College English Network Teaching and Learning Model Oriented by Critical Thinking Problems through Community of Practice

Abstract

Critical thinking is a kind of higher-levelled thinking model which emphasizes the following skills as conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating information gathered from or generated by observation, experience reflection, reasoning, or communication. Critical thinking is also an important skill for the modern college students to master and apply in their study, research and future profession. This kind of skill can be trained and developed in any kind of educational patterns. Formal and informal English teaching and learning is an effective and practical approach. Relying on the information technology and communicative tool, three-stepped college English network teaching and learning model oriented by critical thinking problems through community of practice has been applied in Liaoning Police Academy for a couple of years. This three-stepped model includes: design and release of pre-class central questions, conducting in- class group collabrative learning through discussion and exploration, and carrying out after-class network reflective learning through accomplishing Viewpoint Composition or Reflective Diary. These three steps of teaching and learning centre around exploring, discussing, and answering 10 critical thinking questions advanced by English teachers’ community of practice. After this unique and effective training program, most of college students are passionate for discussing and exploring those deep-levelled questions rather than repeating or imitating those simple and unchallenging questions, and hence, their critical thinking skills are enhanced to a perfect realm. English teachers should remember that an important purpose of teaching English is to develop students’ critical thinking skill through putting forward sufficient questions covering language and cultural issues. Index