Abstract
This volume reflects upon how learners engage in the processes of problem solving and critical thinking by exploring the critical theories that undergird these processes; and this chapter introduces practitioners of educational technology to the contents of the book. The discourse of this text relates criticism and PBL to current trends in educational research. In addition to the broader context of the volume, this first chapter quickly summarizes the content of each remaining chapter. This text puts forward criticism as a lens for viewing the work that educators do, in terms of instructional design as well as the assessment of those activities. The result is learning that reflects more successfully the needs of our society: critical-thinking abilities and problem-solving skills.
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Acknowledgments
Belland’s work on this chapter was supported by Early CAREER Grant 0953046 from the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, or conclusions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent official positions of NSF.
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Fee, S.B., Belland, B.R. (2012). Understanding Criticism and Problem-Based Learning: An Introduction. In: Fee, S., Belland, B. (eds) The Role of Criticism in Understanding Problem Solving. Explorations in the Learning Sciences, Instructional Systems and Performance Technologies, vol 5. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-3540-2_1
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