Comments on: Critical Thinking http://www.elearnspace.org/blog/2009/08/06/critical-thinking-2/ learning, networks, knowledge, technology, community Sat, 4 Feb 2012 22:56:23 -0500 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.4 By: Ken Allan http://www.elearnspace.org/blog/2009/08/06/critical-thinking-2/comment-page-1/#comment-22594 Ken Allan Thu, 13 Aug 2009 07:31:43 +0000 http://www.elearnspace.org/blog/?p=4193#comment-22594 Kia ora e George. There's a lot at play "in the friction of differing views". It's not just sharing and airing. There's politics and persuasion and ridicule and oneupmanship and pride and the rest. It takes a strong personality to see the wood for the trees in a 'learning environment' like that. A substantial part of my time sharing with groups has been spent studying the group, and in particular the individuals that make it up. People adopt opinions about ideas debated about the subject for a whole raft of explicable reasons, and reasoning about the subject of the debate does not necessarily prevail among them. I often learn more about the individuals than I do of what they have to offer of the subject in debate - and that is perfectly valid learning. Nevertheless I agree with you. For me also, when learning on my own, diversity needs to become an explicit pursuit. It takes a lot of self-motivation and curiosity. Catchya later Kia ora e George.

There’s a lot at play “in the friction of differing views”. It’s not just sharing and airing. There’s politics and persuasion and ridicule and oneupmanship and pride and the rest. It takes a strong personality to see the wood for the trees in a ‘learning environment’ like that.

A substantial part of my time sharing with groups has been spent studying the group, and in particular the individuals that make it up. People adopt opinions about ideas debated about the subject for a whole raft of explicable reasons, and reasoning about the subject of the debate does not necessarily prevail among them.

I often learn more about the individuals than I do of what they have to offer of the subject in debate – and that is perfectly valid learning. Nevertheless I agree with you. For me also, when learning on my own, diversity needs to become an explicit pursuit. It takes a lot of self-motivation and curiosity.

Catchya later

]]> By: Zaynab D'Elia http://www.elearnspace.org/blog/2009/08/06/critical-thinking-2/comment-page-1/#comment-22170 Zaynab D'Elia Fri, 07 Aug 2009 23:42:58 +0000 http://www.elearnspace.org/blog/?p=4193#comment-22170 I'm not sure about the idea of "only the most established and trusted information during a course" and then encountering biased information outside the course. I think learners need to think critically but I don't think the lines can be drawn in these terms. I teach online psychology, and a lot of what is presented from "established and trusted" sources, such as the mainstream best-selling textbooks, often offer biased and as we are seeing in the medical journal scandals, false and dangerous information. What needs to happen is to give learners the skills to think critically, and to evaluate their learning experiences, whether these experiences are presented by a university, picked up on a blog, or written on a subway wall. I’m not sure about the idea of “only the most established and trusted information during a course” and then encountering biased information outside the course. I think learners need to think critically but I don’t think the lines can be drawn in these terms. I teach online psychology, and a lot of what is presented from “established and trusted” sources, such as the mainstream best-selling textbooks, often offer biased and as we are seeing in the medical journal scandals, false and dangerous information. What needs to happen is to give learners the skills to think critically, and to evaluate their learning experiences, whether these experiences are presented by a university, picked up on a blog, or written on a subway wall.

]]> By: Norman Constantine http://www.elearnspace.org/blog/2009/08/06/critical-thinking-2/comment-page-1/#comment-22143 Norman Constantine Fri, 07 Aug 2009 11:05:19 +0000 http://www.elearnspace.org/blog/?p=4193#comment-22143 So are you saying that as instructors, we should introduce messiness and chaos into our courses? So are you saying that as instructors, we should introduce messiness and chaos into our courses?

]]> By: Michael Hanley http://www.elearnspace.org/blog/2009/08/06/critical-thinking-2/comment-page-1/#comment-22140 Michael Hanley Fri, 07 Aug 2009 08:25:48 +0000 http://www.elearnspace.org/blog/?p=4193#comment-22140 George - very apposite post. I did some consultancy for the ECDL Foundation recently (the basic IT skills and competencies people), and the outcome of the research I did for them was that the era of teaching people how to use computers, productivity applications, and the internet in a "conversion course" context was coming to an end. The next set of skills people will need to acquire will be how to critically filter, analyze, and synthesize the information at their disposal. Great blog BTW! Michael Hanley -- George – very apposite post.
I did some consultancy for the ECDL Foundation recently (the basic IT skills and competencies people), and the outcome of the research I did for them was that the era of teaching people how to use computers, productivity applications, and the internet in a “conversion course” context was coming to an end.
The next set of skills people will need to acquire will be how to critically filter, analyze, and synthesize the information at their disposal.
Great blog BTW!
Michael Hanley
–

]]>