The impact of designing an online learning environment based on cognitive apprenticeship on students’ critical thinking and interaction in CSCL

Abstract

This study investigated the impact of designing an online learning environment based on cognitive apprenticeship on students’ critical thinking and interaction in CSCL. The one group pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design was used in this study. A questionnaire was used to measure students’ critical thinking and social network analysis (SNA) was used to analyse students’ interaction. The study found that students’ critical thinking improved after engaging in an online learning environment based on cognitive apprenticeship. SNA showed that students’ network size and inter- and intragroup interaction increased during the engagement in the online environment designed by incorporating cognitive apprenticeship. This study provides recommendations for designing an online learning environment and more specifically, stimulating students’ critical thinking and engaging students in CSCL.