Papers by Dr Nazanin Ghodrati
The use of Asynchronous Discussion Forums (ADFs) is thought to enhance the development of critica... more The use of Asynchronous Discussion Forums (ADFs) is thought to enhance the development of critical thinking in students throughout higher education. In the majority of studies, however, ESL students have been generally overlooked; as a result, factors such as culture, educational background, and second language proficiency have not been taken into account. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the development of critical thinking of ESL students through the use of ADFs in higher education. To achieve this aim, we gathered data in a graduate subject at a large Australian research university over one academic semester as students discussed topics through an ADF. Both native and non-native students, who were both in-class and at a distance, participated in the subject. Through the thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews and postings, we identified several factors that appear to influence critical thinking development. Our analysis, for example, revealed that commun...
Blended learning approaches often make use of asynchronous discussion forums (ADFs) to enhance fa... more Blended learning approaches often make use of asynchronous discussion forums (ADFs) to enhance face-to-face learning, collaboration and co-construction. One aspect of research for such online tools focuses on the development of critical thinking. But what, specifically, is the role of such technology in such efforts? Over a semester, we collected data through classroom observations, semi-structured interviews and online postings. In our cyclical thematic analyses, we identified virtual presence, timing, display presentation, and skill development as influential factors regarding the development of collaborative critical thinking. Students, nonetheless, were often very frustrated with the tool. Improvements to the actual use of the tool, combined with greater guidance, may yield stronger results.
The use of asynchronous discussion forums (ADFs) is thought to assist in enhancing students’ coll... more The use of asynchronous discussion forums (ADFs) is thought to assist in enhancing students’ collaborative learning and critical thinking throughout higher education. However, previous research has mainly focused on individual critical thinking while the investigation of critical thinking during group work has been generally overlooked. Furthermore, few studies have investigated critical thinking processes of the individual and of the group in a single study to present a comprehensive picture of collaborative critical thinking (CCT). To address these gaps, I examined the demonstration of CCT on ADFs in a graduate subject at an Australian university over two academic semesters as students discussed topics online. In this paper, I discuss the ontological and methodological challenges in conducting the above research and present possible solutions to these challenges. At the ontological level, I discuss challenges in conceptualising and defining CCT. At the methodological level, I pres...
The use of asynchronous discussion forums (ADFs) is thought to assist in enhancing students' coll... more The use of asynchronous discussion forums (ADFs) is thought to assist in enhancing students' collaborative learning and critical thinking throughout higher education. However, previous research has mainly focused on individual critical thinking while the investigation of critical thinking during group work has been generally overlooked. Furthermore, few studies have investigated critical thinking processes of the individual and of the group in a single study to present a comprehensive picture of collaborative critical thinking (CCT). To address these gaps, I examined the demonstration of CCT on ADFs in a graduate subject at an Australian university over two academic semesters as students discussed topics online. In this paper, I discuss the ontological and methodological challenges in conducting the above research and present possible solutions to these challenges. At the ontological level, I discuss challenges in conceptualising and defining CCT. At the methodological level, I present challenges in constructing a coding scheme to measure the demonstration of CCT on ADFs. I then discuss ways to tackle the above challenges, propose an operational definition of CCT and present a synthetic coding scheme for measuring CCT in computer-supported collaborative learning contexts such as on ADFs.
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Blended learning approaches often make use of asynchronous discussion forums (ADFs) to enhance fa... more Blended learning approaches often make use of asynchronous discussion forums (ADFs) to enhance face-to-face learning, collaboration and co-construction. One aspect of research for such online tools focuses on the development of critical thinking. But what, specifically, is the role of such technology in such efforts? Over a semester, we collected data through classroom observations, semi-structured interviews and online postings. In our cyclical thematic analyses, we identified virtual presence, timing, display presentation, and skill development as influential factors regarding the development of collaborative critical thinking. Students, nonetheless, were often very frustrated with the tool. Improvements to the actual use of the tool, combined with greater guidance, may yield stronger results.
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Papers by Dr Nazanin Ghodrati