FACULTY OF EDUCATIONAL SCIENCE

DEPARTMENT OF AECT FOUNDATION PHRASE

MODUULE : LIFE LONG LEARNING AND RESEARCH

MODULE CODE : LLR26W0
LECTURE : DR AS MABADE
NAME : WANDILE
SURNAME : NDZIMANDE
STUDENT NUMBER : 230905706
TASK : ASSIGNMENT 1
DISCUSS HOW INTERACTIVE PROCESSES CAN ENHANCE
COOPERATIVE THINKING TO SOLVE PROBLEMS
DUE DATE : 22 APRIL 2024

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TABLE OF CONTENT

INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………………………………………….3
BACKGROUND INFORMATION………………………………………………………………………………4
BENEFITS OF COOPERATIVE THINKING………………………………………………………………..5
PROBLEM STATEMENT…………………………………………………………………………………………6
RESEARCH LIMITATIONS……………………………………………………………………………….…..7
CONCLUSION………………………………………………………………………………………………………8
REFERENCE………………………………………………………………………………………………………..9

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INTRODUCTION
One thinking talent that is related to a person's cognitive capacities is critical thinking.
From an educational standpoint, there are two primary methods. According to the first
method, critical thinking is an intricate blend of abilities, aptitudes, and predispositions
that may be deliberately developed with the right kind of stimulation. The second view
holds that critical thinking is a general skill that is mostly unaffected by educational
influences. One of the top goals in education is developing critical thinking abilities. They
boost the state's economic competitiveness on a worldwide scale. Since tablets and
smartphones had been so widely used, teachers had started actively utilizing ICTs for
more personalized and effective instruction even before the pandemic. As a result,
critical thinking was examined in the context of developing an interactive learning
environment. When faced with a dilemma, dissenting viewpoint, or argument, critical
thinking as a mental process is typified by objectivity, persistence, and participation.

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In the Australian curriculum, students are encouraged to work together and in
collaboration. They are also expected to develop problem-solving skills. According to
the Australian curriculum, "the capacity and willingness to employ constructive
processes in which participants work together to solve problems or achieve outcomes"
and "the ability to make sense of the world and think about how to change it"
(Australian curriculum and assessment reporting authority, 2013, p.5).

Kindergarten teachers are encouraged to use group work and dialogue designed to
stimulate cognitive development and positive social skills like listening and turn taking.
While working with groups of students, teachers are able to focus on what each
student does well and help them to develop the process of transferring their strengths
and skills to the problem-solving setting. When working on class projects, students
can have the opportunity to take leadership roles and make decisions about the
different ways or solutions to apply, thus the students are constructing and applying
their own strategies and engage themselves fully in the learning process. In my
module two, students are introduced to an activity called "expert groups". There are
four groups of students and each group is given a different topic related to the module.
Students are given the opportunity to choose a problem-solving method of their choice
to discuss about the solution and also to carry out the method. A designated member
from each group will stay separate from their groups and become an "expert" in their
own topic. The "expert" will then take turns to join other three groups and share
information. As a result, every member in the "expert groups" is able to obtain different
information and at the same time, they get the chance to share their own knowledge
with others. This activity encourages the students to appreciate different views and
knowledge and team members are able to develop their problem-solving capability
collaboratively.

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BENEFITS 0F COOPERATIVE THINKING

Although many people think the idea of a large group or state coming together to try
and solve a critical problem is an unviable option due to internal politics and lack of
honest cooperation, the simple fact is that a diverse group of minds will continually
outdo the work of an individual or even a smaller team. Especially in our world today,
which is increasingly complex and connected - whether it is academic, economic,
political or social problems society will require a greater degree of cooperation in order
to successfully navigate. And whilst interactive processes among any group of
individuals, large or small, can be chaotic and messy, many research studies and vast
amounts of collective knowledge and evidence clearly demonstrate the immense
benefits that cooperative thinking can bring to any problem-solving process. In
particular, cooperative thinking can be used to solve complex problems that cannot be
fixed by a single person alone.

Teamwork is the collaborative effort of a team to achieve a common goal and in order
to utilize this method of working, each member of the team must listen to the views
of all other members so that they can understand the problem and work towards the
solution. As a common decision is made and tasks are allocated, each member should
use their strengths to achieve the tasks given and they should be continuously sharing
information and working towards the overall aim that they decided upon. Also, any
change or new problem that is identified should be shared with the whole team - this
is how teams or groups of people become process-oriented, by using a recurring
method of cooperative thinking.

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PROBLEM STATEMENT

Popular recreational activities that can help with mental function are mobile gaming.
This implies that players can enjoy the game and hone their problem-solving abilities
while coming from all over the world. A person's cognitive growth can be enhanced by
a variety of mobile games, such as shooters, sports, puzzles, racing cars, adventures,
and more. These games can also prepare players for quicker decision-making, stimulate
their brains, and provide rewards for successfully completing tasks. Video games that
provide covert exercises in strategy, tactics, and problem-solving, such as Plague Inc.
or Minecraft, can help foster critical thinking in children.
Furthermore, there are interactive mobile applications specifically aimed at developing
critical thinking skills, such as Logic Master, Can You Escape, Skills, Brain games, Brinton,
Unblock me, and others. The analysis of the existing literature shows that the discussion
mainly focuses on assessing the overall impact of mobile games on cognitive
development, rather than on critical thinking skills. However, the latter is no less
important, and this study aims to address this gap. Therefore, it explores how an
interactive learning environment created with the mobile game Lumosity: Brain Training
can develop critical thinking skills in first-year college students. The goal of the project
is to conduct an empirical investigation on how well digital software can be introduced
to students to foster critical thinking abilities. The tasks include creating an experimental
group to test the hypothesis, choosing and implementing the best software with an
emphasis on age relevance, evaluating respondents' critical thinking abilities in the
preliminary stages, and contrasting their initial skills with those developed through
repeated use of an application that guarantees an interactive learning environment.
Lumosity: Brain Training offers a distinct method for fostering cognitive growth. The
goal of this application is to improve a variety of cognitive abilities, including problem-
solving, flexibility, speed, memory, and attention.

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RESEARCH LIMITATIONS

The Critical Thinking Skills Success approach was first created inside the framework of
a course by Starkey called "Critical Thinking Skills Success in 20 Minutes a Day," which
included 20 modules covering various facets of critical thinking. For instance, identifying
problems, locating resources, applying inductive reasoning, and more. These days, the
scientific world uses this test without consulting Starkey's textbook. Still, this is
understandable given the constraints. The study's very brief duration of one month and
high frequency of software use (20 lessons in four weeks) may have also had an impact
on the findings. According to neuropsychology, first-year students' brains are relatively
malleable, but beneficial changes take time to solidify.
The age range of the respondents further reduces the opportunities for the authorized
replication of experimental trends. As an illustration, the brain processes differently in
masters because of age-related changes and a higher degree of stiffness, which is a
normal ontogenesis component. Even yet, first-year students and masters can be linked
to the younger generation. The institution restricted the use of software when
investigating the possibilities of intentional development of critical thinking in the
classroom. Due to this, the students in the experimental group were unable to use the
application during their free time or further strengthen their critical and basic thinking
abilities.

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CONCLUSION

Through both theoretical and practical research, it was shown that students' critical
thinking abilities can be enhanced via mobile applications designed to stimulate the
brain. The dynamic learning environment helps students improve their memory, speed,
flexibility of thought, and problem-solving abilities while also stimulating brain activity.
The study's hypothesis has been verified: first-year students at the Faculty of Philology
now possess better critical thinking abilities after receiving a month-long instruction
cantered around a paid subscription to Lumosity. The sample was made up of thirty
participants who completed the Critical Thinking Skills Success pre-test to determine
their baseline critical thinking ability before the experiment. They then took part in 20
lessons lasting 30 minutes over the course of a four-week training program. The kids
were given the chance to play the games that most interested them at this point. The
students could disregard the program instructions or depend on a personalized plan
included in the monthly subscription while selecting a game. It is significant to emphasize
that the informed consent was based on the assumption that the experimental group
would not attempt to use the application outside of the classroom or use books, similar
applications, or online courses to hone their critical thinking abilities.

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REFERENCE
Ellerton P. On critical thinking and content knowledge: a critique of the assumptions of
cognitive load theory. Think Skills Create. 2022;43:100975.

Giacomazzi M, Fontana M, Trujillo CC. Contextualization of critical thinking in sub-

Saharan Africa: a systematic integrative review.

Yafir E. Collaborative Mobile Seamless Learning (CMSL) based on android apps to

improving critical thinking in higher education in the post-covid-19 era. JARDCS.
Norouzi M, Samet A, Sharifuddin RSB. Investigate the effect of mobile learning over the
critical thinking in higher education.