Critical Thinking and Computer Conferencing: A Model and Tool to Assess Cognitive Presence

The adoption of computer-mediated communication (CMC) in higher education has far out-paced our understanding of how this medium should be used so as to best promote higher-order learning. This medium is substantively different, in several important ways, from face-to-face classroom teaching. A number of other scholars are now trying to remedy this deficiency in our understanding by studying various aspects of the use of CMC in this educational environment. At the heart of the challenge facing us is the need to create a critical community of inquiry – the hallmark of higher education - within a virtual text -based environment. We have, therefore, focused our efforts on developing the means to assess the nature and quality of critical discourse that takes place within a text -based educational environment. The paper begins with an overview of the model of critical thinking that we have developed as a framework for our study. Within this overall framework, we propose a model of “cognitive presence” that will provide a means to assess the nature of discourse in a text -based educational environment, and its appropriateness as a means to achieve the overall goals of higher education. The body of the paper describes the initial results of the use of this model as a tool to assess evidence of the nature and quality of critical discourse and thinking in an educational computer conference. We discuss the methodological challenges associated with assessing cognitive presence and provide guidelines and suggestions for further research. The results of this investigation are also discussed in terms of their practical educational implications. Theoretical Context The conceptual framework for this study has been described previously in a paper by Garrison, Anderson and Archer (2,000). In this paper, the model of a “Community of Inquiry” was described that specifically applied to the practice of computer conferencing in higher education. The three elements of this community of inquiry are cognitive presence, social presence and teaching presence. The focus of this paper is primarily on cognitive presence defined largely in terms of individual critical thinking and collaborative discourse. For this reason we first turn our attention to a discussion of critical thinking. Cognitive presence. Cognitive presence is a manifestation of practical inquiry. Cognitive presence is defined as the extent to which learners are able to construct and confirm meaning through sustained discourse in a critical community of inquiry (Garrison et al., 2000). In other words, cognitive presence reflects higher-order knowledge acquisition and application and is most associated with the literature and research related to critical thinking. The genesis and context of cognitive presence is more fully explained in Garrison et al. (2000) but, suffice to say here, it is operationalized through the practical inquiry process. The practical inquiry process is most closely associated with John Dewey (1933) and will be discussed subsequently. The ultimate value of a tool to assess the nature of the critical thinking process will, obviously, depend upon the validity of the critical thinking concept and its ability to reflect educational practice. It is important at the outset to emphasize that the focus here is upon higher-order thinking processes as opposed to specific individual learning outcomes such as deep and meaningful understanding as well as content specific critical inquiry abilities, skills and dispositions. To emphasize, the focus here is on a collaborative process of critical inquiry. This research is an exploration of the nature and quality of critical inquiry as defined and assessed by the phases (i.e., process) of a generalized model of critical thinking and practical inquiry. The assumption is that critical thinking as an outcome is best measured from an individual perspective; that is, as acquired thinking skills and worthwhile knowledge. Judging the quality of critical thinking as an outcome within a specific educational context is the responsibility of a teacher as pedagogical and content expert. From a process perspective, it is assumed that this could be greatly assisted by a tool to assess critical discourse and reflection for the purpose of acquiring intended and worthwhile learning outcomes.