Reflection

Assessment 1: Reflection

 

Through my reflection on the learning design of the critical thinking activity ‘de Bono's Six thinking hats’, I have developed the following analysis.

De Bono's Six thinking hats is a critical thinking activity that trains students to look at a problem or issue by using higher order thinking from many points of view. These points of view are symbolised by different coloured hats. The activity facilitates collaborative learning by allowing students to post their thoughts online. Students can read the thoughts of others and consider the opinions of their peers. This supports students who are familiar and comfortable using social media and uses the question,‘should mobile phones be allowed in class?’, as a catalyst for debate. The question is suitable because this is an issue which affects students directly and it is an issue the students have some knowledge of. By posting their opinions online, the students have a sense of ownership, control and management of the learning.

Personally I found the activity very frustrating. I felt isolated and left behind because I could not sign in to the activity either through the university’s computer or my own. By the time I could contribute the activity was long over so I was merely satisfying an academic requirement. I did however see that my thoughts were similar to many other students which made me feel validated in my own. As the activity was scaffolded for this purpose I think that the activity is overall quite effective for the majority of students but some will miss the point of the activity due to the complexity of technology. This can be addressed through differentiation.