Abstract
It is no surprise that it is difficult to teach critical thinking skills. Are students willing to question the very basis of the society in which they hope to succeed? Often not. Ironically, it seems that the two courses most able to teach students how to critically approach a topic are the two courses that receive the least amount of respect from students and faculty. These two courses, composition studies and research instruction, are often thought to be "training wheel" courses. Everyone needs to know these foundations of scholarship, but few educators are willing to give the necessary time or money to teach the acquisition of these skills.