A meta-analysis of the impact of forensics and communication education on critical thinking

This meta-analysis considers the impact of various methods of improving pub lic communication skills on critical thinking. The results indicate that co mmunication instruction improves the critical thinking ability of the parti cipants (longitudinal designs r = .18, cross-sectional designs r = .20). Fo rensic participation demonstrated the largest positive impact on critical t hinking improvement, but all communication skill experiences demonstrated s ignificant improvement. The cumulative evidence indicates that communicatio n skill instruction generates, using the Binomial Effect Size Display (BESD ), a 44% increase in critical thinking ability. These results provide impor tant evidence to support the maintenance of forensics programs in an era of increased educational accountability, downsizing, and budgetary cutbacks.