Enhancement of critical thinking skills in students using mobile-blended learning with a collaborative inquiry-based approach
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
Despite the emphasis on the need to teach university students critical thinking skills that will better prepare them for the future, most classrooms globally are still fraught with the old-fashioned approaches. These methods only focus on equipping students with knowledge of concepts that do not sufficiently avail them with the required abilities to solve real-life problems in modern society. Jobs in the 21st century require skills that are focused on what individuals can accomplish with their acquired knowledge through analysis, evaluation and reorganisation of information to solve problems. To achieve this, students need to be engaged in active learning that encourages the use of their cognitive process, in order to sufficiently prepare them for the future. Cognitive development requires that learning should not just consist of repetitive accumulation of facts and knowledge, but must also encompass effective deep conceptual change in order to support life-long learning. After a thorough review of the literature that focuses on blended learning and the development of critical thinking skills, as well as the contemporary demands of the world of work, this paper concluded that, with the appropriate competencies and support for both teachers and students, mobile blended linked with collaborative inquiry-based learning has the potential to enhance the students’ skills.
Downloads
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
All rights reserved. Apart from citations for the purposes of research, private study, or criticism and review,no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any other form without prior written permission by the publisher.
References
Aghaee, N. and Keller, C. (2016). ICT-supported peer interaction among learners in Bachelor's and Master's thesis courses. Computers & Education 94: 276-297.
Alebaikan, R. and Troudi, S. (2010). Blended learning in Saudi universities: challenges and perspectives. ALT-J Research in Learning Technology 18(1): 49-59.
Algoush, K. S. (2010). Assessment of the Relationship between Involvements Decision Making Process and Teachers’ Job Satisfaction. Master’s Thesis. Open University Malaysia.
Alsowat, H. (2016). An EFL flipped classroom teaching model: effects on English Language higher-order thinking skills, student engagement and satisfaction. Journal of Education and Practice 7(9): 108-121.
Amador, J. A., Miles, L. and Peters, C. B. (2006). The Practice of Problem-Based Learning: A Guide to Implementing PBL in the College Classroom. California: Jossey Bass.
Ananiadou, K. and Claro, M. (2009). 21st Century Skills and Competences for New Millennium Learners in OECD Countries (OECD Education Working Papers, No. 41). Paris: OECD Publishing.
Antwi, E. A., Tampah-Naah C. and Buame J. A. (2019). Exploring blended training scheme to improve employee training outcomes: an assessment of orientation training programmes in university for development studies. UDS International Journal of Development 6(3): 75-85.
Arney, L. (2015). Go Blended! A Handbook for Blending Technology in Schools. California: Jossey Bass.
Association of American Colleges and Universities. (2010). Raising the Bar: Employers’ Views on College Learning in The Wake of the Economic Downturn. Washington, DC: Hart Research Associates.
Avdiji, H., Elikan, D., Missonier, S. and Pigneur, Y. (2018). Designing Tools for Collectively Solving Ill-Structured Problems. Paper presented at Proceedings of the 51st Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences. Hawaii, USA, January 2018. [Online URL: https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10125/49940/paper0053.pdf] accessed on March 2, 2020.
Bademo, Y. and Tefera, B. F. (2016). Assessing the desired and actual levels of teachers’ participation in decision-making in secondary schools of Ethiopia. Educational Research and Reviews 11(13): 1236-1242.
Bergmann, J. and Sams, A. (2012). Flip Your Classroom: Reach Every Student in Every Class Every Day. Washington DC: International Society for Technology in Education.
Bergmann, J. and Sams, A. (2014). Flipped Learning: Gateway to Student Engagement. Washington DC: International Society for Technology in Education.
Bernard, H. R., Wutich, A. and Ryan, G. W. (2016). Analyzing Qualitative Data: Systematic Approaches, USA: Sage.
Bloom, B., Englehart, M. D., Furst, E. J., Hill, W. H. and Krathwohl, D. R. (1956). Taxonomy of Educational Objectives: The Classification of Educational Goals. Handbook I: Cognitive Domain. New York: David McKay.
Boyce, C. J., Mishra, C., Halverson, K. L. and Thomas, A. K. (2014). Getting students outside: using technology as a way to stimulate engagement. Journal of Science Education and Technology 23(6): 815-826.
Brierton, S., Wilson, E., Kistler, M., Flowers, J. and David, J. (2016). A comparison of higher order thinking skills demonstrated in synchronous and asynchronous online college discussion posts. NACTA Journal 60(1): 14-21.
Cañas, A. J., Reiska, P. and Möllits, A. (2017). Developing higher-order thinking skills with concept mapping: a case of pedagogic frailty. Knowledge Management & E-Learning 9(3): 348-365.
Caudill, J. G. (2007). The growth of m-learning and the growth of mobile computing: parallel development. The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning 8(2): 8-16.
Chang, C. S., Chen, T. S. and Hsu, W. H. (2011). The study on integrating WebQuest with mobile learning for environmental education. Computers & Education 57(1): 1228-1239.
Clark, K. R. (2015). The effects of the flipped model of instruction on student engagement and performance in the secondary mathematics classroom. The Journal of Educators Online 12(1): 91-114.
Cocquyt, C., Diep, A. N., Zhu, C., De Greef, M. and Vanwing, T. (2018). Contribution of social-constructivist and andragogical principles in blended learning to adult’s social inclusion and social capital. Andragoške Studije 1: 47-78.
Couch, A. C. (2014). Comparison of Teaching Approaches and Strategies: How Do the Use of Traditional Teaching and Flipped Classroom Teaching Techniques Affect the Attitudes and Attainment of Science Students in An International School in Hong Kong? Master’s Thesis. University of Hong Kong, China.
De León, L. (2018). Learning Child Development Through Immersion in Ill-Structured Problems Using a Virtual Environment. Montana: Springer International Publishing.
Doerfert, D. L. (2011). National Research Agenda: American Association for Agricultural Education’s Research Priority Areas for 2011-2015. Texas: Texas Tech University.
Du, S., Fu, Z. and Wang, Y. (2014). The Flipped Classroom–Advantages and Challenges. International Conference on Economic Management and Trade Cooperation 107: 17-20.
Duran, M. and Dokme, I. (2016). The effect of the inquiry-based learning approach on student’s critical-thinking skills. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science & Technology Education 12(12): 2887-2908.
Edmondson, A. C. and Harvey, J. F. (2017). Cross-boundary teaming for innovation: integrating research on teams and knowledge in organizations. Human Resource Management Review 28(4): 1-14. [Online URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2017.03.002] accessed on July 4, 2021.
Fryer, L. K. and Bovee, H. N. (2018). Staying motivated to e-learn: person- and variable-centred perspectives on the longitudinal risks and support. Computers & Education 120: 227-240.
Fu, Q. K. and Hwang, G. J. (2018). Trends in mobile technology-supported collaborative learning: a systematic review of journal publications from 2007 to 2016. Computers & Education 119: 129-143.
Gedik, N., Kiraz, E. and Ozden, Y. (2013). Design of a blended learning environment: considerations and implementation issues. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology 29(1): 1-19.
Gelaye, E. (2019). The Relationship between Teachers’ Participation in Decision Making and Their Job Satisfaction in Preparatory Schools of Arada Subcity. Master’s Thesis. Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia. [Online URL: http://213.55.95.56/bitstream/handle/123456789/18988/Eshetu%20Gelaye.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y] accessed on April 23, 2020.
Gemechu, D. (2014). The Practices of Teachers’ Involvement in Decision-Making in Government Secondary Schools of Jimma Town. [Online URL: https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/29136341.pdf] accessed on June 2, 2020.
Gillies, R. M. and Nichols, K. (2015). How to support primary teachers’ implementation of inquiry: teachers’ reflections on teaching cooperative inquiry-based science. Research in Science Education 45(2): 171-191.
Graham, C. R. (2004). Blended Learning Systems: Definition, Current Trends, and Future Directions. In Handbook of Blended Learning: Global Perspectives, Local Designs, edited by C. J. Bonk and C. R. Graham, pp.1-32. California: Pfeiffer Publishing.
Grypp, L. and Luebeck, J. (2015). Rotating solids and flipping instruction. Mathematics Teacher 109(3): 186-193.
Guskey, T. R. (2003). How classroom assessments improve learning. Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology 60(5): 6-11.
Han, F. and Ellis, R. A. (2019). Identifying consistent patterns of quality learning discussions in blended learning. The Internet and Higher Education 40:12-19.
Han, X., Wang, Y. and Jiang, L. (2019). Towards a framework for an institution-wide quantitative assessment of teachers' online participation in blended learning implementation. The Internet and Higher Education 42: 1-12.
Harris, C. and Rooks, D. (2010). Managing inquiry-based science: challenges in enacting complex science instruction in elementary and middle school classrooms. Journal of Science Teacher Education 21: 227-240.
Heaney, C. A. and Walker, N. C. (2012). The challenges and opportunities of teaching sport and exercise psychology at a distance. Sport & Exercise Psychology Review 8(2): 65-71.
Herreid, C. F. and Schiller, N. A. (2013). Case studies and the flipped classroom. Journal of College Science Teaching 42(5): 62-66.
Hwang, G. J., Lai, C. L., Liang, J. C., Chu, H. C. and Tsai, C. C. (2017). A long-term experiment to investigate the relationships between high school students’ perceptions of mobile learning and peer interaction and higher-order thinking tendencies. Educational Technology Research and Development 66(1): 75-93.
Hwang, G. J., Shi, Y. R. and Chu, H. C. (2011). A concept map approach to developing collaborative Mindtools for context-aware ubiquitous learning. British Journal of Educational Technology 42(5): 778-789.
Jantakoon, T. and Piriyasurawong, P. (2018). Flipped classroom instructional model with mobile learning based on constructivist learning theory to enhance critical thinking (FCMOC MODEL). Journal of Theoretical and Applied Information Technology 96(16): 5607-5614.
Johnson, C. S. (2017). Collaborative technologies, higher order thinking and self-sufficient learning: a case study of adult learners. Research in Learning Technology 25: 1-17.
Kenney, J. and Newcombe, E. (2010). Adopting a blended learning approach: challenges encountered and lessons learned in an action research study. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks 15(1): 45-57.
Keskin, S. and Yurdugül, H. (2019). Factors affecting students’ preferences for online and blended learning: motivational vs. cognitive. European Journal of Open, Distance and e-Learning 22(2): 72-86.
Kintu, M. J., Zhu, C. and Kagambe, E. (2017). Blended learning effectiveness: the relationship between student characteristics, design features and outcomes. International Journal of Educational Technology in High Education 14(7): 1-20.
Korr, J., Derwin, E. B., Greene, K. and Sokoloff, W. (2012). Transitioning an adult-serving university to a blended learning model. The Journal of Continuing Higher Education 60: 2-11.
Kurt, S. (2017). Addie Model: Instructional Design in Educational Technology. [Online URL: https://educationaltechnology.net/the-addie-model-instructional-design/] accessed on January 5, 2021.
Lai, C. L. and Hwang, G. J. (2016). A self-regulated flipped classroom approach to improving students' learning performance in a mathematics course. Computers & Education 100: 126-140.
Laru, J., Järvelä, S. and Clariana, R. B. (2012). Supporting collaborative inquiry during a biology field trip with mobile peer-to-peer tools for learning: a case study with K-12 learners. Interactive Learning Environments 20(2): 37-41.
Lee, K. Y. and Lai, Y. C. (2017). Facilitating higher-order thinking with the flipped classroom model: a student teacher’s experience in Hong Kong secondary school. Research and Practice in Technology Enhanced Learning 12(8): 1-14.
Lee, S. J., Srinivasan, S., Trail, T., Lewis, D. and Lopez, S. (2011). Examining the relationship among student perception of support, course satisfaction, and learning outcomes in online learning. Internet and Higher Education 14(3): 158-163.
Leung, L. (2013). Generational differences in content generation in social media: the roles of the gratifications sought and narcissism. Computer in Human Behaviour 29(3): 997-1006.
Levy, P. and Petrulis, R. (2012). How do first-year university students experience inquiry and research, and what are the implications for the practice of inquiry-based learning? Studies in Higher Education 37(1): 85-101.
Liu, Q., Peng, W., Zhang, F., Hu, R., Li, Y. and Yan, W. (2016). The effectiveness of blended learning in health professions: systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Medical Internet Research 18(1): e2.
Livingstone, S. (2012). Critical reflections on the benefits of ICT in education. Oxford Review of Education 38(1): 9-24.
Lo, C. K. and Hew, K. F. (2017). A critical review of flipped classroom challenges in K-12 education: possible solutions and recommendations for future research. Research and Practice in Technology Enhanced Learning 12(4): 1-22.
Long, T., Cummins, J. and Waugh, M. (2017). Use of the flipped classroom instructional model in higher education: instructors' perspectives. Journal of Computing in Higher Education 29(2): 179-200.
Ma’arop, A. H. and Embi, M. A. (2016). Implementation of blended learning in higher learning institutions: a review of the literature. International Education Studies 9(3): 41-52.
Mangunda, C. (2003). An Investigation in to School Principal’s Experience and Perception of Participative Management. Graham’s Town: Rhodes University.
Murnane, R. and Levy, F. (2004). The New Division of Labor: How Computers Are Creating the Next Job Market. New Jersey: Princeton University Press.
Nederveld, A. and Berge, Z. L. (2015). Flipped learning in the workplace. Journal of Workplace Learning 27(2): 162-172.
Newmann, F. M. (1988). Higher order thinking in the high school curriculum. NASSP Bulletin 72(508): 58-64.
Obari, H. and Lambacher, S. (2015). Successful EFL teaching using mobile technologies in a flipped classroom. In Critical CALL – Proceedings of the 2015 EUROCALL Conference, edited by F. Helm, L. Bradley, M. Guarda, and S. Thouësny, pp. 433-438. Dublin: Research-publishing.net.
Obiete, I. A., Nwazor, J. C. and Vin-Mbah, F. I. (2015). Strategies for teaching business education students in Nigerian tertiary institutions for cooperate governance. Journal of Education and Practice 6(18): 170-175.
Oliver, K. M. and Stallings, D. (2014). Preparing teachers for emerging blended learning environments. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education 22: 57-81.
O’Nwachukwu, C. I. (2017). Determinants of the rate of unemployment in Nigeria. International Journal of Information Research and Review 4(1): 3593-3595.
Partnership for 21st century skills. (2009). Museums, Libraries, and 21st Century Skills. Washington, DC: Institute of Museum and Library Services.
Prince, M. and Felder, R. (2006). Inductive teaching and learning methods: definitions, comparisons, and research bases. Journal of Engineering Education 95(2): 123-138.
Pulham, E. and Graham, C. R. (2018). Comparing K-12 online and blended teaching competencies: a literature review. Distance Education 39(3): 411-432.
Reichert, M. and Mouza C. (2018). Teacher practices during year 4 of a one‐to‐one mobile learning initiative. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning 34(1): 762-774.
Rimini, M. and Spiezia, V. (2016). Skills for a Digital World: Background Report 2016 Ministerial Meeting on The Digital Economy. Paris: OECD.
Roehl, A., Reddy, S. L. and Shannon, G. J. (2013). The flipped classroom: an opportunity to engage millennial students through active learning strategies. Journal of Family and Consumer Sciences 105(2): 44-49.
Rovai, A. P. (2002). Building sense of community at a distance. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning 3(1): 1-16.
Saitta, E., Morrison, B., Waldrop, J. and Bowdon, M. (2016). Introduction: Joining the Flipped Classroom Conversation. In Best Practices for Flipping the College Classroom, edited by J. Waldrop and M. Bowdon, pp. 1-16. New York: Routledge.
Seranica, C., Purwoko, A. A. and Aliefman, H. (2018). Influence of guided inquiry learning model to critical thinking skills. Journal of Research and Method in Education 8(1): 28-31.
Shrain, K. (2012). Moving towards e-learning paradigm: readiness of higher education instructors in Palestine. International Journal on E-Learning 11(4): 441-463.
Slavin, R. E. (2014). Cooperative learning and academic achievement: why does groupwork work? Anales de Psicología/Annals of Psychology 30(3): 785-791.
Smy, V., Cahillane, M. and MacLean, P. (2016). Sensemaking and metacognitive prompting in ill-structured problems. International Journal of Information and Learning Technology 33(3): 186 -199.
Somech, A. (2010). Participative Decision Making in School: A Mediating–Moderating Outcomes Analytical Framework for Understanding School and Teacher. [Online URL: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/48139794_Participative_Decision_Making_in_Schools_A_Mediating-Moderating_Analytical_Framework_for_Understanding_School_and_Teacher_Outcomes] accessed on December 2, 2019.
Stockwell, E. R., Stockwell, M., Cennamo, M. and Jang, E. (2015). Blended learning improves science education. Cell 162(5): 933-936.
Talley, C. P. and Scherer S. (2013). The enhanced flipped classroom: increasing academic performance with student-recorded lectures and practice testing in a “flipped” STEM course. The Journal of Negro Education 82(3): 339-347.
Thomas, A. and Thorne, G. (2009). How to Increase Higher Order Thinking. Los Angeles: Center for Development and Learning.
Vaughan, M. (2014). Flipping the learning: An investigation into the use of the flipped classroom model in an introductory teaching course. Education Research and Perspectives 41(1): 25-41.
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
Wagner, D., Laforge, P. and Cripps, D. (2013). Lecture material retention: a first trial report on flipped classroom strategies in electronic systems engineering. Paper Presented at the 13th Conference of the Canadian Engineering Education Association (CEEA13). University of Regina, Canada, June 17-20.
Wallace, A. (2014). Social learning platforms and the flipped classroom. International Journal of Information and Education Technology 4(4): 293-296.
Washington, P. (2009). Employee orientation; Exploring blended learning strategies to improve learner outcomes and meet organisational goals. Las Vegas: UNLV University Libraries, University of Nevada.
Woltering, V., Herrler, A., Spitzer, K. and Spreckeisen, C. (2009). Blended learning positively affects students’ satisfaction and the role of the tutor in the problem-based learning process: results of a mixed-method evaluation. Advancement in Health Science Education 14(5):725-738.
Wong, L. H., Chai, C. S., Aw, G. P. and King, R. B. (2015). Enculturating seamless language learning through artifact creation and social interaction process. Interactive Learning Environments 23(2): 130-157.
Wu, J., Tennyson, R. D. and Hsia, T. L. (2010). A study of student satisfaction in a blended e-learning system environment. Computer & Education 55(1): 155-164.
Yeung, S. Y. (2012). Conceptualizing higher-order thinking for reforming school curriculum and teaching. Hong Kong Teachers’ Centre Journal 11: 131-144.
Yi, Y. J. (2008). Effects of a Blended Learning Orientation Program for Clinical Practicums of Nursing Students. [Online URL: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/263640406_Effects_of_a_Blended_Learning_Orientation_Program_for_Clinical_Practicums_of_Nursing_Students] accessed on April 25, 2020.
Zoha, A. and Cohen, A. (2016). Large scale implementation of higher order thinking (HOT) in civic education: the interplay of policy, politics, pedagogical leadership and detailed pedagogical planning. Thinking Skills and Creativity 21(2016): 85-96.
Zuckerman, G., Chudinova, E. and Khavkin, E. (1998). Inquiry as a pivotal element of knowledge acquisition within the Vygotskian paradigm: building a science curriculum for the elementary school. Cognition and Instruction 16(2): 201-233.