promoting critical thinking through online …...promoting critical thinking through online...
TRANSCRIPT
Promoting Critical Thinking through Online Discussions:
Developing Questions and Managing Conversations
Christine Harrington Ph.D. Executive Director, NJ Center for Student Success [email protected]
1
Agenda
Critical Thinking and Online Discussions
Creating Effective Discussion Prompts
Managing Conversations
2
Question
How do you define critical thinking?
3
What is Critical Thinking?
“to think in a sophisticated manner- to ask questions, define terms, examine evidence, analyze assumptions, avoid emotional reasoning, resist oversimplification, consider alternative interpretations, and tolerate uncertainty”
4 (Wade, 2008, p.p.11)
Process of Becoming a Critical Thinker
5 Direct from Harrington (2016)
Foundational Knowledge
• Readings
• Narrated Presentations
• Screencasts
• Videos 6
Asynchronous Online Discussions
Advantages Time for Reflection
Access to Resources
Writing helps Learning
Everyone participates
7 Thompson (2006)
Asynchronous Online Discussions
Disadvantages Delayed Feedback
Reduced Emotional Engagement
Less Connected
Repetitive
8 Thompson (2006)
Question
Do you think critical thinking is more likely to happen during: a. Traditional in person class discussions
b. Online discussions
c. Both traditional and online discussions 9
Critical Thinking…
10 Guiller, Durndell, & Ross (2008)
Critical Thinking MORE Likely in Online Discussions
Answering Taras’s (2006) Call for Equity
• Ongoing exploration
• Numerous feedback opportunities and…
• Numerous opportunities to USE this feedback
11 (Taras, 2009)
Online Discussions and Learning
Reading and Contributing
12 Walker et al. (2013)
Creating a Community of Inquiry
Teaching Presence
Social Presence
Cognitive Presence
13 Garrison, Anderson, and Archer (2000)
The 3 E’s of Online Learning
Experience • Sense of Community, Guidelines, Trial Run
Engagement • Content Connections, Questions, Debates
Evaluation • Consistent, Regular and Ongoing Feedback
14 Dixon (2014)
Before the Conversation
Begins….
15
Expectations
16
Rubric Example
17 Direct from Wyss, Freedman & Seibert (2014)
Expectations
• Share Models
• Use a Preceptor
18 Hall (2015)
Initial Discussion Prompts
Getting to Know You
Low Stakes 19
Question Prompts
• Not limited to facts but uses background knowledge
• Open-ended
• Stimulate discussions
• Multiple perspectives
• Room for many contributions
20
Activity
• Think of one of your discussion prompts (or use one of the samples provided)
• Use the rubric to evaluate the effectiveness of the prompt
• How might you make it more effective?
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Keeping the Conversation
Going….
22
Keeping the Conversation Going….
According to Grice’s Cooperative Principle Theory, we need:
Quantity
Quality
Relevance
Manner as cited in Ho & Swan (2007)
23
Results….
Quality Direct Posts
24 Ho & Swan (2007)
Applying Grice’s Theory to Online Discussions
Direct from Ho & Swan (2007) 25
Self-Efficacy and Posts
26 Kui (2013)
Instructor Involvement
27
Question
What level of involvement should the professor have in online conversations? a. Very little as it might reduce participation
b. Some involvement so students know you are present
c. High involvement so everyone feels acknowledged
28
Instructor Involvement
Instructor Involvement
Increased Student Activity
29 Tagg and Dickenson (1995) as cited in Garrison, et al. (2000)
Avoid Too Much Involvement
• Avoid dominating discussions
• May diminish student activity and involvement
30 Thompson, 2006
Moderate Involvement is Best
31
125-275 Instructor Posts: Highest Student Participation Average class size: 20
Direct from: Morris, Xu, and Finnegan, 2005, 17
Novice vs. Experienced Instructors
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193
869
1176
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
Novice Experienced
Instructor Posts Student Posts
32 Morris, Xu, and Finnegan, 2005, 17
Instructor Time in Class Matters Cranney, Wallace, Alexander, and Alfano, 2011, 345
33
Recommendation: 6.25 hours per week minimum
Direct from: Cranney, Wallace, Alexander, & Alfano, 2011, 345
Early Involvement
Importance of Strong Initial Posts
Formative Feedback to Class
Positively Reinforce On-Target Posts
34
Type of Involvement?
35
Socratic Questions?
Examples:
36 based on the work of Paul (1990) and Strang (2011)
Follow Up Prompts
Initial Prompt • One question
Follow Up Questions • Later when it fits the
conversation 37
For Example….
• Based on the research findings, what advice would you give to parents? Why? How does your advice compare to the advice given by professionals such as the American Academy of Pediatrics?
• How do these findings compare to research on interactive media products (i.e. computer games)?
38
Peers as Moderators
Peer moderation linked to meaningful
interactions and sense of community
But…. Support and
Scaffolding is Needed!
39 Seo 2007; Poole, 2000
Peer Feedback Conversations
40
Motivation and
Involvement
Kui (2013)
Role of Social Talk….
Social Talk
Effective Discussion
41 Chen & Wang (2009)
Role of Social Talk
42
• Easy entry back into conversation
In and Out
Members
• Opportunity to influence others Involved
Members
Chen & Wang (2009)
Teaching via Conversations….
Correcting Inaccurate Content
Expert Contributions: Making Connections
Summary Posts
43
Grading
44
Question:
How much should online conversations count toward the final grade? a. 0-10% b. 10-20% c. 20-30% d. 30-40% e. 40-50% f. 50-60% g. 60% or more
45
Question
How often should professors grade discussion boards? a. Every conversation b. Every few conversations c. At mid-semester and again at end of term d. At end of term
46
Grading
Points Original Examples
Value Added Comments
47 Comer & Lenaghan (2012)