Critical thinking creates problem-solvers and teamwork promotes positive relationships with teammates, said to be critical to employment. Active online learning helps develop both of these attributes through cooperative and collaborative learning. This type of learning requires students to research answers on their own reflect on them and bring them back to the group for discussion and evaluation or the creation of a jig saw project. The flipped classroom also contributes greatly to critical thinking and reflection, allowing collaboration in the discussion of the findings in the following synchronous session or through discussion boards. Real world topics and situations may be most motivating as they spark student interest. Students should be asked to find relationships between discreet facts, justify and explain their positions, explore new materials, and be inspired to further investigation based on open-ended questioning. I look forward to reading about specific cooperative activities in Alice McPherson's Cooperative Group Activities for College Courses and honing my skills in developing and delivering these types of activities to bring higher levels of learning to my courses.
