Critical Thinking Application Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Critical Thinking Application Paper - Essay Example Kirby and Goodpaster (2007) averred that thinking is â€Å"the activity of the brain that can potentially be communicated† (6). The role of expressing thoughts through communication, either through verbal or nonverbal means, is crucial in either speaking or writing. In this regard, the essay aims to proffer issues pertinent to describe critical thinking by using various sources. The discourse would likewise provide an example from personal experience in applying critical thinking to a work related decision, and the importance and benefits of critical thinking in the decision-making processes. Definitions of Critical Thinking The study conducted by Paton (2006) initially presented diverse definitions of critical thinking, to wit: â€Å"reasonable reflective thinking that is focused on deciding what to believe or do† â€Å"Ennis (1987) â€Å"purposeful, self regulatory judgment which results in interpretation, analysis, evaluation, and inference, as well as explanation of the evidential, conceptual, methodological, criteriological, and contextual considerations upon which that judgment is based. . .† (Facione 1990). ... etting, various opportunities for decision making require the application of critical thinking skills to ensure that judgments are made only after all alternative courses of actions have been exhausted. One envisions being a manager of an organization’s human resources division whose main responsibilities encompass the functions of acquisition, development and maintenance of human resources. Through all tasks require exemplary qualifications and competencies to exude leadership skills, one of the most challenging decisions are to retrench employees as a way of saving the organization. The critical thinking process that needs to be exercised in this scenario is the identification of employees to be retrenched based on factors such as performance, length of stay in the organization, leadership potentials, and demographic background. Further, senior management would expect a benefit versus cost analysis of possibly retaining a number, retrenching all identified personnel, or even closing or liquidating the assets of the organization at the extreme level. Through different analytical approaches (cost – benefit, employee performance appraisal results, financial conditions of performance) one is given the tools to use and apply to outline the courses of action, the advantages and disadvantages of each alternative, and the overall effect would be gauged in terms of costs, image, corporate responsibility and adherence to ethical standards. A manager whose critical thinking skills are not effectively and sufficiently honed to use analytical tools could make abrupt and harsh judgments and recommendations that could compromise the image and future survival of the organization. Wrong actions taken regarding firing employees, for example, could expose the organization to legal

Applying the Principles of Instructional Design in E-Learning Research Paper

Applying the Principles of Instructional Design in E-Learning - Research Paper Example Naidu (2006) defines e-learning as â€Å"the intentional use of networked information and communications technology in teaching and learning† (p. 1). E means electronic that signifies the use of the internet in educating students. Furthermore, learning is an act of acquiring knowledge through reading, studying, and applying the skills to measure a person’s understanding of the subject. However, the learning process is rooted on the experiences of students when they use technology. These experiences, whether positive or negative, affect their cognitive understanding of the lessons. Negative experiences develop apprehension in utilizing e-learning, so it is the duty of instructional designer to motivate these students. This paper aims to develop a storyline that will be the basis in applying the principles of instructional design. Storyline The educational system has changed the process of learning through the use of the internet. E-learning has been promoted because it i s more effective in incorporating knowledge on students than ordinary classroom instructions. The students utilize e-mail as a method of communicating with their professor. E-mail contains the link to the instructional materials provided by the professor, which informs students to study. Online learning also includes reviews, tests, and assignments. Students allot time for the application of their learning and professor encourages them to meet the deadline. This method is advantageous to students because they could access their study materials anywhere provided that there is an internet connection. Students living in a rural area are provided with broadband due to the difficulty in accessing their instructional materials. The common trend is that students have their own personal computers at home, while other students rent at the internet cafes. Flexibility is the main characteristic of utilizing information and technology; thus, students can study the course materials depending on their convenient time and place. It is expected that students will get high scores, but during the checking of assignments and tests, the teacher noticed that other students have low scores and only few got an average score. The teacher marvels at the poor performance of students because this reflects to the professor’s method of teaching. Thus, the professor began to study the problems of students in coping with the new method of learning. The teacher wants to find out the problem in his teaching method and begins to investigate on the negative experience that the students encountered. The questionnaires were sent via e-mail that contains the feedback and comments of students. Upon receiving the comments, the instructor discovers that the problems are focused on the instructional materials and the technical aspect. For the instructional materials, the students comment that the learning process was very boring or the materials are not interesting. Due to the monotonous feelin g of students, they never bothered to understand the concept in the text. The result is poor performance or low scores in their assignments and tests. Another comment received by the professor is the limited value of online information. The students complained that the materials are not new, which discourage them to study seriously. The professor wonders because this is in contrast with the study of Merrill (2002) that one of the principles of instruction pertains to the â€Å"