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In this research work, the viewpoints of both teachers and students are investigated in relation to the development of critical thinking skills. The development of abilities in critical thinking is of the utmost importance in the context of language acquisition. Not only does it make the acquisition of linguistic competence easier, but it also nurtures cognitive aptitude and the ability to find solutions to problems. This makes the development of critical thinking skills one of the most important aspects of language learning. The purpose of this research is to acquire a better understanding of the current state of critical thinking skills within the field of English language instruction through the collection of relevant data. In addition, it aims to uncover the challenges that students have when attempting to acquire these skills, as well as the strategies that teachers employ in order to cultivate them in their students. In order to acquire an exhaustive understanding of the topic at hand, the research makes use of a qualitative method, which includes semi-structured interviews from 10 teachers and 7 students at university level. According to the findings, there is a consensus among educators regarding the significance of encouraging students to engage in critical thinking within the context of the study of the English language. This research study works as a helpful resource for instructors and stakeholders in the field of English language education, offering significant insights and recommendations for the enhancement of critical thinking abilities among students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ubiquitous learning is transforming education by enabling human-focused learning through seamless access to resources from anywhere. In addition, these tools enhance context understanding and make it easy to interact between real and digital learning resources, all while offering individualized learning opportunities. This research surveyed public sector university teachers in the Sindh and Punjab provinces of Pakistan to gather their opinions on how Web 2.0 tools and ubiquitous learning are affecting the development of 21st-century learning skills in students. The research aimed to assess the impact of Web 2.0 tools for ubiquitous learning (UL) on the critical thinking and collaboration skills of graduate-level students. To collect data, the study administered a self-developed questionnaire with 50 items rated on a 7-point Likert-type scale to 500 university teachers. This constituted the primary data for the research. According to the findings, ubiquitous learning has a noteworthy effect on fostering critical thinking and collaboration skills in university students. To make ubiquitous learning successful, both private and public sector universities must have adequate ICT infrastructure and provide teacher training that focuses on ICT-based teaching methods. The study can assist university teachers in establishing a ubiquitous learning (UL) environment that employs web 2.0 tools, thereby enabling students to effectively enhance their 21st-century learning skills, including critical thinking and collaboration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To find out whether learning styles influence the academic achievements of students of medical schools. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Medical College, Mirpur, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan, from Jun 2018 to Jun 2019. Methodology: Two hundred medical students participated in the study by completing VARK (visual, aural, read/write, kinaesthetic) questionnaire. The learning styles were assessed based on the questionnaire. The performance grades were obtained from the students' Department of the college. Results: Most students preferred unimodal learning 104(52%). However, there was a statistically significant gender difference. Most male students preferred unimodal learning (62.7%), whereas female students preferred bimodal (41.4%) learning styles. Aural learning was the most prevalent in the unimodal group 42(21%) in both male and female groups. The academic achievement was labelled as low (<50% marks in annual tests) and high (>50% marks). There were 72.5% (n=145) of high-achievers. More male students were high-achievers than female students (80.5% vs. 68.4%). There was no significant relationship between learning style and academic outcome. Conclusion: There was no difference in the outcome of academic achievement in subgroups of different learning styles. Further analysis revealed no gender differences in the effect of learning style on academic achievement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing critical thinking (CT) has been widely seen as a fundamental and essential skill to meet 21st century educational goals. The changing conditions of the world do not permit to provide students with specific success formulas. Thus, it is necessary to instill into students the ability to think with open minds, to approach to their life challenges and joys by introducing CT skills in higher education. In this era of science and technology, the amount of information is massive. Students need guidance to analyze the information and effectively apply these CT skills to academic studies. For this research study 732 students from different disciplines wereselected in the sample. The researcher’s self-developed CT skills test was used to assess the level of CT skills. Students of different disciplines were compared on CT skills toanalyze the arguments, make assumptions, deduct conclusions, draw inferences and interpret information. The research will have implications for thepolicy makers, educators and curriculum developers to incorporate CT skills in higher education in Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The education system in Pakistan, especially its closed-book examination regime, is the legacy of the British Raj dating back to 1857. The examination style of the University of London was introduced in the subcontinent for native students at the high school level to promote English and with an incentive of preference in government jobs. Since the creation of Pakistan, the closed-book examination system, instead of evolving with the changing requirements, got further strengthened where it was also introduced in the higher education in the country. A closed-book examination system promotes rote learning and memorization among the students to fetch good grades. The entire purpose of education becomes questionable when student's efficacy and intellect are assessed in the light of marks attained. The GAP culture of educational institutions is detrimental to the students and society alike. Education in itself has shrunk to passing the exams for promotion to the next level or attaining jobs rather than developing the personalities and transforming the youth into thinking minds and effective, contributing members of the society. Education in Pakistan is merely a test of memory where those with good memory skills who can reproduce the textbooks as verbatim attain good marks and are considered educated and knowledgeable, and failures are discarded from the society. Closed-book examinations are at a tangent to critical, reflective, and creative thinking skills. The analytical abilities of the students of this exam regime are at its lowest ebb. In order to address the menace of extremism, violence, increasing intolerance, and exclusivity in the society, there is a need to find an alternate in the shape of an open-book examination regime that will promote critical, reflective, and problem-solving skills among the youth. Open-book exams assess the true analytical skills of the students, and since this type of examination can only be attempted by students with conceptual clarity and enhanced understanding instead of parroting and rote learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]