Wesleyan University President Michael Roth told Education Week that if teachers place too much emphasis on critical thinking, students may become immune to texts that might otherwise challenge their world view. Too much cynicism, he explained, can preclude opportunities for making meaning.

"Hard-nosed critical thinking is a useful tool, but it also may become a defense against the risky insight that absorption [of texts] can offer," Roth said.

In response, Noah Berlatsky, a correspondent for The Atlantic, argued that there is no difference between "critical" and ordinary thinking. He added that strong source material can withstand students' criticism.

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Article by Navindra Persaud, EducationWorld Contributor