Brainstorms & Blueprints

Barbara K. Stripling and Judy M. Pitts suggest a taxonomic model they label REACTS which emphasizes higher order thinking skills. Instead of focusing on students collecting isolated facts that only require the activation of lower order thinking skills, the REACTS model intends to create a research process that enables students to spend the time in higher order skills such as integrating and synthesizing informaiton.

Along with developing the REACTS taxonomy that is tailored towards developing critical thinking skills, Stripling and Pitts proffered the ten step Thoughtful Learning Process (TLP), as a way of approaching the entire research process with reflection built into every step. Emphasis is on reflection, and the entire process model is elucidated in their work entitled Brainstorms and Blueprints (1988).

The REACTS Taxonomy includes the following elements:

Recalling
Explaining
Analyzing
Challenging
Transforming
Synthesizing

The ten steps in the Thoughtful Learning Process are:
choose a broad topic, overview the topic, narrow the topic, develop a thesis, formulate questions, plan, find/analyze/evaluate sources, evaluate evidence/take notes/ compile bibliography, establish conclusions, and create a final product. An example of a reflection point for step ten would be to have students query “Was my process effective and is my product satisfying?”

The Stripling/Pitts model is an early example of a process model that incorporates the new emphasis of teaching with students at the center in order to develop independent thinkers.

Book:

Stripling, Barbara and Judy Pitts. Brainstorms and Blueprints: Teaching Research as a Thinking Process. Engelwood, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 1988.

Need help navigating? Return to How to use this site.