Asynchronous online discussions (AODs) are increasingly prevalent in higher education to adapt to educational changes and promote critical thinking among learners. Past research has emphasized instructors' facilitation roles in encouraging learners' critical thinking in AODs, while fewer studies explored peer facilitation and peer participants'…

Research finds that engaging students in online deliberations requires three components: (1) designing a space specifically for deliberations, (2) a structured pattern that requires consistent interactions, and (3) a process guided by academically guided outcomes. Using these three components, deliberations become a routine where students share…

This study determines and analyzes the principles of interactive scenario design supporting critical and creative thinking in asynchronous learning environments. The study was conducted as a qualitative research, framed by two theoretical approaches, heutagogy and inquiry-based learning, and a holistic case study. The basic principles of the…

The community of inquiry (COI) framework is a theoretical and practical model for creating deep, meaningful online learning experiences through three essential and interconnected elements: teaching presence, social presence, and cognitive presence. Asynchronous online discussions (AODs) are the typical communication medium in a COI; therein, a…

Without a strategy in place, online discussions in asynchronous courses rarely rise above the level of information sharing. As a result, it is important to design discussion strategies that push students further in their interactions with both the content and each other. In this case study, the role-play strategy was examined to determine whether…

Research into asynchronous online discussions (AOD) produced conflicting, contradictory results. A central problem was AOD often did not produce a high level of engagement and critical thinking. Synthesizing best practices, a dialectical framework was developed around concrete, actionable levers to improve thinking in online and remote courses.…

Asynchronous online discussion (AOD) can provide an interactive educational experience through formation of learning communities that enable students to develop professional knowledge and critical thinking skills as they engage with colleagues and instructors. We find significant differences between undergraduate and graduate student perceptions…

Critical thinking (CT) is a 21st century skill that is essential for students to develop for the future workforce. One way that has found success in facilitating CT in students is asynchronous online discussions (AODs); however, the research does not reflect the impact of this medium specifically in the context of Economics education. This study…

This study aimed to examine the impact of the project-based flipped classroom (PjBFC) model on online learning with synchronous and asynchronous strategies on student's critical thinking skills. The media used are Zoom meetings and WhatsApp. The research design was quasi-experimental research. The research subjects were students of the Geography…

Responding to the need for learning to remain engaging and productive while classrooms have moved online, a qualitative study was conducted to gain greater insight into the use of asynchronous online discussions as a replacement for their in-class counterpart. Specifically, the researchers aimed to gauge student responses to their use of the…

The effects of teachers' audio feedback on students' project-based learning and its influencing factors have seldom been empirically explored in the higher education context. To address this research gap, a group of Hong Kong freshmen (18-23 years old) and their teachers were involved in this study. Data were collected from students' retrospective…

Online group debates hosted in asynchronous threaded discussions can facilitate critical thinking between discussants (and increase deeper understanding of complex problems) by eliminating the need for turn-taking while formulating and presenting premises to support and challenge claims. Yet to be determined is to what extent does the current…

The purpose of this action research was to evaluate how the implementation of asynchronous online discussions into the classroom impacts the critical thinking skills of secondary language arts students. Although critical thinking has shown to be an important 21st century skill (Paul & Elder, 2002), many students are leaving high school lacking…

We report on a study of how instructors in an online management classroom aim to develop critical reflection through asynchronous discussions. There is an ongoing debate centered on improving asynchronous discussions in online management education but insights into how these discussions could be facilitated to promote critical reflection remains…

This paper proposes a comprehensive redesign of the introductory public speaking course for 100% online and asynchronous delivery, emphasizing peer review-based assessment. Research from the post-pandemic educational age informs this approach, which aims to meet the changing demands of online education for digital native students despite the…