Critical by design: how learner modes impact the propensity to think critically
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47408/jldhe.vi31.1133Keywords:
critical thinking, learner modes, higher education, curriculum design, assessments, MBAAbstract
Demonstrating the ability to think critically is a common requirement of Higher Education (HE) assessments, bridging disciplines and forming a significant part of the feedback given to students. Despite its prominence, more can be learned about how different learner modes influence the propensity to use critical thinking. This article reports on the results from a study of critical thinking in a global MBA programme that compared how online, and on-campus environments influenced a learner’s approach to problem-solving and decision-making. A survey instrument was administered to two cohorts, studying online and on-campus, who were taking an identical module in strategy. Whilst differences in learning experience were to be expected, the degree to which learner modes affected the propensity to think critically was surprising. On most measurements, on-campus learners outperformed their online counterparts. The results, interpreted through the lens of Administrative Behaviour Theory, demonstrate that learner modes should be treated as separate entities, and that a homogenous approach to digital and physical learning strategies may prove ineffective. The implications of the results are discussed, including recommendations for learning designers.
References
Ansoff, I. (1965) Corporate strategy: an analytic approach to business policy for growth and expansion. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Azmat, F., Jain, A. and Sridharan, B. (2023) ‘Responsible management education in business schools: are we there yet?’, Journal of Business Research, 157, pp.1-10. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2022.113518
Barrett, P., Davies, F., Zhang, Y. and Barrett, L. (2017) ‘The holistic impact of classroom spaces on learning in specific subjects’, Environmental Behaviour, 49(4), pp.425-451. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/0013916516648735
Bernard, R., Dai Zhang, P., Abrami, C., Sicoly, F., Borokhovski, E. and Surkes, M. (2008) ‘Exploring the structure of the Watson–Glaser critical thinking appraisal: one scale or many subscales?’, Thinking Skills and Creativity, 3(1), pp.15-22. Available at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2007.11.001
Blackmore-Wright, J. (2021) Mid-sized businesses and the challenges of growth: implications for the theory of administrative behaviour and management education. Doctoral Thesis. University of Northampton. Available at: https://pure.northampton.ac.uk/en/studentTheses/mid-sized-businesses-and-the-challenges-of-growth-implications-fo.
Bisoux, T. (2022) What trends are shaping business education? Available at: https://www.aacsb.edu/insights/articles/2022/02/what-trends-are-shaping-business-education (Accessed: 8 January 2023).
Caprara, L. and Caprara, C. (2022) ‘Effects of virtual learning environments: a scoping review of literature’, Education Information Technology, 27(3), pp.3683-3722. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-021-10768-w
Chandler, A.D. (1962) Strategy and structure: chapters in the history of the industrial enterprise. London: M.I.T. Press.
Channon, D.F. (1973) The strategy and structure of British enterprise. London: Macmillan.
Chung, J., Li, W., Cheung, A., Ho, L. and Chung, J. (2022) ‘Efficacy of a blended learning programme in enhancing the communication skill competence and self-efficacy of nursing students in conducting clinical handovers: a randomised controlled trial’, BMC Medical Education, 22, 275, pp.1-10. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-022-03361-3
Closs, L., Mahat, M. and Imms, W. (2022) ‘Learning environments’ influence on students’ learning experience in an Australian Faculty of Business and Economics’, Learning Environments Research, 25, pp.271–285. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10984-021-09361-2
Crittenden, A.B., Crittenden, V.L. and Crittenden, W.F. (2019) ‘The digitalization triumvirate: how incumbents survive’, Business Horizons, 62(2), pp.259-266. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2018.11.005
Dawson, T. L. (2008) ‘Metacognition and learning in adulthood’, Prepared in response to tasking from ODNI/CHCO/IC Leadership Development Office, Developmental Testing Service, LLC. Available at: https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/document?repid=rep1&type=pdf&doi=3f8c7e40fe183de233433be5899ec7a801b5ae61.
Dean, J. and Sharffman, M. (1993) ‘Procedural rationality in the strategic decision-making process’, Journal of Management Studies, 30(4), pp.587-611. Available at: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1540-5915.1993.tb00504.x.
Dewey, J. (1910) How We Think. Boston: Heath & Co.
Eisenhardt, K.M. and Bourgeois, L. J. (1988) ‘Politics of strategic decision making in high-velocity environments: toward a midrange theory’, Academy of Management Journal, 31(4), pp.737-771. Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/256337.
Evans, C. (2013) ‘Making sense of assessment feedback in higher education’, Review of Educational Research, 83(1), pp.70–120. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654312474350
Goodyear, P. (2020) ‘Design and co-configuration for hybrid learning: Theorising the practices of learning space design’, British Journal of Educational Technology, 51(4), pp.1045-1060. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.12925
Hammond, J.S., Keeney, R.L. and Raiffa, H. (2006) ‘The hidden traps in decision making’, Harvard Business Review, 84(1), pp.118–126. Available at: https://hbr.org/1998/09/the-hidden-traps-in-decision-making-2.
Hilton, C. (2017) ‘The importance of pretesting questionnaires: a field research example of cognitive pretesting the exercise referral quality of life scale (ER-QLS)’, International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 20(1), pp.21-34. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/13645579.2015.1091640
Homburg, C., Jensen, O. and Krohmer, M. (2008) ‘Configurations of marketing and sales: a taxonomy’, Journal of Marketing, 72(2), pp.133-154. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1509/jmkg.72.2.133
Huadong, G. (2017) Big Earth data: a new frontier in Earth and information sciences, Big Earth Data, 1(1-2), pp.4-20. Available at https://doi.org/10.1080/20964471.2017.1403062
Kertysova, K. (2018) ‘Artificial intelligence and disinformation: how AI changes the way disinformation is produced, disseminated, and can be countered’, Security and Human Rights, 29(1-4), 55-81. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1163/18750230-02901005
Kweon, B., Ellis, C. and Jacobs, K. (2017) ‘The link between school environments and student academic performance’, Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 23. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2017.02.002
Latapí Agudelo, M., Jóhannsdóttir, L. and Davídsdóttir, B. (2019) ‘A literature review of the history and evolution of corporate social responsibility’, International Journal of Corporate Social Responsibility, 4(1), pp.1-23. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40991-018-0039-y
Licandro, O., Vázquez-Burguete, J., Ortigueira, L. and Correa, P. (2023) ‘Definition of corporate social responsibility as a management philosophy oriented towards the management of externalities: proposal and argumentation’, Sustainability, 15(13), pp.1-18. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/su151310722
Lizzio, A., Wilson, K. and Simons, R. (2002) ‘University students' perceptions of the learning environment and academic outcomes: implications for theory and practice’, Studies in Higher Education, 27(1), pp.27-52. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/03075070120099359
McMillan, C. and Overall, J.S. (2017) ‘Crossing the chasm and over the abyss: perspectives on organisational failure’, Academy of Management Perspectives, 31(4), pp.271-287. Available at: https://doi.org/10.5465/amp.2017.0018
Morris, R., Perry, T., and Wardle, L. (2021) ‘Formative assessment and feedback for learning in higher education: a systematic review’, Review of Education, 9(3), pp.1-26. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1002/rev3.3292
Neuman, E. and Briggs, K. (2023) 'Geographical location and its impact on demand for online MBA programs', Journal of Education for Business, 98(3), pp.143-152. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/08832323.2022.2093318
Nordmann, E., Hutchison, J. and MacKay, J. (2022) ‘Lecture rapture: the place and case for lectures in the new normal’, Teaching in Higher Education, 27(5), pp.709-716. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2021.2015755
O'Connor, C. and Weatherall, J.O. (2019) The misinformation age: how false beliefs spread. London: Yale University Press.
Possin, K. (2014) ‘Critique of the Watson-Glaser critical thinking appraisal test: the more you know, the lower your score’, Informal Logic, 34(4), pp.393-416. Available at: https://doi.org/10.22329/il.v34i4.4141
Richards, J.B., Hayes, M.M. and Schwartzstein, R.M. (2020) ‘Teaching clinical reasoning and critical thinking: from cognitive theory to practical application’, Chest, 158(4), pp.1617-1628. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chest.2020.05.525
Rogers, P. and Blenko, M. (2006) ‘The high‐performance organisation: making good decisions and making them happen’, Handbook of Business Strategy, 7(1), pp.133-142. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1108/10775730610618747
Rydzewski, D., Eastman, J.K., and Bocchi, J. (2010) ‘Important characteristics in an MBA program: the perceptions of online MBA students’, American Journal of Business Education, 3, pp.33-42. Available at: https://doi.org/10.19030/ajbe.v3i4.411
Salmon, G. and Wright, P. (2014) ‘Transforming future teaching through 'carpe diem' learning design’, Education Sciences, 4(1), pp.52-63. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci4010052
Simon, H.A. (1976) Administrative behaviour: a study of decision-making processes in administrative organizations. London: Collier Macmillan.
Simon, H.A. (1997) Administrative behaviour: a study of decision-making processes in administrative organizations. 4th edn. London: Free Press.
Souitaris, V. and Maestro, B. (2010) ‘Polychronicity in top management teams: the impact on strategic decision processes and performance of new technology ventures’, Strategic Management Journal, 31(6), pp.652-678. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.831
Steiner, J. and Dorff, R. (1980) ‘Decision by interpretation: a new concept for an often- overlooked decision mode’, British Journal of Political Science, 10(1), pp.1-13. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007123400001988
Taherdoost, H. (2022) ‘Designing a questionnaire for a research paper: a comprehensive guide to design and develop an effective questionnaire’, Asian Journal of Managerial Science, 11(1), pp.8-16. Available at: https://doi.org/10.51983/ajms-2022.11.1.3087
Tittle, P. (2011) Critical thinking: an appeal to reason. Abingdon-on-Thames: Routledge.
Vera, D. and Crossan, M. (2005) ‘Improvisation and innovative performance in teams’, Organization Science, 16(3), pp.203-225. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.1050.0126
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).