Comparison-Contrast and HOTS: An Innovation in Practice

Regarded as essential in the 21st century, higher-order thinking skills (HOTS) empower students to analyze information, form well-reasoned arguments, and solve complex problems innovatively. One way to nurture these skills is the comparison-contrast (CC) essay. Effective CC essays involve a multi-step process which encompasses critical evaluation and analysis of different subjects besides the synthesis of findings, highlighting key similarities and differences in a creative, well-structured, and logical manner. Therefore, this article describes the training conducted with one group of twenty Intensive English INTE 103 (Common European Framework of Reference CEFR: B2) students at Beirut Arab University during spring 2023-2024. The training aimed to determine how the higher-order thinking skills can be integrated into the comparison-contrast essay so students employ them in their future essays. To this end, the researcher developed the analytical, critical, and creative thinking (ACC) charts with guidelines for incorporating these skills in the CC essay. Students were first introduced to the ACC skills and charts to understand how these skills are linked to the CC essay. After that, they were given a sample essay for analysis and discussion using the ACC charts, and then they were asked to create a CC essay, using all information they learned in class. Finally, students exchanged essays for evaluation and discussion using three rubrics developed by the researcher to evaluate the students’ analytical, critical, and creative thinking skills as evident in the CC essays. At the end of the training, essays were examined by the teacher using the same rubrics and the scores were discussed with students. Essay scores revealed that the majority of students passed the benchmark (60%) on all three rubrics, and more importantly, students enjoyed the experience of tackling the CC essay in a new manner through the conscious integration of their higher-order skills.