Exploiting Asynchronous Discussions in Class for Improving 3rd Grade Students’ Writing Ability

Theoretical Background

One of the core issues in education is that of learning and sustaining students’ progress (Kress, 2004). In fact, learning is connected with Critical Thinking which is related to dialogue, educational discussions and students’ writings. Critical thinking is described as the intellectual and emotional activity through which a person evaluates the reliability of the perceived information (Matsaggouras, 2002). According to Wegerif (1998), thinking skills enable students’ ability to: a) evaluate what they read, hear and do, b) rationalize opinions and actions, c) draw inferences and make deductions, d) explain what they think, e) ask relevant questions, f) pose and define problems, g) generate and extend ideas, h) suggest hypotheses, and i) apply imagination.

Moreover, Matsaggouras (2002) supports that a student can develop critical thinking via interaction with other individuals. Students learn how to learn, therefore they acquire metacognitive skills. Metacognition is crucial when new knowledge is produced and thus for the overall educational process, as it helps individuals to regulate their learning (Panteliadou, 2002). Reflection, a metacognitive skill, is applied when a student examines the validity of information and draws conclusions, based on his/her research (Bratitsis, 2007). Reflection is directly connected with Critical Thinking, as students, through collaborative activities, are able to comprehend their errors, share knowledge and better understand a subject, while negotiating common meanings and posing common aims.