ERIC Number: EJ1079614
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2015-Sep
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1939-5256
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Using Word Clouds in Online Discussions to Support Critical Thinking and Engagement
deNoyelles, Aimee; Reyes-Foster, Beatriz
Online Learning, v19 n4 Sep 2015
Being actively engaged in a task is often associated with critical thinking. Cultivating critical thinking skills, such as purposefully reflecting and analyzing one's own thinking, is a major goal of higher education. However, there is a challenge in providing college students opportunities to clearly demonstrate these skills in online courses. This research explores the effectiveness of incorporating word clouds--visual representations of word frequency in a given passage of text--into online discussions. We sought to establish whether implementing word clouds in online discussions would result in a higher incidence of critical thinking and engagement. Survey results from undergraduate participants (n = 132) revealed that students analyzing text in word clouds reported moderately higher scores on critical thinking and engagement than students analyzing the text in a linear fashion. A positive relationship was found between critical thinking and engagement, as well as peer interaction. This strategy can be applied to a wide range of educational environments to stimulate critical thinking and engagement.
Descriptors: Undergraduate Students, Word Frequency, Internet, Visual Aids, Computer Mediated Communication, Critical Thinking, Learner Engagement, Online Courses, Electronic Learning, Instructional Effectiveness, Incidence, Outcomes of Education, Student Surveys, Scores, Learning Strategies, Correlation, Mixed Methods Research, Quasiexperimental Design
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
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Language: English
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