general I have found that asking questions about the ways in which things are done/have been done and the context associated with past decisions can lead to improved processes and reexamination of practices.

4. How do you use critical thinking in other areas of your life outside of RIT?

Beyond my work, I have always brought a critical lens to my own education, even when I couldn't acknowledge it as such. It wasn't until a few years ago when I started my doctoral program at the Warner School of Education that my advisor told me, in a very matter of fact way, that I use a "critical lens" in my research, writing, and conceptualization of developmental and learning theories. I remember looking at her blankly and thinking to myself: “Is that what I was doing all this time?!? I thought I was just asking too many questions and being stubborn and resistant…”.

I was often that person in class who always had something to say and challenged my professors, probably more than they would have liked. I vividly remember emailing the professor of my Advanced Program Evaluation class a couple years ago, apologizing for dominating the class discussions and challenging her publicly. To my surprise, she actually thanked me, saying that it was refreshing to have someone question the established practices of the field and explore alternative methods.

As educators and researchers, we have to remember that our understanding of the world and our norms/practices are situated in the context and time in which we find ourselves. If we hold on to concepts, theories, methodologies, communication styles, technology, and language that "has been", we won't ever keep up with the fast paced, ever-shifting social, political, and environmental trends. It takes applied critical thinking to both acknowledge the context in which we are coming from and asking the important, curious questions for how to move forward.

5. Any last critical thoughts?

I think applied critical thinking takes courage and confidence, which isn't always easy and doesn't come naturally to most of us. To be critical of our surroundings and of our assumed knowledge means to challenge the status quo, sometimes offering an unpopular perspective or questioning established norms. That can be an uncomfortable and risky process, especially in certain contexts. But we have to remember that change doesn't come from complacency, it comes from courage and critical thinking.