Investigating students' level of critical thinking across instructional strategies in online discussions

a r t i c l e i n f o Keywords: Community of Inquiry Instructional strategies Online discussions Critical thinking Cognitive presence Distance education Online discussion questions, which reflect differing instructional strategies, can take many forms and it is important for designers and instructors to understand how the various strategies can impact students' critical thinking levels. For the purpose of the study three instructional strategies used in the development and implementation of online discussion questions were examined: a case-based discussion, a debate, and an open-ended (or topical) discussion. Using a mixed method approach, the study focused on critical thinking levels as described in the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework and operationalized in the Practical Inquiry Model (PIM). The study investigated (1) participants' preferred instructional strategy and rationales for the selection, (2) the contribution of student background and demographic criteria to students' preferred instructional strategy, (3) the contribution of students' strategy preferences in predicting level of critical thinking, based on the Practical Inquiry Model's (PIM) indicators, and (4) comparisons of participants' critical thinking levels across instructional strategies. Implications for the design of online discussions that foster critical thinking are discussed. Online discussions have been heralded as a powerful tool that can assist students in the construction of knowledge and serve as a scaffold that allows for multiple perspectives, negotiation of meaning, and an understanding of knowledge gaps a learner may possess (Land, Choi, & Ge, 2007; Haavind, 2006). Discussion questions are generally based on course or learning module objectives and are developed with a variety of purposes in mind: to promote recall of information, to encourage reflection, to diagnose learning difficulties, to focus attention, and to stimulate learners (Berge, 2002). However, online discussions, which reflect differing instructional strategies, can take many forms including article discussions, jigsaws, scenarios, critical incidents or problems, case studies, controversial topics, role play, and debate (Bonk & Dennen, 2007). As Bonk and Dennen (2007, p. 240) explain, it is important to " understand the various types of learning activities that can be effectively used to enhance the quality " of online learning. The authors of this study were interested in gaining insight into how employing differing instructional strategies via online discussion questions engaged students in meaningful learning, and whether or not there was a connection between student's levels of critical thinking and the different instructional strategies. For the purpose of this study three instructional strategies for …