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Learning becomes interesting if it enables the learners to explore the critical aspect of their psychology and ensures them to be a critical thinker rather than a dull memoriser. It supports the candidate in the professional field as it generates the decision-making power. The ability to think critically is a must for the corporate standards and the industries and e-learning successfully enables a learner with such powers of impartial judgement.
E-learning and critical approach
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Research was done; ways were sought to get critical thinking included as a dominant element in the e-learning methodology. In the past, the critical approach to e-learning was limited but the present e-learning systems have already started incorporating the critical appreciatory mode in e-learning. Wide research about it is also discussed.
There are various efficient ways by which critical approach can be implemented in e-learning and Hisham Al-Mubaid from the University Of Houston talks on it in his paper named A New Method for Promoting Critical Thinking in Online Education.
The view
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E-learning facility is available in classrooms as well as in the mode of online education. The critical approach can be implemented in both the cases. The methods are of two types: the individual component and the team-based component. The individual component delivers a more personalised environment and the team-best component generates an interactive method in the classrooms.
The individual component
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There are three initial steps in this stage: listing; evaluation and re-structure.
Listing
includes the systematic arrangement of the course materials and the online content that a learner himself or herself has to develop. It enables the learner to continue learning in his/ her own pace.
Evaluation
is the second step that fosters the critical thinking capability of the learners. It is more intrinsic than the first step as the learners themselves estimate education. It develops the learners’ sense of understanding.
Re-structure
is the third step that effectively helps to increase the intellectual power of the learners as they execute their ideas in their personal ways and reshape their base of learning.
The team-based component
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There are also three initial steps to this process. They are: listing; discussion and evaluation.
Listing
is same as the first step of the individual component, the only difference is it encourages listing in groups. The classmates are grouped and each group performs the task of making the list on the contents which e-learning offers them. It produces a collective realisation of education to them.
Discussion
is the second step which is one of the integral parts of interactive education. It helps the formation of critical appreciation as well as estimation through students’ discussion and debates.
Evaluation
is the third step that enables the judgement and meaningful estimation of the content. The difference of this step with the step of the individual component is that it is completely based on the second step that is the students’ discussion.
Think critically: Solve problems
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The critical thinking strengthens the meaning of the e-learning. In both the ways the learner is provided with the power of evaluation by himself/ herself. It allows the learners to take a look on the different aspects of education leading them to newer possibilities of flourishing critical thinking. What they learn in e-learning is to be implemented by them in the professional field. Critical thinking not only strengthens a learner from his/ her depth of understanding in his/ her own manner, but also enables them to critically estimate and solve the ‘critical’ problems in their profession.
The Verdict
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Online learning is never an easy task as it appears to a few. It requires contineous deligent effort and perseverance to achieve your goals as an online learner.
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