O n f e r e n c e

Nazanin Ghodrati 
University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia 
[e-mail] 
Conceptualising and Evaluating Collaborative Critical Thinking in 
Asynchronous Discussion Forums: Challenges and Possible 
Solutions 
Bio data 
Nazanin Ghodrati
is an ESL lecturer/tutor in The School of Languages and Linguistics at 
The University of Melbourne. She has recently completed her Doctoral studies on the 
development of collaborative critical thinking in computer-supported collaborative 
learning contexts with specific focus on ESL students. Her research interests are critical 
thinking, computer-supported collaborative learning, multicultural classrooms and 
blended language learning. 
Abstract 
The use of asyn
chronous discussion forums (ADFs) is thought to enhance students’ 
collaborative learning and critical thinking throughout higher education. However, 
previous research has mainly focused on individual critical thinking, and the investigation 
of critical thinking in the context of group work has been generally overlooked. 
Furthermore, few studies have investigated critical thinking processes of the individual 
and of the group in a single study, to present a comprehensive picture of collaborative 
critical thinking (CCT). To address these gaps, I examined the demonstration of CCT on 
ADFs in a multicultural learning context in higher education. I gathered data in a 
graduate subject at an Australian research university over two academic semesters as 
students discussed topics on ADFs. 
In this paper, I present the ontological and methodological challenges encountered in 
conducting the above research. At the ontological level, I discuss challenges in defining 
and conceptualising CCT; challenges such as the predominant conceptualisation of critical 
thinking as an individual activity. At the methodological level, I present challenges in 
constructing a coding scheme to measure the demonstration of CCT on ADFs. Moreover, 
in this paper, I discuss ways to tackle the above challenges, and propose an operational 
definition of CCT based on data gathered. I also present a synthetic coding scheme for 
measuring CCT in computer-supported collaborative learning contexts such as on ADFs; a 
coding scheme that maintained research efficiency and high inter-rater reliability in this 
research.