Tuesday, May 18
3:15 PM-4:15 PM
UTC
Lawang

Critical Thinking in Asynchronous Online Discussions: Examining the Role of the Student Facilitator

Brief Paper ID: 28772
  1. Khe Foon Hew
    National Institute of Education
  2. aaa
    Wing Sum Cheung
    National Institute of Education
  3. Siti Nurbaya Jumain
    National Institute of Education

Abstract: This paper is part of a larger study that investigates the types of facilitation techniques exhibited by student facilitators and how these techniques may foster in-depth levels of critical thinking in asynchronous online discussions. Data were collected from ten discussion forums, involving education major students. The top 30% of forums in terms of the most number of in-depth critical thinking incidences were first identified (i.e., higher-level group). Next, the bottom 30% forums were identified as the lower-level critical thinking group. Results indicated that student facilitators in the higher-level group acknowledged the participants’ contributions, and posted more questions than their counterparts in the lower-level forums. Facilitators in the high-level group also tended to pose questions throughout the entire discussion, unlike those in the lower-level group who only posted questions at the start of the discussion. Six types of questioning techniques were found. Directions for future research are proposed.

Presider: Michelle Gregory, University of Wollongong

Topic

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