David I. Waddington

Strategies for Teaching Students to Think Critically A Meta-Analysis

Critical thinking (CT) is purposeful, self-regulatory judgment that results in interpretation, analysis, evaluation, and inference, as well as explanations of the considerations on which that judgment is based. This article summarizes the available empirical evidence on the impact of instruction on the development and enhancement of critical thinking skills and dispositions and student achievement. The review includes 341 effects sizes drawn from quasi- or true-experimental studies that used standardized measures of CT as outcome variables. The weighted random effects mean effect size (g+) was 0.30 (p < .001). The collection was heterogeneous (p < .001). Results demonstrate that there are effective strategies for teaching CT skills, both generic and content specific, and CT dispositions, at all educational levels and across all disciplinary areas. Notably, the opportunity for dialogue, the exposure of students to authentic or situated problems and examples, and mentoring had positive effects on CT skills.

Locating the wrongness in ultra-violent video games

The extremely high level of simulated violence in certain recent video games has made some people uneasy. There is a concern that something is wrong with these violent games, but, since the violence is virtual rather than real, it is difficult to specify the nature of the wrongness. Since there is no proven causal connection between video-game violence and real violence, philosophical analysis can be particularly helpful in locating potential sources of wrongness in ultra-violent video games. To this end, this paper analyzes video game violence through the lens of utilitarian, Kantian, and post-modern perspectives. Through these analyses, several explanations of the wrongness in violent video games emerge.

A Field Guide to Heidegger: Understanding ‘The Question Concerning Technology’

This essay serves as a guide for scholars, especially those in education, who want to gain a better understanding of Heideggers essay, ‘The Question Concerning Technology’. The paper has three sections: an interpretive summary, a critical commentary, and some remarks on Heidegger scholarship in education. Since Heideggers writing style is rather opaque, the interpretive summary serves as a map with which to navigate the essay. The critical commentary offers a careful analysis of some of the central concepts in the essay. These concepts, which include bringing‐forth, challenging‐forth, and gestell, are intriguing but problematic. The problems and possibilities of these ideas are analyzed, and an overall assessment of Heideggers ideas on technology is offered. In the final section, the work of several scholars in education is examined. Some of this work is excellent, but there is also a significant amount of confused and confusing scholarship.

Technological Transparency in the Age of Web 2.0: A Case Study of Interactions in Internet-Based Forums

Whether computers can be of benefit to the learning process has been a topic of discussion in the realm of educational technology research since the 1950s (Weigel, 2002). Computer technology has promised to revolutionize both teaching and learning in higher education (Slack & Wise, 2005). With the popularization of the Internet in the early 1990s, programs dedicated to the democratization of information technology have assisted the general public to become members of electronic communities (Albernaz, 2002). Online communications were quickly adopted in education – course management systems have long been using bulletin boards and online forums to facilitate various types of interactions, including learner-learner, learner-teacher, teacher-teacher, teacher-content, and learner-content (Shaw & Venkatesh, 2005). However, in the first decade of the 21st century, with the advent of Web 2.0, the shape of online electronic communities began to change drastically. Online social interactions have seen an exponential growth since the increased adoption of technologies such as wikis and blogs. In this new age of the Web, users are given the power to control what content is displayed on their personal websites, and visitors to these websites are able to provide commentary using media as varied as text, audio and video. Since 2004, commercial social networking applications such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter have gained popularity across a variety of users, regardless of gender, culture, geographical regions and age. Facebook alone boasts more than 750 million active users worldwide (as of July 2011), and is ranked as the second most-visited site on the Internet after Google3. It is, therefore, rather disheartening to observe how theories of online learning have failed to take into account the paradigm shift we are seeing in the nature of social interactions through the Internet. Furthermore, existing theories have largely failed to account for the role online communities play in building and sustaining specialised forms of

Grim FATE: Learning About Systems Thinking in an In-Depth Climate Change Simulation

Background. Simulations of complex systems have a long history of use for the study and promotion of systems thinking, yet more can be done in identifying games that promote development of systems thinking. Aim. This study is an exploration of the hypothesis that FATE OF THE WORLD, a challenging and complex climate change simulation, can promote systems thinking about climate change. Questions. This article analyzes players’ engagement with FATE OF THE WORLD using three key questions: 1. In what ways does the game support thinking about climate change as a complex system? 2. Does the game correspond to players’ a priori model of climate change? 3. How do players relate to FATE as an artifact they embrace, critique, and tinker with? Method. 33 participants were matched into control and test groups, and experimental participants were assigned to play a full game scenario of FATE OF THE WORLD. Experimental and control groups were compared using pre-and-post intervention concept maps. Post interviews were conducted with the test group. Results. Concept maps revealed statistically significant differences between the control and test groups. Interviews revealed diversity in learning outcomes and the ways in which acceptance of the game’s model of climate change influenced learning. Conclusions. FATE serves as proof-of-concept for the power of complex simulations to promote systems thinking as well as in-depth reflection on key social challenges. However, simulations like FATE are unlikely to serve well as stand-alone educational tools, which highlights the importance of effective teaching to accompany the game.

Relegated to the Margins? The Place of STSE Themes in Québec Secondary Cycle One Science Textbooks

Science, technology, society, and environment (STSE) themes occupy a prominent place in the reformed Québec junior high school science curriculum. However, studies have demonstrated that STSE curriculum reforms are often not translated into meaningful changes in classroom practice. Although there are multiple possible reasons for this gap between curriculum theory and teaching practice, one reason that is especially worthy of investigation is the fidelity of the curriculum materials that are provided to classroom teachers. Do the available textbooks convey the STSE curriculum goals, or is the STSE content effectively relegated to the sidelines? This analysis attempts to resolve this question using traditional content analysis techniques as well as a critical qualitative approach. We find that although the texts manage to address STSE goals to some extent, there is a significant occlusion of critical perspectives on STSE.RésuméLes thèmes liées aux STSE (sciences, technologies, société et environnement) occupent une place importante dans la réforme du curriculum scientifique au premier cycle du secondaire au Québec. Toutefois, les études montrent que souvent les réformes des curriculums en STSE ne se traduisent pas nécessairement par des changements significatifs dans les pratiques pédagogiques en classe. De nombreuses raisons peuvent sans doute expliquer cette différence entre le curriculum théorique et les pratiques d’enseignement, mais à notre avis l’une des raisons qui mérite qu’on s’y arrête en particulier est le niveau de correspondance entre le curriculum et le matériel pédagogique fourni aux enseignants. Les manuels disponibles rendent-ils justice aux objectifs du curriculum, ou les contenus en STSE occupent-ils effectivement une place marginale ? La présente analyse tente de répondre à cette question grâce à des techniques traditionnelles d’analyse des contenus, alliées à une approche critique qualitative. Nous constatons que, si les manuels pédagogiques répondent en partie aux objectifs visés, les contenus liés aux STSE pourraient être traités de fac¸on beaucoup plus riche et approfondie.

Beyond the “Pragmatic Acquiescence” Controversy: Reconciling the Educational Thought of Lewis Mumford and John Dewey

This article provides a reconsideration of the intellectual altercation between John Dewey and Lewis Mumford in the 1920s, and a sketch of some educational implications that follow this reconsideration. Although past scholarship has tended to focus on ways in which the altercation obscured similarities in their thought, we consider whether important differences were also obscured, particularly regarding their outlook on science and technology, their potential place in society, and their ideas about the best means to positive social change. We also consider how these differences might play out in philosophy of education/educational practice, concluding that Mumfords commitment to regionalism can augment Deweys philosophical vision while also helping deal with pressing contemporary social and educational needs.

Deserve’s Got Nothin’ to Do With It: A Philosopher Visits the NICU

After the death of my daughter Zoe in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), a colleague asked me whether my status as an academic philosopher changed my experience in the NICU. In this short narrative, I outline 5 ways in which philosophical perspective helped me understand and cope with our hospital experience.

Teachers, the state and religious symbols: A question of professional ethics

This article considers the question of whether policies that propose to forbid public officials, most notably teachers, from wearing religious clothing in the classroom can be justified by political principles of secularism – specifically, the principle of state neutrality and the principle of state autonomy from religious influence. Two prominent arguments on behalf of an affirmative answer to this question are identified and evaluated, ultimately casting doubt on the cogency of prohibitionist arguments. The claim is then advanced that secular principles are most compellingly understood in educational contexts as principles of professional ethics – that is, as grounds for teacher reflection. To support this claim, we conclude by presenting two scenarios in which teachers face difficult decisions about whether to wear or remove an otherwise obligatory religious symbol. In this discussion, the importance of balance considerations of religious conscience with the value of public trust is emphasized.