The Internet’s Effect on Critical Thinking and

Learning

Presented By:Jodi Ripley, Karan Muns, Shaun Hensley

What is Critical Thinking?

• The intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action (University of Tennessee, Chattanooga)

• In the layman’s terms, critical thinking is the ability of a person to problem solve, gather information from context clues, decipher which information is pertinent, and using logic to summon a logical conclusion

Eight Components of Critical Thinking

1. Asking Questions

2. Determining the Problem 3. Examining Evidence4. Analyzing Assumptions

and Biases

5. Avoiding Emotional Reasoning6. Avoiding Over Simplification7. Considering Other

Interpretations8. Tolerating Ambiguity

(University of Tennessee, Chattanooga)

Why is Critical Thinking So Important to Children

• Problem Solving

• Understanding Information

• Making Informed Decisions

Problem Solving

• Critical thinking in children is an important aspect for daily living that needs to be formed and nurtured early on to provide the individual with a better base to draw upon when making choices. Research has found that more often a student is exposed to critical thinking; the greater the student will transfer critical thinking to other areas of their life (Importance of Critical Thinking, 2005). Critical thinking skills give students the ability to not only understand what they have read or been shown but they will also have the ability to build upon their current knowledge base (Importance of Critical Thinking, 2005).This empowers students to be independent, innovative, creative and also helps them succeed in school and in daily life (Importance of Critical Thinking, 2005).

Understanding and Interpreting Information

• Using critical thinking can help to improve decision making and judgement in general, critical thinking can also be thought of as reasoned thinking with a purpose. Some of the core critical thinking processes should include;• An understanding that your opinions could be incorrect• Accepting statements as factual even when they conflict with your

views• The temporary adoption of a position that you disagree with and

then reason from that point

Making Informed Decisions

• One difficulty with teaching critical thinking is presenting it in such a way that the student can transfer what they have learned from one situation to a new or different situation (Critical Thinking in Decision Making retrieved from http://www.globalcognition.org/critical-thinking-in-decision-making/). When an individual comes across decisions that need to be made, they need to pay attention to the stories that they are telling themselves during the process. Writing a strategy down can also be a useful way of coming to a fully developed and thought out conclusion (Critical Thinking in Decision Making retrieved from http://www.globalcognition.org/critical-thinking-in-decision-making/).

How Does the Internet Affect Critical Thinking Over Time

• Whose critical thinking is most affected by the Internet

• How is Critical Thinking affected by the Internet

• How can the internet improve critical thinking

Who Are the Most Affected

• Children raised on “edutainment”• Uneducated or Lazy Adults

How is Critical Thinking Affected

• Critical thinking is hindered because the internet presents information that may not be accurate

• People take information at face value instead of fact checking it themselves

How Can the Internet Aide in Critical Thinking Development

• The internet can provide supplemental information that can be used to draw original conclusions

Conclusion

• The internet can be used to think critically or not to think at all

• The eight components of critical thinking are either enhanced or destroyed by using the internet to gather information

• Children and adults’ critical thinking process is affected by the internet

References

Adhikari, Richard. (2009, September 8). Is the Internet Killing Critical Thinking?. TechNews Retrieved from http://www.technewsworld.com/story/68059.html

Boris, Greg Ed.D. Hall, Thomas. (2005) Critical Thinking and Online Learning: A Practical Inquiry Perspective in Higher Education. 20th Annual Conference on

Distance Teaching and Learning. Retrieved from http://www.uwex.edu/disted/conference/Resource_library/proceedings/04_1288.pdf

Browne, M. N., Freeman, K. E., & Williamson, C. L. (2000). THE IMPORTANCE OF CRITICAL THINKING FOR STUDENT USE OF THE INTERNET. College Student

Journal, 34(3), 391. Retrieved from

http://web.b.ebscohost.com.ejwl.idm.oclc.org/ehost/detail/detail?sid=7470c8eb-af7a-4a00-bb10-9e23cf0deb57%40sessionmgr198&vid=12&hid=101&bdata=JnNpd

GU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#AN=3728491&db=a9h

Graham, L., & Metaxas, P. T. (2003). "OF COURSE IT'S TRUE; I SAW IT ON THE INTERNET!" Critical Thinking in the Internet Era.Communications Of The

ACM, 46(5), 70-75. Retrieved from

http://web.b.ebscohost.com.ejwl.idm.oclc.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=7470c8eb-af7a-4a00-bb10-9e23cf0deb57%40sessionmgr198&vid=7&hid=101

Okan, Zuhal (2003, June). Edutainment: is learning at risk?, Retrieved from http://www.readcube.com/articles/10.1111%2F1467-8535.00325?r3_referer

The University of Tennessee, Chattanooga. Walker Center for Teaching and Learning. Critical Thinking. Retrieved from

http://www.utc.edu/walker-center-teaching-learning/teaching-resources/ct-ps.php

Wolpert, Stuart. (2007, January 29). Is technology producing a decline in critical thinking and analysis?. UCLA Newsroom. Retrieved from

http://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/is-technology-producing-a-decline-79127