Critical Thinking in the Digital World

Developing Critical Thinking Through Online

Discussions and Web Research

Meena Singhal and Celina Lee

Educational Experience

Community of Inquiry Model

• Social presence - the ability of participants to identify with the community (e.g., course of study),

communicate purposefully in a trusting environment, and develop inter-personal relationships by

way of projecting their individual personalities.

• Teaching presence - the design, facilitation, and direction of cognitive and social processes for

the purpose of realizing personally meaningful and educationally worthwhile learning outcomes.

• Cognitive presence - the extent to which learners are able to construct and confirm meaning

through sustained reflection and discourse.

What is Critical Thinking?

Definitions of Critical Thinking

• “Reflective thought” rather than routine thought; it’s the process of “active,

persistent, and careful consideration” of the credibility and conclusions of supposed

knowledge or information – John Dewey

• “Such minds are nimble and versatile, enough to see relationships among things, in

addition to subtle distinctions between them; inquisitive, fond of reflecting; patient

enough to doubt and ask questions; and ready to consider multiple points of

view; careful to support points of view and formulate arguments with reasons and

evidence; capable of judging the credibility of sources and making independent

judgments about information, and alert to all deception.” - Sir Francis Bacon, 1605

Bloom’s Taxonomy

Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy?

Critical Thinking Through Online Discussions

Online Collaboration

• Critical thinking affects all forms of communication – speaking,

listening, reading, and writing - and as such can be practiced daily in

every interaction.

• Problem-Solving, Creativity, Inquiry, and Collaborative Learning

• With online discussion, faculty can engage students in a wide range

of activities that can contribute to intellectual growth.

• Online communication offers the potential for collaboration and

increased participation in the learning process, reflection, peer

tutoring, and monitoring of student learning as it is taking place.

Supporting Critical Thinking Online

• We cannot assume that all students have the critical thinking skills to advance

an online discussion.

• Faculty may also not have skills and practice in monitoring discussions or skills

in creating productive communities of online learning.

Online Activity – Goals and Social Skills

Students should have the skills to:

• Ask the right questions

• Listen to each other

• Take turns and share work

• Help each other learn

• Respect each others ideas

• Build on each other’s ideas

• Construct their own understanding

• Think in new ways

Participation Requirements

Supporting Online Discussions

Faculty must support discussions by:

• Creating well-structured activities (triggering event, exploration,

integration, and resolution)

• Maintaining a focused discussion

• Keeping the discussion intellectually responsible

• Stimulating the discussion by asking probing questions that hold

students accountable for their thinking

• Modeling questioning techniques for students

• Encouraging full participation

• Facilitating by being purposeful

• Periodically summarizing what has been said or done and/or what

needs to be done

Elements of Substantive Faculty Participation

Facilitation Technique

Socratic Questioning Prompts (Handout)

• Clarity

• Accuracy

• Precision

• Relevance

• Depth

• Breadth

• Logic

• Significance

• Fairness

Role of Faculty

• Provide clearly defined roles and responsibilities for the students

• Develop activities that are well-structured

• Support student learning in discussion threads

• Be a critical thinking coach

• Create substantive facilitation posts

– Integrate experience and current research and events

– Integrate course materials

– Ask focused follow-up questions

Garrison, D. R., Anderson, T., & Archer, W. (2000). Critical inquiry in a text-based environment: Computer

conferencing in higher education. The Internet and Higher Education, 2(2-3), 87-10

Kanuka, H., Liam, R. & Laflamme, E. (2007). The influence of instructional methods on the quality of online discussion.

British Journal of Educational Technology, 38(2), 260 – 271.

Walker, G. (2005). Critical thinking in asynchronous discussions. International Journal of Instructional Technology and

Distance Learning, 2(6).

Discussion Formats

• Small group discussions led by an instructor or group leader.

• Buzz groups consisting of two people who discuss issues or problems for a short

period.

• Case discussions using real or simulated complex problems to be analyzed in detail

and a solution or decision offered.

• Debating teams where students improve their critical thinking skills by formulating

ideas, defending their positions, and countering the oppositions reasoning or

conclusions.

• Jigsaw groups where members break into subgroups to discuss various parts of a

topic and then present or teach the information to other group members.

• Mock trials where students assume the various roles of individuals in a real trial

setting.

Discussion Formats

• Introduce guest “speakers” who have invited access to a specific

discussion topic.

• Utilize role playing by assigning specific positions or roles to defend within

the discussion.

• Reflection activities describing the critical things students learned from the

class, how the class might have changed their thinking and/or how they will

apply the new knowledge beyond the class.

Critical Thinking Through Web Research

Critical Thinking in the Information Age

We need to develop students "to evaluate the reliability of

web sources, identify bias, logical fallacies, and deceptive

arguments ...so they can become active, intelligence and persuasive participants in politics, science, business,

the arts, and society.“

- “From Search to Research: Developing Critical Thinking

Through Web Research”

3 Steps of Web Research

• Find

– Know the different types of resources and search tools

– Understand the application and implication of each tool

• Identify & Evaluate

– Know what is reliable, trustworthy information

• Use

– Know what is ethical use of digital content

Step 1: Find

• Know the difference types of resources and search tools

• Understand the application and implication of each tool

• Visible Web (a.k.a. Open Web)

– Search engines

– General directories (i.e. ipl.org, infomine.ucr.edu)

– Specialized directories (i.e. healthfinder.gov)

– Metasearch tools (i.e. dogpile.com)

– Subject-specific or content- specific search tools

• Deep Web (a.k.a. Hidden Web)

– Subscription databases

– Dynamically generated webpages

Step 1: Find

Periodical articles

Reference sources

Primary sources

Government documents

Literature reviews,

Reports,

And much more!

Step 2: Identify & Evaluate

Give your students the CRAP test:

• Currency

• Reliability

• Authority

• Purpose/Point of View

Criteria for Evaluating Web Information

• WHO put the information on the Web?

– Authority

– Domain (.edu, .org, .gov, .com)

• WHAT kind of information does it provide?

– Objectivity

• WHEN was the information posted?

– Currency

• WHERE is the information coming from?

– Accuracy

• WHY is the information on the Web?

– Motivation

Step 3: Use

• Citing sources accurately and appropriately

– MLA Citation Guide: http://lbcc.libguides.com/mla

• Understanding copyright for images and media

– Copyright is the protection of intellectual property

in various forms (artistic and literary works).

– Copyright protects both published and unpublished

work

United States Copyright Office :

http://www.copyright.gov/

Resources

• Google – Search Education

http://www.google.com/insidesearch/searcheducation/index.html

• Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online

Teaching (MERLOT)

http://www.merlot.org