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.