I was in a department chat group the other day and we were discussing our fears of and the possible benefits of AI like ChatGPT to help us in the classroom. I shared an...
The benefits of taking time—why we should slow down to explore examples in critical thinking
Teaching complex and sometimes tricky ideas like fallacies to students is a challenge that I have found daunting in the years that I have taught critical thinking. I have...
Fear, Anger, and Denial—How do critical thinkers deal with barriers during a crisis?
Have you ever made a bad choice in life? Most of us have at some point and if we go back and analyze what went wrong, we often find that there was some barrier to our...
Solving a problem? What method will you use?
In my last post, I delved into a real-life example of how we go about looking for the answers to our problems and how...
How Does X (Twitter) Fit?
We previously took a look at X in the online classroom and before reviewing applications for this platform, it would be prudent to first ask whether or not X should be used at all from a net gain...
Critical thinking and engagement in the political process—Why is it so difficult?
Recently there has been great interest in civics, the notion of our civil society, and stability in politics. In my critical thinking classes I always ask my students how...
Web 2.0 Technologies for Learning: X (Twitter)
The ubiquitous nature of social media in today’s society has driven interest in identifying opportunities for their use in higher education with an eye toward their effectiveness at improving...
On Social Learning Theory
Social interaction has been a component of learning from the beginnings of mankind and, to this day, we learn a great deal through observing and interacting with others. Bandura’s (1977) social...
Scientific Thinking. It’s Not Just For Scientists!
The value of critical thinking skills is undeniable, particularly in today’s world in which there is a dearth of sound thinking amidst a backdrop of widespread misinformation designed to unduly...
Leveraging Multimedia Learning Through Social Learning
Social learning and multimedia instructional tools connect naturally in the online classroom. Where multimedia can transform the classroom into an engaging learning environment, social media...
Producing Classroom Video: What are You Waiting For?
In previous posts, I’ve pointed to the “Why?” behind incorporating multimedia learning tools into the online classroom but I haven’t yet addressed the “How?” from a technical...
Meeting Millennials Where They Are
As the distance education profession continues to change, so do student demographics. We’re seeing new opportunities to transform the online classroom into a...
Sacrificing Perfection for Projection
As an online educator of adults, I’m always seeking opportunities to enhance the learning experience for my students. In the spirit of that quest, my mind is drawn to I my learning...