As learning tools, writing exercises are valuable because they help students think critically about course material while encouraging them to grasp, organize, and integrate prior knowledge with new concepts. Furthermore, good communication skills are valuable assets both in and out of the classroom. When instructors provide students with opportunities to organize ideas and improve their ability to articulate those ideas, they contribute to both the education and professional development of their students.

Critical thinking problems are designed to convert students from passive to active learners who use course concepts to confront problems, gather and analyze data, prepare hypotheses, and formulate arguments.