From preconceptions to concept: The basis of a didactic model designed to promote the development of critical thinking

Abstract

This work results from a research project aimed at designing a didactic model for developing critical thinking in university students supported by emerging technologies. In its design, a socio-constructivist pedagogical approach and the connectivist conceptual foundations that define its components, relationships and sequences were considered. First, as essential components, two didactic sequences were identified which define the routes that students must follow to develop the basic skills in their initial phase, and then the higher order skills that are part of the cognitive scaffolding of critical thinking, in problematic and challenging scenarios in didactic sequences that emphasise thinking routines. Next, an instrument was designed and validated in order to evaluate the quality of the proposed didactic model. Finally, the proposed model was evaluated, describing its attributes such as coherence with existing theory on pedagogy and emerging didactics, relevance with the needs detected in the students, relationships between participants and information, transversality of information and communication technologies (ICT) and the development of autonomy, cognition and dispositions.

Keywords

• Critical thinking
• Cognitive routines
• Challenges
• Contextual issues
• Preconception and concept