Running Head: E-LEARNING
TO BUILD THINKING SKILLS 1
e-Learning to Build Thinking Skills: A
Webibliography
Celeste
Wegner and Denise J. Tolliver
Liberty University
Reference
Clark, R. C., & Mayer, R. E. (2011). e-Learning to build thinking skills.
In e-Learning and the science of instruction: Proven guidelines for
consumers and designers of multimedia learning (3rd ed., pp. 339-367). San
Francisco, CA: Pfeiffer.
Summary
In chapter 15 Clark
and Mayer (2011) guides the instructor in using e-learning to build thinking
skills. When the learner develops
thinking skills it enables them to prepare for the workforce in whatever career
choice they make. The authors discuss
the following:
1. There
are three different types of thinking skills—how do these thinking skills
differ?
a.
Creative thinking
b.
Critical thinking
c.
Metacognition
2.
Can thinking skills be taught and three ways a
thinking skill program can determine an effective program from an ineffective
program.
3.
To help the
instructor design or select effective programs the authors give four thinking
skills programs:
a.
Principle 1 – Job specific cognitive and
metacognitive skills
b.
Principle 2 – Whole task course design
c.
Principle 3 – Make thinking process explicit
b. Principle
4 – Define job specific thinking processes
The authors also
give examples of how to apply the above principles and tell instructors how to
teach these principles. As the authors
point out, when instructors follow these guidelines, the learner will improve their
thinking skills, and know how and where to apply them. The training plan may involve a part-task
approach or a whole-task approach depending on the abilities and needs of the learners. The chapter closes with six different recommendations
for instructors to keep in mind as we help learners develop thinking skills;
however, it also reminds us of what we do not know about teaching and thinking
skills.
Reflection
Building thinking skills is very
important in any workplace and more in the educational institution. Clark and Mayer have given us extensive
insight into building these skills by using e-learning. In the K-12 school to promote the necessity
of improving thinking skills the Information Technology department must begin
by using the three different types of thinking skills: critical, creative and
meta-cognition. As the chapter
emphasizes and as those who work in the educational environment recognize
daily, learning is as diverse as the people involved. This includes administrators, teachers, students
and parents. The planning of an
e-learning design to meet each of these areas must be flexible. It requires planning, monitoring, evaluation
and charging as necessary.
The guidelines that Chapter 15
outlines give much support to providing an effective program for training on
all levels and all abilities. Chapter 15
also supports the use of e-learning to develop thinking skills in each ability
levels.
As I now work and plan to continue
working in a K-12 school, I anticipate becoming the Technology Director. This will require that I stay cognizant of
the different areas of technology advancement.
I will need to use the principals of e-learning to keep administrators
and teachers excited about teaching students using e-learning to improve their
thinking skills. Whole task instruction
and problem-based learning will be very helpful for me to be effective in
keeping everyone alert in improving thinking skills in e-learning at all levels
of the educational process.
