Abstract
As online education becomes common, it is essential to identify activities that support critical thinking in this environment. This paper describes the use of a model-eliciti ng activity (MEA) solved by groups in a synchronous online discussion. The participants displayed their thinking processes and solutions consistent with successful face-to-f ace (F2F) MEAs. Each group’s discussion showed evidence of critical thinking and incorporated quality logical arguments. This demonstrates that MEAs may be also used in an online environment to successfully support application of critical thinking skills.
Highlights
IntroductionAn important aspect of learning critical thinking is having opportunities to apply critical thinking skills, receiving feedback, and reflecting on their application [1]
Developing critical thinkers is an essential goal of education
Based on face-to-face (F2F) successes and previous studies of online discussion, the hypothesis was that model-eliciting activities (MEAs), a variety of small group problem solving, would support critical thinking in the online environment [4]
Summary
An important aspect of learning critical thinking is having opportunities to apply critical thinking skills, receiving feedback, and reflecting on their application [1]. Providing such opportunities represents a significant challenge in online discussions [2]. Numerous activities support aspects of critical thinking, only certain types of online discussion activities support learner progression through the full critical thinking process and support quality argument construction [3]. Identifying such activities is important for facilitating online learner development. Post-MEA participant discussion is considered to help provide meaning for results
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