This is a quick overview of the development of critical thinking skills in distance education.

1. Introduction
by: Linda
Rosemond
Walden
University
Principles of
Distance
Education
DEVELOPING CRITICAL
THINKING SKILLS IN
DISTANCE EDUCATION

2. Higher order skill
Rationally
Evaluate actions/beliefs
Certain criteria
Teach how to think instead of
what to think!!!
WHAT IS CRITICAL THINKING?
How do I teach
online students
how to think?

3. 1. Meta-Knowing
Metastrategic
Metacognitive
Epistemological
“Learning usually takes place when interaction is
fostered among learners and between learners
and instructor” (Dawson, 2008).
2. Learning of
community
Cognitive presence
Teaching presence
Social presence
THE PROCESS!!

4. desires
feelings
thoughts
Involves
the
Integrating
of…
CRITICAL
THINKING

5. Flexible
Identify biases/assumptions
Skepticism
Separate facts/opinions
Don’t oversimplify
Logical inference processes
Examine before drawing conclusions
CHARACTERISTICS OF CRITICAL
THINKERS
I bet I
can!!!

6. BEST PRACTICES!
Collaboration
Wikis
Blogs
Threaded
Discussions

7. Students
 Ask questions
 Listen to each other
 Help each other learn
 Respect other’s ideas
 Build on other’s ideas
 Construct own
understanding
 Think in new ways
Instructors
 Maintain a focus
 Guide intellectual
responses
 Ask probing questions
 Encourage full
participation
 Summarizing what
needs to be done
 Encourage to build
categories of thinking
BEST PRACTICES!!!

8. Virtual Teams
Questioning
Self-reflecting
IDEAS AND SUPPORT

9. Possible?
Does a cat meow?
What inferences have you
made throughout this
presentation and are they legitimate?
Find out now as you listen to Dr. Sam
Brown from the Critical Thinking
Institute.
POSSIBLE?

10. Alshraideh, M. (2008). The effect of Suchmans’ inquiry model
on developing critical thinking skills among university
students. IJAES, 4(1), 59-67.
Buraphadeja, V. (2008). Content analysis in computer-mediated communication:
Analyzing models for assessing critical thinking through the lens of
social constructivism. The American Journal of Distance Education, 22:
130-145.
Camarata, J. (2007). Using critical thinking in a web-based
public budgeting course. International Journal of Public
Administration, 30, 499-518.
Denial, A. (2010). Putting critical thinking into action.
Optometric Education, 33(3).
REFERENCES

11. Maurino, P. (2007). Looking for critical thinking in online
threaded discussions. J. Educational Technology Systems,
35(3): 241-260.
Notar, C. (2002). Distant learning for the development of higher
-level cognitive skills. Education: Education Research
Complete, 122(4): 642-648.
Osborne, R. (2009). Putting it all together: Incorporating “ SoTL
practices” for teaching interpersonal and critical thinking
skills in an online course. Insight: A Journal of Scholarly
Teaching, 4: 45-52.
Sharma, P. (2004). Scaffolding critical thinking in an online course: An exploration study.
J. Educating Computing Research, 31(2): 181-208.
REFERENCES CONTINUED