Virtual forum as a methodological strategy for the development of critical thinking at the university

Abstract

Due to numerous complex changes that characterise life in the modern world, acquisition and improvement of high-quality thinking becomes one of the most crucial objectives for people all around the globe. In this context, the demand for university development of critical thinking in future professionals requires not only to modernise the content of educational courses, but also to transform existing teaching and learning methodologies. In order to reach this objective, the university level pedagogy should redefine the roles of teachers and students in the learning process as well as provide correct methodological strategies. This article focuses on the application of a virtual forum as a method of critical thinking development. The study provides a brief contextualisation of the topic and presents in part the results of the descriptive research that was conducted in the Costa Rica Institute of Technology. The results demonstrate that, according to the students’ opinion, a virtual forum as a teaching method has a positive effect on the critical thinking development. Moreover, the study clarifies the structure of the critical thinking concept, showing the preponderant roles of the attitudinal and self-regulatory dimensions and their ability to improve cognitive skills bringing them to the highest level of competence.

Keywords

• critical thinking
• virtual forum
• information and communication technologies (ICT)
• university didactics
• higher education
• Costa Rica