Using Mindtools to Develop Critical Thinking ... (c)1997



SUBJECT:    Assignment #1, Response Paper #2
AUTHOR:     Leanne C. Boyd
Course:     MCTE 625 - Survey of Courseware,
            Assignment #1, Response Paper #2
Textbook:   Computers in the classroom:
            Mindtools for critical thinking
            Jonassen, D. (1996)
Chapter 2:  Using mindtools to develop critical thinking
            and foster collaboration in schools
Professor:  Dr. George Fornshell
Student:    Leanne C. Boyd
Usercode:   boydl
Due date:   October 5, 1997


     Response to Chapter 2, Using Mindtools to Develop 
   Critical Thinking and Foster Collaboration in Schools


     One very clear dichotomy has appeared in my line of 
thinking because of the current readings. In Chapter 2 of 
Jonassen's book, I began to realize that topics concerning 
critical, complex and creative thinking, and especially 
collaboration in the construction of knowledge, also have 
everything to do with the PATHWAY of academic and 
professional effort that I have pursued for over a decade. 
In this chapter, the dividing line between traditional 
and current models of critical thinking boil down to 
one fine point, at least as they apply to my life. The use 
of the word "mindtools" denotes the use of all available 
learning tools in the PROCESS of learning, where there is 
no "end" to the process. The success one finds is indeed 
the flourishing of new thoughts and achievements in 
the JOURNEY of education. So often in related readings, 
definitions for these new modes of learning have included 
phrases such as "lifelong learning." LEARNING, in current 
modes of thought, has finally come into its own right as an 
evolutionary journey rather than an end or pre-defined 
finality.

     For many years, I have seen my own career as a 
pathway, rather than as isolated steps leading to one 
final, definitive and conclusive goal. In the highly 
competitive world of traditional (mostly) Western thought, 
where each person is expected to "pull himself up by his 
own bootstraps," perhaps the idea of collaborative learning 
and the evolution of collective success by a team over a 
period of time, is very alien to most people. The era of 
new technology and new media has ushered in not just the 
mindtools to facilitate improved critical thinking, but 
it has provided the doors for massive creative thinking. 
As we all learn together how to go beyond accepted 
knowledge to generating new knowledge, we all will embark 
on this PATHWAY. It is to be expected, I think, that there 
is a great deal of trepidation and even fear, as the 
education system undergoes such mighty changes.

     The designation of "mindtool" is perhaps a new term. 
The concept of mindtools, I believe, has been with us for 
perhaps as long as humankind has functioned as a 
communicative village. From the onset, humanity's success 
in NOT becoming extinct has been based in the very real 
concept that our "social construction" included the cunning 
to collaboratively learn how to survive. Stephen 
Littlejohn quotes philosopher Alfred Schutz in describing 
the idea of the social construction of reality: 

     "The world of my daily life is by no means my private 
     world but is from the outset an intersubjective one, 
     shared with my fellow men, experienced and interpreted 
     by others: in brief, it is a world common to all of 
     us. The unique biographical situation in which I find 
     myself within the world at any moment of my existence 
     is only to a very small extent of my own making." 
     (Littlejohn, 179.) (Schutz' ideas were given in his 
     book, On Phenomenology and Social Relations, 1970.)

     In exploring education and the process of learning, it 
is really very essential to recognize that each of us is a 
part of a larger whole. As we go from previous modes of 
thought, I find it exciting that "learning to learn" within 
a collaborative environment is the essence of our new media 
and technology. My own recent academic experience in a 
Bachelor's program with a major of Technical Communication 
and an emphasis in new media included most courses being 
taught within this framework of collaborative learning. I 
feel very fortunate to be in this forerunning group.

     There are excellent examples happening all over the 
world that attest to the success of the pathway/journey 
form of learning. For instance, the leaders at the 
University of Nebraska have begun to explore complex areas 
of education and to reach beyond traditional methods of 
education. Part of this is realizing that today's "school" 
must adopt today's advanced technologies and innovative 
teaching methods in order to provide students with the 
skills they need to run the educational institutions of 
tomorrow. (Lotus Academic Solutions, 1997.) I would quickly 
add...or even the institutions of today! 

     One type of software recognized as a powerful possible 
mindtool is a spreadsheet/database software. At the 
University of Nebraska at Lincoln, the use of (in 
particular, Lotus Notes) spreadsheet/database software has 
provided an excellent foundation for creating their virtual 
university. It has helped them create a truly innovative 
learning environment for "collaborative, active learning on 
a multi-pathway system -- including course syllabus, group 
projects, library databases, discussion databases for class 
meetings." (Lotus Academic Solutions, 1997.) The class 
modules created using the software allow for smooth class 
organization and interactions, even though class 
members never meet in one formal gathering place. The 
collaborative learning model literally stretches all over 
the world. The model for Nebraska's online university 
appears similar to Nova's structure, in which the elements 
provide a tremendous possibility for communication and 
learning as a group.

     A nice benefit of this virtual environment has been 
a superior degree of interchange between students or 
student-to-teacher. Most traditional classes might generate 
20 or 30 interactions during any given class meeting. 
Nebraska has experienced with Notes-based learning that 
more than 100 interactions take place within one class 
meeting. (Lotus Academic Solutions, 1997.) Whether the 
foundation of the system is set up in Lotus Notes or 
another appropriate mindtool, the same efficiency factors 
of the model most probably will remain similar. I think it 
is important to note that the same software being utilized 
as the initiator of the learning process by the educators, 
is also cited as an excellent mindtool for use by the 
student.

     The University of Nebraska is excited about their new 
program, and rightly so. In heralding the ground level 
shift from "...teaching to facilitating learning...Notes 
enables a new approach to education, one that empowers 
learners by providing them with a range of new tools and 
the ability to develop their critical thinking and problem-
solving abilities. To succeed, all formal and informal 
educational institutions must recognize this change in 
approach and adjust their strategies accordingly." (Lotus 
Academic Solutions, 1997.)

     When thinking about creativity in learning, what 
standards can we begin to use to compare the traditional 
versus the more current modes of introducing "creative 
thinking?" I believe we can start by comparing the use of 
computers for their established uses for several decades as 
drill-and-practice machines, to their burgeoning use as 
highly effective learning devices. In our readings, I have 
noted that the authors rather dispel the notion that 
graphics or paint software might be used as a mindtool. My 
own experience, both as an audio-visual specialist in 
Denver's largest high school, and also in my academic 
training on the university level, nudges me to take issue 
with that concept. It is my belief that graphic, paint, and 
similar authoring software (such as Macromedia Director or 
Asymetrix ToolBook) are MIGHTY mindtools, on a par with 
database, spreadsheet, word processing or other 
productivity software.

     The National Academy of Sciences' online book source 
has this to say about potential mindtools: "With 
imaginative, inspiring software, students are not forced to 
come up with the one right answer; rather, they learn to 
ask many questions and to devise multiple approaches to a 
problem. They learn at their own pace and in their own 
style, so that skilled students advance without restraint 
while other students have the various resources they need 
to meet high standards." (NAS, A new model for education, 
1995.) Again we find that in talking about creativity in 
learning and the effectiveness of collaboration, we also 
inevitably are talking about an ongoing process or pathway 
throughout the student's life. Traditional schools have 
always accentuated individual attainments and the 
competition factor. They have discouraged students from 
working or even talking together. All of us probably well-
remember the absolute quiet of the tightly controlled, no-
talking-allowed classroom! In this new environment, 
experiences of the student and the teacher as co-learner 
and mentor emphasize critical thinking, teamwork, and 
connection. These are the skills being widely implemented 
both in the academic world, and certainly in the modern 
work world where the largest new commodity is... 
INFORMATION.

     I see a very important benefit being offered because 
of new learning methods. As the classroom envelops ever-
widening areas of the world, with classmates coming from 
opposite sides of this planet, one would think that the 
isolation factor would be predominant. Oddly enough, this 
is not showing to be true.  Many of the "new schools" show 
that "...in small groups, individual students act as peer-
tutors for others. Because they are often the ones most 
familiar with new technologies, students lead by example, 
helping their classmates work through problems. In this 
way, students begin learning from an early age how to 
communicate and how to assume greater responsibility for 
their own education." (NAS, A new model for education, 
1995.)

     Another excellent example of how this new mode of 
learning is taking place across our country and the world 
is the growing computerized learning facilities in the 
state of North Carolina. Students are being linked to such 
programs as the National Geographic Kids Network and the 
Jason Project. Within these programs, students are able to 
compare their own studies and data against the findings of 
students worldwide. "Through the Jason Project, 
oceanographer Robert Ballard is interacting with hundreds 
of thousands of students in real time...in such places as 
the Mediterranean Sea or mid-ocean ridges. During the Gulf 
War, students in the United States communicated regularly 
over the Internet with students in Israel, discussing such 
subjects as what it feels like to be under attack by Scud 
missiles." (NAS, Networking K-12 education, 1995.) I join 
the excited thousands in viewing the tremendous learning 
opportunities in these programs. It is surely evident that 
this is the first generation to have the limitless and 
boundless resources available and to be able to participate 
in a "classroom" that includes hundreds or thousands of 
participants.

     The mindtools available to the distance learner are 
the height of creative thinking methods and means. Never in 
our history have we had so much available. "Distance 
learning multiplies the resources available to schools and 
teachers, greatly increasing opportunities for both 
teaching and learning. It invites students anywhere in the 
country to acquire the information they want directly from 
experts. Network links expand and enrich the pool of 
teachers in mathematics, science, or other fields. 
Moreover, the information students receive via networks can 
be individualized to fit their specific needs." (NAS, 
Networking K-12 education, 1995.)

     What does this mean for learners, worldwide? What this
means for ME, is that by encompassing the total square 
acreage of the planet, we actually DECREASE the isolation 
factor that has been a brick wall for education and learning
in many secluded areas. Rick Boucher, U.S. Representative, 
stated that our new networking technologies provide 
potential access to learning resources that just haven't 
been available in rural school systems or in financially 
disadvantaged inner-city schools. (NAS, Networking K-12 
education, 1995.) The act of collaboration is absolutely 
necessary in our new model of learning. Actually, educators 
are learning alongside the ones being educated. That, in 
itself, is a primary and most important step in learning 
collaboration!

     Therefore, we are looking at a more cooperative 
approach to learning because the computer gives us a very 
discovery-oriented learning mode, and then it makes 
possible a vast universe of methods for discussion, 
mediation, and critical thinking. "Students can work in 
groups to solve problems and use the computer to compare 
their efforts with digitally stored information and with 
similar efforts outside their school... The Internet is a 
key element in reinventing K-12 education. Children and 
adults alike who have access find that the Internet's 
boundless information resources and communications 
capabilities are not only enlightening but fun." (NAS, 
Networking K-12 education, 1995.)

     On a more local level here in Colorado, some advanced 
thinking concerning creative and collaborative learning 
methods are going on in one of the state's historically most 
isolated, under-privileged spots. The San Luis Valley, 
located high in the southern Rockies, has been, by lay of 
the land, truly isolated for hundreds of years. Even with 
modern transportation and roadways, this high plain area has
been cut off for great portions of the year by weather and 
difficult accessibility. Descendents of Spanish Land Grants,
the local people have characteristically been of Hispanic 
origin, culturally and financially impoverished by 
historical data and happenings. The human spirit is, 
however, invincible. Given just an inkling of the 
possibility for a means of salvation -- a new tool -- the 
human is highly inclined to make the best creative use of 
it! Recently, a few "activists" (read that, computer 
enthusiasts) have been hard at work in the poorest areas of 
the San Luis Valley. They are trying to use this technology 
to attack the extensive problems of access (or lack thereof)
to learning resources. In my opinion, there is not a better 
example of the Internet as a mindtool than in this instance 
of the San Luis Valley! This rural area shows us what 
happens when the concept of creative thinking and 
collaborative learning is grasped on a whole-scale basis: 
"The students and a continuous flow of other people started 
reaching out of the valley online and started getting the 
idea that they could...get educated..." (Rheingold, 1996.)

     As we embrace the concept that learning is a life-long 
PATHWAY, an extraordinary journey, a passageway for one's 
self and for one's progeny, it feels exceedingly good to 
read about the insistence of the human spirit in taking on 
the task of learning improved ways. A fine example is found 
at the Sierra Grande High School in Fort Garland, Colorado, 
where "students have set up a computer assembly business, 
putting together '386' computers and selling them 
inexpensively to the community. Our problem is that we don't
have enough machines to give lessons to all the people who 
want to learn." (Rheingold, 1996.)

     It seems an appropriate ending to this writing to 
observe that in at least this case, and probably in 
hundreds of others, students and educators alike are using 
the tools of the new technology to solve not only problems 
in the education system, but also the financial overview of 
their immediate locale. It is a marvelous thing that use of 
these mindtools encompasses what appears to be every aspect 
of daily life, from the education we seek to the coins it 
takes to buy our daily bread.

---
References

     Littlejohn, Stephen W. (1996).  Theories of human 
communication. 5th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing.

     Lotus Academic Solutions/Lotus Development Corporation 
(website modified: October 1, 1997). Solutions for distance 
learning: Collaborative learning takes hold at the 
University of Nebraska. [On-line]. Available: 
http://www.lotus.com/school/215a.htm.

     National Academy of Sciences (NAS) and National 
Academy of Engineering (1995). Reinventing schools: The 
technology is now. [On-line]. Available: 
http://www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/techgap/index.html. 
          NAS: A new model for education. [On-line].
     Available: http://www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/
     techgap/newmodel.html.
          NAS: Networking K-12 education. [On-line].
     Available: http://www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/
     techgap/K-12net.html.

     Rheingold, Howard (1996). Brainstorms: San Luis 
Valley: Can the Internet help improve rural economies?
[On-line]. Available: 
http://www.well.com/user/hlr/tomorrow/sanluis.html.