Developing critical reflection in asynchronous discussions; the role of the instructor

Goumaa, R ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0896-9970 and Anderson, L, 2023. Developing critical reflection in asynchronous discussions; the role of the instructor. Journal of Management Education. ISSN 1052-5629

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Abstract

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 largely underdeveloped. We address this issue by considering the extent to which management instructors' perception of their role and understanding of being critical impact their facilitation of asynchronous classroom discussions and the challenges associated with this facilitation. Results from 18 semi-structured interviews with instructors teaching in an online MBA programme at a UK higher education institution show the potential of asynchronous discussions to promote critical reflection. However, we found that instructors often fail to capitalise on opportunities for criticality that arise from classroom diversity and dynamics. Despite the emancipatory intent that underlies programme design, interview data reveals three specific areas of interest: the diversity of instructors' interpretations of what constitutes being critical in asynchronous discussions, a range of individualised facilitation strategies and the impact of imposed design constraints. We offer suggestions as to how to improve the facilitation of critical reflection through asynchronous discussions as well as directions for future research.

Item Type:	Journal article
Publication Title:	Journal of Management Education
Creators:	Goumaa, R. and Anderson, L.
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Date:	27 December 2023
ISSN:	1052-5629
Identifiers:	Number Type 10.1177/10525629231215245 DOI 1830969 Other
Rights:	Accepted for publication in Journal of Management Education. Reuse is restricted to non-commercial and no derivative uses
Divisions:	Schools > Nottingham Business School
Record created by:	Laura Ward
Date Added:	06 Nov 2023 15:41
Last Modified:	11 Jan 2024 10:35
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/50286

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