Tag Archives: critical thinking

Fostering a virtual community of practice through scaffolded peer review


Written by - Olga Makinina, Canada

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Introduction

This article illustrates how peer review-focused learning tasks and activities helped multilingual students in an online English for Academic Purposes (EAP) course develop a sense of community and take ownership of their learning while also enhancing their writing, critical thinking, and research skills. Informed by the pedagogical frameworks of community of practice/inquiry (Peacock & Cowan, 2019; Wenger et al., 2002), constructivism (Olsen, 1999; Tam, 2000), and content and language integrated learning (CLIL), the course engaged students in a research project that aimed at exploring their local or digital communities. While working on the project assignments, students collaborated by providing regular feedback for one another’s work.  Continue Reading →

Categories:
EAP, online, Online teaching
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Developing critical thinking skills in the ESL classroom


Written by - By Alanna Carter, Ryerson University, Canada

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Abstract
This paper presents a discussion of the importance of developing the critical thinking skills of ESL students. Critical thinking skills are sometimes overlooked in the ESL classroom which is problematic given that ESL students need to be equipped with the skills and thinking strategies necessary to perform in academic and professional arenas. ESL teachers can foster critical thinking in supportive environments in their daily practice by including activities that require students to challenge the self and activities that require collaboration and creativity. Several classroom activities that encourage critical thinking are presented and discussed.

Defining ‘critical thinking’
Critical thinking is an important area of interest in education and stems back to the Greek philosophers, including Socrates,  Continue Reading →

Categories:
Research, Teaching, Uncategorised
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