MOHSEN BAYAT; Hashem Fardanesh; Javad Hatami; Ebrahim Talaee
Abstract
IntruductionIn effective citizenship education, decision making is important skills.The 11-year-olds childeren need decision-making skills(NCSS,1998(.The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of collaborative reasoning-based learning environment with teacher support (pre-training and scripting ...
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IntruductionIn effective citizenship education, decision making is important skills.The 11-year-olds childeren need decision-making skills(NCSS,1998(.The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of collaborative reasoning-based learning environment with teacher support (pre-training and scripting by procedural prompt) on acquisition and transfer of decision-making skills and satisfaction.For this purpose, the questions were: (1) what is the effect of collaborative reasoning-based learning environment with pre-training and script supports on students' acquisition of decision-making skills?(2) what is the effect of collaborative reasoning-based learning environment with pre-training and script supports on the transfer of students' decision-making skills to the novel moral story?(3)what are students' opinions about the collaborative-reasoning learning environment?MethodThis research is a pre-test and post-test experimental designs with three experimental groups. The statistical population of the study is all sixth grade students in Neyriz in the academic year 1399- 1400. All participants were male and their mean age was 12.40 (SD = 1.33). Among the schools of Neyriz city, three schools of Mehregan, Mehrdanesh and Bahman were selected through cluster sampling. Three sixth grade classes were selected and randomly divided into experimental groups 1 (pre-training), experimental 2 (scripting) and experimental 3 (blended method(.Learning and transfer of students' decision-making skills (pre-test, post-test and transfer test) were measured using a coding scheme prepared by the authors.Students' opinions about collaborative reasoning-based learning environment were measured using a questionnaire designed by Mehdizadeh (2007). This questionnaire was used with some changes after adapting to the classroom conditions.ResultThe results showed that the collaborative reasoning approach with three support methods can improve acquisition and transfer of students' decision-making skills. Also, students who received a combination of support through pre-training and scripting in the collaborative reasoning process performed better in acquisition and transferring decision-making skills than the other two groups and were more satisfied with their learning environment. Also, students who received pre-training prior to collaborative reasoning performed better than the script group in acquiring and transferring decision-making skills.DiscussionPre-trainning and scripting are both complementary learning strategies that, together, provide powerful instructional support in collaborative reasoning-based learning environments to empower students to acquisition and transfer decision-making skills. Pre-training creates the mental structure or model needed to understand the scripts that are presented in the collaborative reasoning process.
Ghodratolah Khalifeh; Hashem Fardanesh; Javad Hatami; Ebrahim Talaee
Abstract
Introduction Regarding the affordances of an online learning environments, it is expected that such environments facilitate teaching and learning processes and increase higher-order thinking skills, especially critical thinking skills. However, evidence suggests that many of online learning courses ...
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Introduction Regarding the affordances of an online learning environments, it is expected that such environments facilitate teaching and learning processes and increase higher-order thinking skills, especially critical thinking skills. However, evidence suggests that many of online learning courses are designed in ways that do not carry the required capacity to enhance higher order thinking skills such as t critical thinking skills. The purpose of this study is to design and validate a model for reinforcing students' critical thinking skills in an online learning environment. Method The present study uses a mixed-method research approach including content analysis and survey. The content analysis focused on a corpus of all research articles indexed in the database. We used a targeted sampling method for inclusion. For survey research we used a convenient sampling method to select among the body of experts in the field of instructional technology. The sample size included 20 participants.The instrument used for the survey was developed by the researcher and was validated using a expert panel of seven experts in the field of instructional technology. The reliability of the tool was ensured using a test-retest method. The correlation coefficient (0.94) between the two tests was significant at the level of p = 0.01. Results The findings of the research indicated that the proposed model elements for reinforcement the students' critical thinking skills in the online learning environment, including the presentation of the problem and the stimulating events, explored and searched the nature of the problem, the discussion, and argumentation about the proposed problem, the presentation of the solution, cognitive presence and social presence. Guided by the observed themes, we also came up with proposed design model. Finally, the themes were cross validated in consultation with a subgroup of 20 experts in the field of educational technology. Discussion Based on the results of the present study, the presentation of the problem or stimulating events should happen in the early phase of the instructional design model. In the next stage, the learning environment should provide an opportunity for students to explore the nature of the problem. This stage should be followed by an opportunity for learners to discuss different sides of the problem and ultimately present their solutions and reasoning that comes with it. Both social and teaching presence are elements that are present throughout the steps and processes of reinforcement critical thinking skills in online learning environments. The two aspects are important in design of learning environment because they create not only an affective bond for students but also balance and systematize the process of learning activities. The results of the present study indicate that online learning environments, if designed systematically and following sound design principles as shown in the present study, have the very potential to enhance critical thinking skills.
