Theories of Critical Thinking

 

When students go to elementary or secondary school, typically, they are taught the who, the what, the when, and the where within a specific subject. Post-secondary work expands on those concepts and teaches the why.  Technology has unleashed learning of why. (Fullan, 2014, p.7) While my current position is not a teaching position, it is responsible for training post-secondary staff and faculty on specific software. Digital Citizenship, deep learning, and expanded learning styles are three ways this group can apply the knowledge learned and answer the why.

Digital Citizenship requires that people acquire new knowledge and skills to make wise and responsible decisions. (Hobbs 2011) This past semester, my office offered several workshops for end users to learn the curriculum software and to complete a hands-on activity. Each section of the software was analyzed, data was entered, and output was reviewed. If Bloom’s taxonomy terms were applied to this training, application, analysis, and syntheses would be included. (Huitt, 2011) This is the real potential of technology to affect learning- not to facilitate the delivery and consumption of knowledge, but to enable students to use their knowledge in the world. (Fullan, 2014, p. 16) The new or revised curriculum changes allow the faculty to teach the most current content to their students.

Kuhn (2008) stated the power of educational technology is making it easier for teachers to ensure depth and balance in their lessons. (p. 1) Within the training, one of the agenda items was to cover the impact of the curriculum changes to other departments. Reviewing a list of all majors, concentrations, and minors that would be affected by a small change within the curriculum ensures the end user will evaluate if the change is indeed needed or will promote the needed communication within the affected departments.

Roger’s (1963) relative advantage of a new idea is dependent upon how the learner perceives it and is willing to adopt it. (p. 70) Providing a training manual, a hands-on activity, and a PowerPoint allows for different learners to digest the curriculum software presented. If the end user learns the software, the process is streamlined, accurate, and consistent. In the end, success of technology is dependent on the one who drives it. 

References

Fullan, M. & Langworthy, M. (2014). A rich seam: How new pedagogies find deep

learning. London: Pearson. Retrieved from https://www.pearson.com/content/dam/one-dot-com/one-dot-com/global/Files/about-pearson/innovation/open-ideas/ARichSeamEnglish.pdf

Huitt, W. (2011). Bloom et al.'s taxonomy of the cognitive domain. Educational

Psychology Interactive. Valdosta, GA: Valdosta State University. Retrieved from  http://www.edpsycinteractive.org/topics/cognition/bloom.pdf

Hobbs, R. (2011). Empowering Learners with Digital and Media Literacy. Knowledge

Quest, 39(5), 12–17.

Kuhn, M. S. (2008). Connecting depth and balance in class. Learning & Leading with

Technology, 36(1), 18-21. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.

Rogers, E. M. (1963). The adoption process II. Journal of Cooperative Extension, 1(2),

69-75. Retrieved from https://archives.joe.org/joe/1963summer/1963-2-a2.pdf