- Develop your understanding of the Intellectual Traits in a discussion post.
To create online discussions infused with critical thinking, we must begin to think about critical thinking. To think critically we will use reasoning by asking questions, gathering information, making inferences and assumptions to come to conclusions about how to infuse critical thinking into online discussions. Read and watch the content not as a lot of information to remember, but as tools to think about critical thinking. Thinking about critical thinking is about using empathy, attentive awareness and reasoning by asking questions, gathering information, making inferences and assumptions to come to conclusions about how things should or ought to be, which things are good or bad, and which actions are right or wrong.
We must become clear about the purposes of using thinking critically in online discussion forums. We must begin to ask questions, and recognize the questions being asked, about critical thinking to improve how we think about critical thinking. We must begin to sift through information, and drawing conclusions about critical thinking. We must begin to question where information about critical thinking comes from. We must notice the different interpretations that are formed about critical thinking give meaning to critical thinking. We must question those interpretations to understand them better. we must begin to question the implications of various critical thinking interpretations and begin to see how to reasoning is used to come to conclusions. We must begin to look at the world and develop the viewpoint of how to think critically using online discussions forums.
- Read and watch the content in this course looking explicitly for the elements of thought.
- Actively ask questions about critical thinking from a critical-thinking thinking perspective.
- Begin paying attention to your own thinking about critical thinkings in your everyday life.
- Make thinking about critical thinking a more explicit and prominent part of your thinking.
This week we work through the first of three major dimensions of Paulian Critical Thinking – Intellectual Virtues. This is a significant part of the theory that is often neglected in other approaches to critical thinking. The focus is on the effective, fairminded application of critical thinking. A key development point is to begin acknowledging and overcoming our egocentric nature. People can go through formal education, receive multiple degrees, and be highly successful in their career and yet, not possess important intellectual virtues such as humility and fair-mindedness.
Badge Activities- Due Sunday 11:59PM
Create your first discussion post on the Intellectual Traits in our week 1 Laulima workshop Forum.
- Read pages 2-7 of the Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking Concepts and Tools,
- Watch the video on Critical Thinking for Children – 5. Intellectual Virtues
- Watch the video on Critical Thinking and the Intellectual Traits
- Read the Introduction and pages 3-9 in The Aspiring Thinker’s Guide to Critical Thinking,
- In UH Google documents, or another word processing software, complete the following statements- always using your own words for each statement. After you complete the assignment copy and paste your answers into this week’s Laulima Discussion forum.Please write out your understanding of each element using your own words.
Don’t copy and paste or parrot back information that you encountered during the week. As much as you can, without looking at the material, write your understanding of each element. To the extent that you can do this on your own is the extent to which you have command of the concept. If you find it difficult to write out an accurate and substantive description of each element, go back and review the material, then try again. Your goal is to get to a place where the concept is clear and accessible to you at all times. It is important that these standards become intuitive, enabling you to identify and overcome low-quality thinking and guide you toward the improvement of thinking.
- Intellectual Integrity
- I understand “Intellectual Integrity” to mean…
- In other words, [elaborate in a couple sentences]…
- An example of someone exhibiting Intellectual Integrity would be…
- Intellectual Independence
- I understand “Intellectual Independence” to mean…
- In other words, [elaborate in a few sentences]…
- An example of someone exhibiting Intellectual Independence would be…
- Intellectual Perseverance
- I understand “Perseverance” to mean…
- In other words, [elaborate in a few sentences]…
- An example of someone exhibiting Perseverance would be…
- Intellectual Empathy
- I understand “Intellectual Empathy” to mean…
- In other words, [elaborate in a few sentences]…
- An example of someone exhibiting Intellectual Empathy would be…
- Intellectual Humility
- I understand “Intellectual Humility” to mean…
- In other words, [elaborate in a few sentences]…
- An example of someone exhibiting Intellectual Humility would be…
- Intellectual Courage
- I understand “Intellectual Courage” to mean…
- In other words, [elaborate in a few sentences]…
- An example of someone exhibiting Intellectual Courage would be…
- Confidence in Reason
- I understand “Confidence in Reason ” to mean…
- In other words, [elaborate in a few sentences]…
- An example of someone exhibiting Confidence in Reason would be…
- Fairmindedeness
- I understand “Fairmindedeness” to mean…
- In other words, [elaborate in a few sentences]…
- An example of someone exhibiting Fairmindedeness would be…
- The purpose of the assignment is…
- The key question at the heart of the assignment is…
Get your Week 1- Intellectual Traits Badge Here
Benefits of Using Online Discussions
- Builds class community by promoting discussion on course topics
- Allows time for in-depth reflection students have more time to reflect, research & compose their thoughts before participating in the discussion
- Facilitates learning by allowing students to view & to respond to the work of others
- Develops thinking & writing skills
- Allows guest experts to participate in the course by posting information & responding to questions
What is the purpose of your discussion?
Online discussions activities can serve a variety of purposes and can be used to meet a wide range of instructional objectives. Discussions should be used to meet specific course objectives and should be aligned with course content. Well-designed discussion board activities can be used to encourage the following:
- Demonstration of Knowledge of Key Concepts – Using the discussion board to discuss key concepts allows students to learn from one another and share ideas. When students submit an assignment directly to a teacher, this sharing of ideas is lost.
- Community Building – One of the primary reasons for using discussion boards is to build a community of learners. This tool allows students to become part of a vibrant learning community, rather than an just an independent learner completing & submitting assignments with no real peer interaction.
- Reflection – Reflective activities require students to share a synthesis of the learning experience, or to describe how a situation or experience has personal value to them. These kinds of activities should allow for honest and open responses.
- Consensus Building – Consensus building activities require students to work together to create a product or to come to an agreement on some topic.
- Critical Thinking – through the use of higher order questioning techniques and activities, the discussion board can be used to encourage critical thinking skills.
- Student Leadership: the effective use of discussion forums can encourage student leadership by giving them a voice in the classroom.
Introductory discussions
Example s of icebreakers and introductory discussions For the first week of an Online Course
- Prior Knowledge Warm Up Discussion
- Ask about learners prior knowledge. Example: From your recollections of studying geography in grade school or high school, what tradition or traditions were most prominent in the material of your courses? Give some examples. (GEOG)
- Icebreaker Introduction: Building a Community of Learners
- Introductions – Introductions serve a dual purpose – as a way of building a learning community by getting to know each other and to practice using the discussion tool in a non-threatening way (no prior knowledge needed; not graded).
- Ice Breakers – Ice Breakers are designed to get students thinking about the material or concepts and build connections with peers. If these exercises are not assessing an objective, they are not graded.
- Example: Please introduce yourself to your classmates. In addition to sharing your name, feel free to add information about yourself that may help others get to know you and work with you on various class activities. As desired, you may also want to let others know why you are taking this course and about your interest in this subject
- Ask each student to introduce themselves on the discussion board at the beginning of the course. Respond to each student & encourage the class to respond to one another’s introductions.
- Portrait
- students create a portrait of themselves in any medium, digitize the portrait and share it on the discussion board.
- Interviews
- Pairs of students interview each other on a given topic and post the interview results in the discussion board.
- Cyber Cafe
- The Cyber Cafe is usually put at the top of the Discussion forum.The purpose of this discussion is to provide the kind of interchange students might have outside of class. Threads posted in this area allows students time to practice talking to their peers. Your active participation in this helps students build relationships with you and other students, and serves as way for you to model the kinds of behaviors, both scholarly and socially. The instructor needs to carefully monitor this open space to head off any potential conflicts amongst the students. Students need a safe place to ask questions, and if one student has a question, chances are others have the same question. Answering a question in a public forum covers both the questioner and those who wondered the same thing. It is a good idea to empower your students that if they see the question first and know the answer, they should feel free to respond.
- Introductory Icebreaker Discussion
- They provide students with an opportunity to get to know one another and to interact in an Informal way. They should be fun and non-threatening and require participants to find something in common with others in the group.
- Reflection Discussion
- What, how and why?
- Help Desk
- The help desk is focused on building trust. They usually start out w.ith students populating threads with links to good information. As community forms, students will feel more comfortable about admitting a lack of knowledge, and requesting assistance. As an instructor, you can go two ways. By answering immediately, you show your willingness to be available. By standing back, you allow the students to start to become to view each other as supporting and a source of accurate information. The postings in the help area are generally non controversial and not graded.
Discussion forums are the most commonly used tool in online teaching for interaction between students, and between students and the instructor. Discussion forums provide the ability for asynchronous discussion to occur over a period of time. The ability to learn asynchronously is one of the primary benefits of online learning. Students are able to reflect upon their ideas before sharing them with the class, leading to more reflective responses and in-depth learning.
- Mastering Online Discussion Board Facilitation Resource Guide
- The Discussion Board Book
- Face-to-Face Versus Threaded Discussions: The Role of Time and Higher Order Thinking Dr. Katrina A. Meyer, Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks
- The Effectiveness and Development of Online Discussions MERLOT Journal of Online Learning and Teaching