Effects of Active Learning on Enhancing Student Critical Thinking in an Undergraduate General Science Course
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Effects of Active Learning on Enhancing Student Critical Thinking in an Undergraduate General Science Course Kyoungna Kim & Priya Sharma & Susan M. Land & Kevin P. Furlong Published online: 12 September 2012 # Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2012
Abstract To enhance students’ critical thinking in an undergraduate general science course, we designed and implemented active learning modules by incorporating group-based learning with authentic tasks, scaffolding, and individual reports. This study examined the levels of critical thinking students exhibited in individual reports and the students’ critical thinking level change over time. Findings indicated that students’ average critical thinking level fell in the category of “developing”, but students’ scores on individual reports revealed a statistically significant increase. The study suggested that the active learning strategies employed in the study were useful to promote student critical thinking. Keywords Active learning . Geoscience . Undergraduate education . Scaffolding . Critical thinking New developments in the science of learning emphasize the importance of developing student competency to deal with complex problems in real-life contexts (Bransford et al. Kyoungna Kim is Instructor at Diplomatic Language Services. She received a Ph.D. in Instructional Systems from Pennsylvania State University. Her interests include the design of technology-enhanced, learner-centered learning environments; experience and interaction design; and everyday learning. Priya Sharma is Associate Professor of Education at the Pennsylvania State University. She received a Ph.D. in Instructional Technology from the University of Georgia. Her work focuses on design and learning as it occurs in the context of online networks and with ubiquitous digital and connectivity tools. Susan M. Land is Associate Professor of Education at the Pennsylvania State University. She received a Ph.D. in Instructional Technology from Florida State University. Her research investigates frameworks for the design of open-ended, technology-rich learning environments. She studies learning environments and design connected to everyday contexts, mobile devices, social networking, and student-created design projects. Kevin P. Furlong is Professor of Geosciences at Pennsylvania State University. He received a Ph.D. in Geophysics from the University of Utah. His interests include design of learning modules to engage undergraduate students in authentic, scientific thinking about natural hazards. K. Kim (*) Diplomatic Language Services, Arlington, VA, USA e-mail: [email protected] P. Sharma : S. M. Land Department of Education, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA K. P. Furlong Department of Geosciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
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Innov High Educ (2013) 38:223–235
2000; National Research Council 1996). Dealing with complex problems requires students to engage in active critical thinking processes, which include purposeful, reasoned, and goaldirected higher
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