Using discussion forums to enhance critical thinking
- 1. USING DISCUSSION FORUMS TO ENGAGE STUDENTS IN CRITICAL THINKING Jonathan Brown (Teacher FNDS013, Sydney Institute of Business & Technology)
- 2. Agenda Overview of online learning environment Socratic questioning Write a question for your course
- 3. Learning Outcomes Will be able to Understand a little of the pedagogy behind discussion forums Identify the types interactions that occur Understand the 4-question technique Write a question for your course
- 4. Why this picture, slogan?
- 6. Student Expectations Over to you. List two expectations that you feel students in your course may have about the use of discussion forums. Write them in the chat space.
- 7. Benefits of Asynchronous Learning Critical difference is removal of time constraints Positive pedagogical effects: no natural limit to the length and frequency of each individual’s contributions. Students can take their time to reflect on what has been said, so can adapt their contribution. Students inhibited in a live tutorial are released from their inhibitions and become stronger contributors. The time it takes to read a message is far less than the time it takes to listen to someone saying it .
- 8. Student-Student Interaction Student Student, moderated by teacher Collaborative reasoning method (Laurillard p150) Teacher asks open-ended questions, prompts new student input using Socratic questioning Students Dialogue with each other Share their position on a ‘big’ question Evaluate each others’ reasoning
- 10. Socrates and his questions
- 11. Socratic thinking is.. ‘..a disciplined enquiry method that requires deep thinking, thought exploration and questioning our assumptions. Instead of just absorbing ideas that are being offered, learners must examine the logic and reason behind those ideas.’ (Pappas, C)
- 12. Effective Questions Answer the question ‘What do I want the learners to know/be able to do?’ Typical forum responses are maximum of 200 words, or more than a minute’s worth of speech. (Forum questions should anticipate this level of response.) (Harasim, 1987, cited in Laurillard p147) Often questions have multiple parts. If there are a number of Qs, they should move from the general to the specific. Students can take over some of the roles of questioner, summarizer, clarifier.
- 13. Socratic Questioning Questions of Clarification • What is your main point? • Can you give me an example? • What is the source of that idea or information? • Can you summarise what we discussed? Questions that Probe Assumptions • What are you assuming? • How would you support your assumptions? Questions that Probe Reasons and Evidence • What did you observe in the demonstration / experiment? • What evidence supports your hypothesis? Questions that Probe Implications and Consequences • What effect would that have? • What could you generalise from this observation? • What does that remind you of? • What do you predict will happen next?
- 14. 4-Question Technique 1. ‘Identify one important concept, research finding, theory, or idea that you learned while completing this activity.’ (analyzing) 2. ‘Why do you believe that this concept, research finding, theory, or idea is important?’ (reflecting) 3. ‘Apply what you’ve learned from this activity to some aspect of your life.’ (relating) 4. ‘ What question(s) has the activity raised for you? What are you still wondering about?’ (questioning)
- 16. 1st Example for review Which of the 4 types of Socratic questions are used in this activity? 1.What is e-business? 2.What are the pros and cons of e-business? 3.Do you know a very un/successful e-business? Share an example. 4.Would you like it to be a part of your future business/career? Why/Why not? Analyzing Reflecting Relating Questioning Write your thoughts on the following 3 points in the chat space: number of questions content of questions order of questions
- 17. 1st example for review 1.What is e-business? Analysing: Identifying something you have learned. 2.What are the pros and cons of e-business? Analyzing: Identifying something you have learned 3.Do you know a very un/successful e-business? Share an example Relating: Associate the content of the course with prior knowledge/ Experience. 4.Would you like it to be a part of your future business/career? Why/Why not? Questioning: Questioning the utility of what has been learnt. Relating: Apply what you have learnt to some aspect of your life.
- 18. 2nd example: 4-part question with stimulus picture. The following question series was used in a marketing course for international students. Purpose: to promote learner awareness of media bias using stereotypes. Read each of the 4 parts. Look at the order of questions. In your opinion, how do they flow, from one to the next? Do any questions need improvement? Why?
- 20. 4-Part Question Example This week we looked at stereotyping in advertising. Instructions: Look at the advertisement above and discuss the stereotypes in this advertisement. Think critically about what this advertisement is suggesting. To do this, look at the setting, the clothes, the positioning of the two people, what the advertisement is about? 1st Q: Does this say something about gender stereotypes? 2nd Q: Discuss the stereotypes in this advertisement. 3rd Q: How has reality been constructed? 4th Q: How does the media construct societal norms? Final instruction: Relate your answers to the readings for this week.
- 21. Over to you.. Think about a subject in the course you currently teach. Have a go at writing two types of questions for a discussion in your course. Think about the kind of response you would like to get. In the chat box, write the subject, eg. Counselling Then write your two questions to share with other participants. Tag your questions with one of the following labels: analyzing reflecting relating questioning
- 22. Sample Collaborative Activities Week-long class discussion moderated by a strong student. Choose a strong/ keen student Ask class to decide on a specific question they would like to discuss from the current topic. Place a clear time limit on the forum. Forum moderator roles: • Create a friendly environment • Encourage participation by reminding students of course expectations • Encourage sharing of ideas • Prompt participants to pursue their ideas • Summarise the shared ideas at the end of the week
- 23. Sample Collaborative Activities Discussion: Students Choose, then TAG Their Role Students can choose the type of intervention: • Question- about a definition, function or reason • Explanation- of a concept, a function, a system, or a reason • Conjecture- about an assumption or a prediction • Comment- as a justification or a commentary • Critique- as a complement, a correction, and alternative Students then have to ‘tag’ their post with one of the above labels, at the end. (Laurillard 2012)
- 24. Sample Collaborative Activities Online Class Debate (time: minimum 1 week) • Assign 1st, 2nd, 3rd ‘speakers’ for both sides. • One person per day posts their argument, and if not the • 1st speaker, their response. • Debate goes over 6 days. • Other students in the class vote on the winner in a post, giving their reasons.
- 25. References Del Medico C, Building Engagement and Reflection in Forums, Navitas Learning 2014 Laurillard D, 2012, Teaching as a Design Science, Routledge, New York Pappas C, Socratic Questions in E-Learning: ‘What eLearing professionals should know.’ https://elearningindustry.com/socratic-questions-in-elearning-what-elearning-professionals -should-know (viewed July, 2016) Salmon G, 2011, E Moderating (Third Edition), Routledge, New York Salmon G, 2013, E-tivities The Key to Active Online Learning, Routledge, New York