HIGHER THINKING SKILLS THROUGH IT-BASED PROJECTS

Higher Thinking Skills through IT-Based Projects

How can technology develop higher order thinking and problem solving?

Technology can enable the development of critical thinking skills when students use technology presentation and communication tools to present, publish, and share results of projects.

The Four Types of IT-Based Projects

I. Resource-based Projects

In these projects, the teacher steps out of the traditional role of being a content expert and information provider, and instead lets the students find their own facts and information. Only when necessary for the active learning process does the teacher step in to supply data or information. The general flow of events in resource-based projects are:

1. The teacher determines the topic for the examination of the class (e.g. the definition of “man”)

2. The teacher presents the problem to the class.

3. The students find information on the problem/questions.

4. Students organize their information in response to the problems/questions.

II. Simple Creations

Students can also be assigned to create their software materials. Of course, there are available software materials such as Creative Writer (by Microsoft) on writing, KidWork Deluxe (by Davidson) on drawing and painting, and Media Weave (by Humanities software) on multimedia).

In developing software, creativity as an outcome should not be equated with ingenuity or high intelligence. Creating is more consonant with planning, making, assembling, designing, or building. Creativity is said to combine three kind of skills/abilities:

·         Analyzing- distinguishing similarities and differences/ seeing the project as a problem to be solved.

·         Synthesizing- making spontaneous connections among ideas, thus generating interesting or new ideas.

·         Promoting- selling of new ideas to allow the public to test the ideas themselves.

III. Guided Hypermedia Projects

          The production of self-made multimedia projects can be approached in two different ways:

1. As an instructive tool, such as in the production by students of a power-point presentation of a selected topic.

2. As a communication tool, such as when students do a multimedia presentation (with text, graphs, photos, audio narration, interviews, video clips, etc. To simulate a television news show.

IV. Web-based Projects

          Students can be made to create and post webpages on a given topic. But creating webpages, even single page webpages may too sophiscated and time consuming for the average student.

          It should be said, however, that posting of webpages in the internet allows the students (now the webpage creator) a wider audience. They can also be linked with other related sites in the internet. But as of now, this creativity project may be to ambitious as a tool in the teaching-learning process.