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Distance Education building
Critical Thinking Skills
Michael Holmes Walden University
“Good” thinking is an important element of life success in the information age (Huitt, 1993; Thomas & Smoot, 1994).
Where it all begins!!!
The Distance Education Instructor
Instructor Responsibilities
Educational Experience
Cognitive Presence
Teaching Presence
Social Presence
Critical Thinking Skills are:
formulating Questions making Distinctions
Critical Thinking Skills are:
building Vocabulary cultivating proper Language &
Grammar skills
Critical Thinking Skills are:
Logic & Reasoning a variety of Perceptions & Frames
of Reference recognizing Errors & the necessity
of Change
Critical Thinking Skills are:
engaging in Dialectic & Argument making Comparisons & Contrasts
Critical Thinking Skills are:
appreciating the Means & Ends trusting your Active & Synthetic
Imagination accurate Interpretative Skills
"Critical" does not mean that one is "negative" or "complaining." It means being able to look at the information or assertions with sufficient intellectual ability and analytical skills so that you can indeed weigh the evidence, the values and words used to see how true or constructive the position, idea or argument actually is. And of course, your goal is to be clear and truthful AND to change minds!
Distance Education is:
“off-site”
Pedagogy
Andragogy
technology
Instructional systems
Distance Education: Pedagogy
Socratic Questioning
Socrates was one of the greatest educators who taught by asking questions and thus drawing out (as 'ex duco', meaning to 'lead out', which is the root of 'education') answers from his pupils.
http://changingminds.org/techniques/questioning/socratic_questions.htm
Socratic Questioning
Why are you saying that? What exactly does this mean? How does this relate to what we
have been talking about? What is the nature of ...? What do we already know about
this? Can you give me an example? Are you saying ... or ... ? Can you rephrase that, please?
Distance Education: Andragogy
Distance Education: Technology
Web Based Bulletin Boards
Online Threaded Discussions
Knowledge Networks
Distance Education: Instructional Design
Time and Distance
Meeting Needs
Emerging
REFERENCES
Bidjerano, Temi & Bidjerano, Temi (2009). Community of Inquiry as a Theoretical Framework to Foster “Epistemic Engagement” and “Cognitive Presence” in Online Education. Computers & Education, v52 (n3), p543-
553.
Bill, R., Newby, T., & Yang, Ya-Ting (2005). Using Socratic Questioning to Promote Critical Thinking Skills Asynchronous Discussion Forums in Distance Learning Environments. American Journal of Distance Education, v19 (n3), p163-181.
Bill, R., Newby, T., & Yang, Ya-Ting (2008). Facilitating Interactions through Structured Web-Based Bulletinn Boards: A Quasi-Experimental Study on Promoting Learners’ Critical Thinking Skills. Computers &
Education, v50 (n4), p1572-1585.
Kurubacak, Guslun (2006). Improving Critical Thinking Skills Through Online Synchronous Communications: A Study of Learner’s Attitudes toward Building Knowledge Networks. Online Submission
Maurino, Paula San Millan (2006-2007). Looking for Critical Thinking in Online Threaded Discussions. Journal of Educational Technology Systems, v34 (n3) p241-260.
Oriogun , Peter K. (2009). Detecting Aspects of Critical Thinking by Cleaning On-line Message Transcript through Code-Recode. American Journal of Distance Education, v23 (n1), p. 34-50
Thomas, G., & Smoot, G. (1994, February/March ). Critical thinking: A vital work skill. Thrust for Educational Leadership, 23, 34-38.