Ian graduated from UEL with a first-class degree, having returned to education as a mature student. He remained at UEL to take up a teaching position and to conduct research for his PhD.

Ian leads the BSc level-1 module “Thinking Like a Psychologist” and the Research Methods module for the School’s MSc Psychology programme. “Thinking Like a Psychologist” draws on Ian’s PhD research in an attempt to equip new students with the generic thinking skills they will need to be successful in their studies. In addition, Ian teaches Cognitive Psychology to both level-1 and level-2 undergraduates.

Ian is a member of the school’s Learning and Teaching commitee and is the school’s representative on the university’s Turnitin Users Group.

Ian’s research focuses on linking educational practice to theory from cognitive psychology, with a particular interest in the facilitation and assessment of generic thinking skills. He also has broader interests in teaching and learning practice. This includes the development of multimedia animated tutorials to teach the use of SPSS (PASW) and, more generally, the introduction of blended learning in teaching practice.

• BSc Psychology
• MSc Psychology

• PY1104: Biological and Cognitive Bases of Behaviour
• PY1105: Skills for PsychologistsThinking Like a Psychologist
• PY2103: Cognitive Pschology/Psychobiology
• PYM154: Research Methods

Poster Sessions

1. Wells, I., & Berry, S. (2008, August). Assessing the reliability of Frederick’s (2005) Cognitive Reflection Test. Poster session presented at the APA Annual Convention, Boston.

Peer-reviewed Journal Articles

1. Wells, I., Burton, B., & Burton, E. (2005). The OCR AS level examination as a means of assessing the critical thinking skills of undergraduate students: a pilot study. Psychology Learning and Teaching [PLAT2004 conference issue], 5(1), 32–36. doi:10.2304/plat.2005.5.1.32

Conference Papers

1. Corcoran, D., & Wells, I. (2005). Addressing learning difficulties. Paper presented at the APA Annual Convention, Washington D.C.
2. Corcoran, D., & Wells, I. (2005). Supporting the needs of students with specific learning difficulties: an empirical investigation of dyslexia screening. Paper presented at the University of East London Teaching & Learning Conference, London.
3. Corcoran, D.J., & Wells, I. (2005). Developing teaching and learning research by employing the empirical methods of cognitive psychology. Paper presented at the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning conference, City University, London.
4. Wells, I., & Corcoran, D. (2005). Empowering academics to produce their own multimedia learning support materials. Paper presented at the University of East London Teaching & Learning Conference, London.
5. Wells, I., Burton, B., & Burton, E. (2005). Assessing a fundamental employability skill: critical thinking. Paper presented at the University of East London Teaching & Learning Conference, London.
6. Wells, I., Burton, B., & Burton, E. (2005). Integrating research and teaching. Paper presented at the APA Annual Convention, Washington D.C.
7. Wells, I. (2004). The OCR AS level examination as a means of assessing the critical thinking skills of undergraduate students: a pilot. Paper presented at the Psychology Learning and Teaching Conference, Glasgow, Scotland.

Poster Sessions

1. Corcoran, D., Attree, E., Rose, F.D., & Wells, I. (2007, May). Is imitation a developmental precursor to theory of mind and executuve function? Poster session presented at the APS Annual Convention, Washington D.C.
2. Wells, I., Burton, A., Burton, E., & Corcoran, D. (2007, May). The role of working memory capacity in critical thinking performance. Poster session presented at the APS Annual Covention, Washington D.C.
3. Corcoran, D., & Wells, I. (2006, May). Screening large cohorts for potential dyslexia: a new direction from the UK. Poster session presented at the APS Annual Convention, New York.
4. Wells, I., Burton, A., & Burton, E. (2006, May). The development of a cognitive model of critical thinking. Poster session presented at the APS Annual Convention, New York.
5. Wells, I. (2004, August). Assessing student critical thinking: a United Kingdom perspective. Poster session presented at the APA annual convention, Honolulu.

• Member of the American Psychological Association (APA)
• Member of the Society for the Teaching of Psychology (APA Division 2)
• Fellow of the HIgher Education Academy

1. The OCR AS level examination as a means of assessing the critical thinking skills of undergraduate students: a pilot study.

   With the advent of benchmark statements (Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education [QAA], 2002), psychology undergraduate degree courses in the UK are now required both to develop and assess the critical thinking skills of their students. The study reported here takes a pragmatic view of problems associated with the lack of a consensual definition of critical thinking by adopting a measure that has been implicitly endorsed by the educational establishment in the UK. The multiple choice component of the Oxford, Cambridge and RSA (OCR) AS level critical thinking examination was completed by 176 students. The results showed that the measure had a high level of internal reliability and was consistently related to performance on traditional measures of academic achievement. It is suggested that the measure is reliable enough to be used in further research.