Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Invited Expert
. Inviting an expert can be effective at helping students make
authentic connections with the course content (Renner, 1999). An appealing aspect
of an invited expert using communication technologies is the ability of Internet con-
ferencing tools to gain access to experts who might be inaccessible through other
forms of communication.
WebQuest
. WebQuests are web-based inquiry activities in which information that
the students use comes from resources on the Internet (Dodge, 1995). WebQuests
have six critical attributes that include an introduction to a complex problem (or
case study
), engaging tasks (doable and interesting), a description of the process,
multiple online sources and perspectives, followed by evaluation, and conclusions.
WebQuests often also incorporate
role play
and
case studies
(described below) as
an aspect of the tasks required of the students.
Case studies
(required to introduce a complex problem within a WebQuest) sup-
ports a learning environment that seeks to present the complex reality of any issue
with its concomitant ambiguity and multidimensionality thus providing a strong
image of the multifaceted and complex nature of most subject areas (Lacey &
Merseth, 1993). It has also been argued that the Web's hypertext linking ability
(which is the defining attribute of a WebQuest) provides opportunities for students
to gain access to complex concepts frommultiple perspectives, for various purposes,
and via different learning strategies (Lanza, 1991).
Role play
(often used in webquests) is an effective way to help students
become empathetic of others' worldviews (Renner, 1999). According to Hiltz and
Turoff (1978), role playing is one of the most promising instructional methods
for text-based computer-mediated conferencing due primarily to the anonymity
inherent within the medium (see also Bonk & Reynolds, 1997; Collett, Kanuka,
Blanchette, & Goodale, 1999; Paulsen, 1995). This anonymity (gained from the use
of aliases) not only helps students to play their roles more convincingly, but also
helps them to acquire an understanding of other worldviews.
Reflective Deliberation
. Reflective deliberation is typically described as thought-
ful mediation or contemplation, conceiving ideas and/or draw inferences expressed
through critical dialogue (Kanuka et al., 2007). Reflective deliberation provides the
opportunity for students to reflect on the abstracted material presented in academic
settings and make it relevant to their own worlds (Laurillard, 2002).
Table 20.1 is an overview of each of the instructional methods used in this
study with respect to structure, role of student, role of teacher, benefits, and
limitations.
Guiding Theoretical Framework: The Practical Inquiry Model
Garrison et al. (2001) theoretical model of practical inquiry was used as a frame-
work to guide the study that this chapter builds on, and assess patterns of cognitive
presence. As Table 20.2 shows, the practical inquiry model asserts that there are five
phases of critical thinking and cognitive presence.
