Critical Thinking and Analyzing Assumptions in Instructional Technology

103 Pages·2016·0.46 MB·English

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Theses and Dissertations
2009-08-05
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Bruce William Gabbitas
Brigham Young University - Provo
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Gabbitas, Bruce William, "Critical Thinking and Analyzing Assumptions in Instructional Technology"
(2009). Theses and Dissertations. 1883.
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/1883
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CRITICAL THINKING AND ANALYZING ASSUMPTIONS IN
INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY

by
Bruce W. Gabbitas

A thesis submitted to the faculty of
Brigham Young University
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of

Master of Science

Department of Instructional Psychology and Technology
Brigham Young University
December 2009
Copyright © 2009 Bruce W. Gabbitas
All Rights Reserved
BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY

GRADUATE COMMITTEE APPROVAL

of a thesis submitted by

Bruce Gabbitas

This thesis has been read by each member of the following graduate committee and by
majority vote has been found to be satisfactory.

__________________________ _______________________________________
Date Stephen C. Yanchar, Chair

__________________________ _______________________________________
Date Andrew S. Gibbons

__________________________ _______________________________________
Date Russell T. Osguthorpe
BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY
As chair of the candidate’s graduate committee, I have read the thesis of Bruce W.
Gabbitas in its final form and have found that (1) its format, citations, and bibliographical
style are consistent and acceptable and fulfill university and department style
requirements; (2) its illustrative materials including figures, tables, and charts are in
place; and (3) the final manuscript is satisfactory to the graduate committee and is ready
for submission to the university library.
Date Stephen C. Yanchar
Chair, Graduate Committee
Accepted for the Department

Date David A. Wiley
Graduate Coordinator

Accepted for the College

Date Barbara Culatta
Associate Dean, David O. McKay School of
Education
ABSTRACT

CRITICAL THINKING AND ANALYZING ASSUMPTIONS IN
INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY

Bruce W. Gabbitas
Department of Instructional Psychology and Technology
Master of Science

In the field of instructional technology critical thinking is valued both as a
practice for those in the field and as a skill or habit to teach and measure. However,
traditional conceptions of critical thinking are limited in their usefulness and restricted to
particular kinds of thinking and reasoning. Conceptions of critical thinking in
instructional technology are dominated by these traditional perspectives. Missing is a
substantive dialogue on the nature of critical thinking. despite the fact that such dialogue
is a part of critical thinking scholarship outside of instructional technology. One of the
primary limitations of traditional critical thinking is the failure to emphasize the
recognition and analysis of underlying assumptions. Assumptions underlie every theory
and practice in any field of discipline. Critical thinking itself cannot be practiced without
the influence of assumptions, both acknowledged and implicit. In order for a critical
thinking approach to facilitate analysis of assumptions it must be sensitive to the
characteristics of assumptions and the roles assumptions play in everyday life.
For this thesis, I propose a model of critical thinking that involves principles and
practices that aid the professional in recognizing and evaluating assumptions, revising
assumptions when needed, and adapting practices to align with assumptions. Such critical
thinking in instructional technology has the potential to improve the practice of current
theories, advance theories in the future, and guide practitioners in decision-making.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I wish to thank my advisor, Dr. Stephen Yanchar, for his mentorship during these
recent years. When I began my graduate studies, I had in mind some ways I would
develop and things I would learn. Through the course of working with Dr. Yanchar, I
came to find—and want—an unexpected, but richer path. I am grateful to him, to Dr.
Gibbons and Dr. Osguthorpe, and to other faculty members who made it their concern to
be, not a teacher, but a mentor for me. And they did so with great patience and support
while I finished this thesis.
It seems too little to thank my family—my wife and children—in these pages for
their support of me in graduate school and in completing this thesis. But my
acknowledgments would be incomplete if I didn’t. My wife has given up much and has
happily supported me in profound and loving ways. And daily, when I return home, my
children ask if I finished my thesis even though they don’t know what a thesis is. They
can now start asking about my dissertation.
viii
Table of Contents
Introduction .....................................................................................................................1
Critical Thinking and Assumptions ..............................................................................2
Situating this Project ....................................................................................................4
The meaning of critical thinking. ..............................................................................4
Critical thinking vs. critical theory. ..........................................................................5
A field of instructional technology. ...........................................................................7

Review of Literature ........................................................................................................9
Critical Thinking: Definitions and Approaches ............................................................9
The critical thinking movement. ...............................................................................9
Analysis and critiques of the traditional approach. ................................................ 13
Analysis of assumptions as a practice of critical thinking ....................................... 16
Underlying Assumptions and Implications ................................................................. 19
Everyone has assumptions. .................................................................................... 19
Assumptions are often implicit ............................................................................... 20
Assumptions are ubiquitous.................................................................................... 21
Assumptions have implications. .............................................................................. 22
Critical Thinking in Instructional Technology ............................................................ 23
The meaning of critical thinking in instructional technology. ................................. 24
Limited discussion of critical thinking in the field................................................... 24
Critical Examination of Assumptions in Instructional Technology ............................. 27
Number of authors is limited. ................................................................................. 30
Scope of assumptions is limited. ............................................................................. 31
Discussion of the need to analyze assumptions is limited. ....................................... 31
Conclusion................................................................................................................. 33

An Alternative Approach to Critical Thinking: Principles and Practices ......................... 35
Principles of the Critical Thinking Model .................................................................. 37
Fundamentality of assumptions. ............................................................................. 37
Cyclical nature of critical thinking ......................................................................... 38
The necessity of community sharing. ...................................................................... 40
The nature and dispositions of the community. ....................................................... 42
Critical thinking as productive activity. .................................................................. 43
Openness of critical thinking. ................................................................................. 44
Practices of the Critical Thinking Model .................................................................... 45
Possess an awareness of basic assumptions. .......................................................... 46
Examine motives. ................................................................................................... 48
Discover assumptions. ........................................................................................... 50
Examine implications. ............................................................................................ 51
Evaluate assumptions and implications. ................................................................. 53
Consider alternatives. ............................................................................................ 55
Practicing the Model .................................................................................................. 56

Example of the Critical Thinking Model: Web-based Learning ...................................... 57
Background of Web-Based Learning ......................................................................... 57
ix
Critically Examining the Motives to Uncover Assumptions ....................................... 58
Designing and the Role of Assumptions in Web-based Learning................................ 59
Conducting Research and the Role of Assumptions in Web-based Learning .............. 61
Asking the right questions and the assumptions of research designs. ...................... 62
Considering the relevance of the research. ............................................................. 64
Privileging the Technology ........................................................................................ 67
Concluding Thoughts on the Importance of Assumptions in Web-Based Learning. .... 69

Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 70

References ..................................................................................................................... 73