Abstract:

This presentation presents the rationale and the results of a postdoctoral research conducted under the auspices the Hellenic Open University of Greece, concerning the way minor and adult learners are expressing their critical thinking skills while they are involved in the same learning experiences and while they are studying the same subject of interest. Therefor, this research has focused on the nature of the reflection in two diametrically different age ranges, seeking possible similarities and variations.

More specifically, the research studies the way in which critical thinking skills and deep reflection are shifted from the most simple to the more complex forms, under the same learning process (Ennis, 1996, Mezirow, 1991). Both adults and minors who took part in this action- research -through dialogue and writing processes - expressed their critical thinking and reflection on the impact of social media on essential communication within the framework of A. Kokkos's learning methodology: "Transforming Learning through the Aesthetic Experience" (Kokkos, 2011). More specifically through the above learning methodology students (minors and adults) expressed their ideas/assumptions (orally and through writing) about a particular theme by observing relevant works of art in the frame of stochastic dialogue (Perkins, 1994). Through context analysis procedures all texts produced by the subjects (25 adults/25 minors) were categorized into critical thinking subcategories (Ennis, 1996; King, P.,M.&Kitchener, 1994).

Research results have shown that the way critical thinking and reflection are expressed by the subjects (both minors and adults), although differs in favor of adults particularly in deeper transformative processes according to Μezirow’s Transformative Learning theory (1990), however in general presents proportions in the level of critical thinking and reflection. Research results open new avenues for how learning methodologies can be structured for the benefit of both adult and minors. In particular, the similarities observed lead to the conclusion that learning methodologies should be more holistic and not so divisive between the two age ranges.

References:
[1] Kokkos, A. (2010). Transformative Learning Through Aesthetic Experience: Towards a Comprehensive Method. Journal of Transformative Education, 8, 155-177
[2] Ennis, R. (1996). Critical Thinking. University of Illinois. Prentice Hall, INC
[3] Perkins, D. (1994). The Intelligent eye: learning to think by looking at art. The Getty Education institute for the Arts, Los Angeles, California.
[4] Mezirow, J. (1990). How Critical Reflection Triggers Transformative Learning. Στο J.Mezirow & Associates (Eds.), Fostering Critical Reflection in Adulthood (σσ.1-20). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
[5] Mezirow. J. (1991). Transformative Dimensions of Adult Learning. San Francisco: Jossey- Bass.
[6] King, P.M. & Kitchener, K.S. (1994). Developing reflective judgment: Understanding and promoting intellectual growth and critical thinking in adolescents and adults. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Keywords:

Transformative learning theory, Critical thinking, learning procedures.