Anchored learning and the development of creative, critical thinking and life-long learning skills

Abstract

Focus groups were convened in 2005 and 2013 as the first step in successive MPA curriculum review and revision processes. Although the criteria for selecting participants and the questions posed to the groups were similar, the focus groups generated dramatically different perspectives regarding the challenges confronting administrators. An analysis indicates that the differences in focus group perspectives are a reflection of the evolving economic, political and fiscal environments. It also reinforces the need to adopt instructional strategies that cultivate the students’ creative, critical thinking and life-long learning skills. Since anchored learning maximizes the probability of achieving these outcomes, this article provides three examples of implementation.