scholarly journals Influence of Word Clouds on Critical Thinking in Online Discussions: A Content Analysis

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beatriz M Reyes-Foster ◽  
Aimee DeNoyelles
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Research Study ◽  
Online Discussion ◽  
Online Discussions ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Word Cloud ◽  
Linear Condition ◽  
Word Clouds ◽  
Cloud Condition

This article presents an exploratory research study about the influence of word clouds on critical thinking when they are incorporated into online discussions. In an online discussion, students were asked to critically analyze two speeches, being assigned to one of two conditions: one in which the text was linear, and one in which the text was presented in the form of word clouds. Discussions posts were coded in two blended sections of an undergraduate anthropology course to assess the type and frequency of critical thinking demonstrated therein. Students in the word cloud condition exhibited more instances of critical thinking than students in the linear condition, and more often paired articulation of thought with the citing of evidence. The paper concludes with recommendations for other educators interested in implementing a similar approach. 

scholarly journals Enhancing learning through the discussion forum

2012 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-77 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nantha Kumar Subramaniam
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Adult Learners ◽  
Collaborative Learning ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Online Discussion ◽  
Discussion Forum ◽  
Online Discussions ◽  
Discussion Forums ◽  
Online Discussion Forums ◽  
Collaborative Discussion

Asynchronous online discussion forums play an important role in adult online courses, and have many possible functions. Our experience in using the discussion forums in online courses for task-based collaborative discussion has led us to many questions about the optimal ways of using online discussion to support collaborative learning, such as how should instructors structure online discussions in a way that it promotes collaborative learning? What should instructors do to enhance learners' reflective thinking, critical thinking, or problem solving in online collaborative discussions? The challenges of using forum in learning have also been highlighted by many researchers. In this paper, we present a so-called “smart” discussion forum to support, monitor and facilitate task-based collaboration for the learning process of adult learners to advance their development of critical thinking.

scholarly journals Using the Photovoice Method to Elicit Authentic Learning in Online Discussions

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 125-138
Author(s):  
Beatriz M Reyes-Foster ◽  
Aimee DeNoyelles
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Social Action ◽  
Research Method ◽  
Online Discussion ◽  
Authentic Learning ◽  
Online Discussions ◽  
Course Content ◽  
College Classrooms ◽  
Points Of View

While online discussions remain popular in college classrooms, mixed results persist about their effectiveness in eliciting authentic learning. This case study explores how students perceive the influence of the Photovoice method on their authentic learning, critical thinking, engagement, and peer interaction in an asynchronous online discussion. Photovoice is a research method combining photography with social action, in which people express their points of view by photographing scenes that highlight certain themes. Students in an online undergraduate course engaged in an online discussion which asked them to connect personal images to the course content. Students reported that this strategy supported authentic learning, critical thinking, engagement, and interaction; in addition, a correlational analysis found that these factors are highly interrelated. This case study proposes recommendations for practitioners interested in using a similar approach.

scholarly journals Teaching clinical ethics to intern doctors by integrated seminar and online discussions

2021 ◽  
Vol 0 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Nilima Shah ◽  
Chetna Desai ◽  
Shivani Patel ◽  
Ganpat K. Vankar ◽  
Minakshi Parikh
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Clinical Ethics ◽  
Online Discussion ◽  
Practical Knowledge ◽  
Multiple Choice ◽  
Online Discussions ◽  
Multiple Choice Questions ◽  
Online Forum ◽  
Clinical Rotations ◽  
Educational Project

Objectives: We report our experience of an educational project conducted with the objectives of inculcating the knowledge and encouraging the application of the principles of clinical ethics among intern doctors. Materials and Methods: An interdepartmental, integrated, interactive seminar was conducted by the departments of psychiatry, pharmacology, surgery, and medicine for various aspects of clinical ethics. A pre-post 20-item test of multiple-choice questions (MCQs) was conducted with the seminar. It was followed by 45 days of online discussion on clinical ethics among the participants of the seminar. Content analysis of the online discussion was done. Feedback was taken after the seminar and online discussion. Results: Fifty intern doctors participated in the seminar and 34 in the online discussion. The MCQs’ score significantly increased from 10.7 to 16.8 out of 20. There were 35 posts and 66 comments about clinical ethics made on the online forum. The feedback revealed that the interns wanted more departments to be involved in the seminar and practical knowledge was gained from the online discussion. It also suggested that this combination of seminar followed by online discussion encouraged them to apply the principles in their clinical rotations. Conclusion: Integrated teaching and online discussion were effective in sensitizing the intern doctors, enhancing their knowledge, and encouraging the application of the principles of clinical ethics.

(Re)Assessing Student Thinking in Online Threaded Discussions

2013 ◽  
pp. 265-280
Author(s):  
Felicia Saffold
Keyword(s):  
Preservice Teachers ◽  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Online Discussion ◽  
Teacher Educator ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Student Thinking ◽  
Online Discussions ◽  
Discussion Forums ◽  
Threaded Discussions ◽  
Online Discussion Forums

A teacher educator examines the level of critical thinking of her preservice teachers participating in an urban education course through online discussions. The objective was to see if online discussions, which were the heart of the learning process, could be an effective strategy to promote critical thinking skills. Using the revised version of Bloom’s Taxonomy (Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001) as a guide, participants’ posts and responses were assessed to determine the quality of thinking that occurred in the online discussion forum. Results show that utilizing online discussion forums can be an effective pedagogy for classes where complex, often controversial issues such as social justice, equity, and white privilege are discussed.

scholarly journals Using Wordle as a Supplementary Research Tool

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carmel McNaught ◽  
Paul Lam
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Preliminary Analysis ◽  
Research Tool ◽  
Research Projects ◽  
Written Responses ◽  
Word Cloud ◽  
Analysis Methods ◽  
Word Clouds ◽  
Basic Understanding

A word cloud is a special visualization of text in which the more frequently used words are effectively highlighted by occupying more prominence in the representation. We have used Wordle to produce word-cloud analyses of the spoken and written responses of informants in two research projects. The product demonstrates a fast and visually rich way to enable researchers to have some basic understanding of the data at hand. Word clouds can be a useful tool for preliminary analysis and for validation of previous findings. However, Wordle is an adjunct tool and we do not recommend that this method be used as a stand-alone research tool comparable to traditional content analysis methods.

scholarly journals Using Word Clouds in Online Discussions to Support Critical Thinking and Engagement

2015 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aimee DeNoyelles ◽  
Beatriz Reyes-Foster
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Online Discussions ◽  
Major Goal ◽  
Educational Environments ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Word Clouds ◽  
Survey Results

Being actively engaged in a task is often associated with critical thinking. Cultivating critical thinking skills, such as purposefully reflecting and analyzing one’s own thinking, is a major goal of higher education. However, there is a challenge in providing college students opportunities to clearly demonstrate these skills in online courses. This research explores the effectiveness of incorporating word clouds–visual representations of word frequency in a given passage of text–into online discussions. We sought to establish whether implementing word clouds in online discussions would result in a higher incidence of critical thinking and engagement. Survey results from undergraduate participants (n=132) revealed that students analyzing text in word clouds reported moderately higher scores on critical thinking and engagement than students analyzing the text in a linear fashion. A positive relationship was found between critical thinking and engagement, as well as peer interaction. This strategy can be applied to a wide range of educational environments to stimulate critical thinking and engagement.

Strategies and Principles to Develop Cognitive Presence in Online Discussions

2013 ◽  
pp. 148-167 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kim A. Hosler ◽  
Bridget D. Arend
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Learning Environments ◽  
Online Discussion ◽  
Online Discussions ◽  
Cognitive Presence ◽  
Discussion Forums ◽  
Online Instructors ◽  
Question Prompts ◽  
Reference Guide ◽  
Online Discussion Forums

The chapter is designed to provide online instructors with strategies and techniques for fostering greater cognitive presence in asynchronous online discussion forums. Online discussions, moderated and facilitated by instructors and students, are a staple in online learning environments and provide powerful mechanisms for engaging students in dialogue. However, oftentimes dialogues stall out at the initial inquiry stage, and deeper, critical thinking is neglected. Realizing the foundational nature of discussion forum activities, the authors present ways in which instructors can nurture cognitive presence and foster deeper lines of thinking in online discussions. The chapter outlines the four stages of cognitive presence while offering strategies and question prompts to engender cognitive presence in online discussions. A quick reference guide is included as a discussion aid, suggesting ways to recognize the stages of cognitive presence as well as providing question prompts for engendering greater cognitive presence and critical thinking.

Promoting Critical Thinking Skills in Language Education through Online Discussions

2012 ◽  
pp. 1-22
Author(s):  
Ugur Demiray ◽  
Murat Hismanoglu ◽  
Sibel Hismanoglu
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Online Discussion ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Online Discussions ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Teaching Tools

Online discussion has become one of the most effective teaching tools in recent years in terms of its power to promote students’ critical thinking skills in educational contexts. This chapter aims at presenting an overview of recently conducted research studies on critical thinking and online discussions, explaining online discussion as a pedagogical vehicle for maximizing language learning and teaching, identifying problems related to online discussions, as well as some suggested solutions, describing application activities that promote critical thinking skills, illustrating how language teachers and learners can use meta-communication in creating successful online discussions, and stressing the importance of the teacher’s role in designing an effective online discussion environment for students.

scholarly journals The Influence of Group Size in the Asynchronous Online Discussions on the Development of Critical Thinking Skills, and on Improving Students’ Performance in Online Discussion Forum

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (05) ◽  
pp. 132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammed Kamal Afify
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Group Size ◽  
Online Discussion ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Online Discussions ◽  
Computer Application ◽  
Online Discussion Forum ◽  
Asynchronous Online Discussions ◽  
Learning Management

Asynchronous Online Discussions (AOD) are considered as one of the most ma-jor tools in learning management systems which are used in universities. The ex-ploitation of AODs forums offer students the possibility to teach and learn any-time and anywhere. They also provide students with the time needed to process learning, share ideas and points of view on e-course topics. The group size in the AODs is a substantial variable that affects the interaction and the participation of students. The purpose of our research lays in understanding the influence of the group size participating in the AODs on the development of critical thinking skills in information technology for students of the Faculty of Education, and im-proving students’ performance in online discussion forums. In this research, 103 university students from the bachelor's degree have participated in the study. The participating students are studying the Computer Application in Education Course, and the Education Technology Course on the Blackboard e-learning Management System, during a 15-week semester. The findings of the research have revealed very significant conclusions; and the researcher has come up with various recommendations and suggestions for future studies and further research.

Graduate Students' Perceptions of the Benefits and Drawbacks of Online Discussion Tools

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Decker ◽  
Valerie Beltran
Keyword(s):  
Graduate Students ◽  
Research Study ◽  
Online Discussion ◽  
Online Discussions ◽  
Online Environment ◽  
Online Classes ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Qualitative Research Study ◽  
University Level ◽  
The University

With an increase in the number of online classes being taught at the university level, professors are exploring ways to create collaboration in the online environment. One such strategy is through using online discussion tools. The purpose of this qualitative research study was to explore students' beliefs about the benefits of using a variety of discussion tools in online classes. In analyzing students' responses to four open-ended questions, five key themes emerged that highlighted four benefits and one drawback to the use of online discussion tools. Online discussions helped build relationships, led to students hearing others' perspectives and feeling their perspectives were respected, led to students reflecting on the content and developing a deeper understanding, and helped groups coordinate projects and manage teamwork. In contrast, online discussions did not allow the same authenticity of dialogue in face-to-face discussions.

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