FREE ADMISSION! ON-SITE REGISTRATION!
Date/Time: March 26 (Saturday), 3:00 - 5:00PM
1:00 - 2:50PM ~ Networking (greet and meet) & onsite registration
3:00 - 5:00PM ~ Workshop
5:01 - 6:00PM ~ Coffee and chat (a coffee shop around the venue)
Topic:
Critical Thinking, Questioning, and Student Engagement in Korean University English Courses
by Prof. Scott A. DeWaelsche, Duksung Women’s University
Venue:
Rm. 105, Injaegwan (Sookmyung Professional Center), Sookmyung Women’s University, Seoul, South Korea
Contact:
Dr. Ian Done D. Ramos, President / Workshop Coordinator professionalworkian@gmail.com, workshop@seoulkotesol.org, president@seoulkotesol.org
Abstract:
Many of today’s university education programs are encouraging teachers to adapt to the evolving needs of students in the 21st century classroom. Education research in recent decades has identified advanced pedagogies that are believed to better prepare students for life beyond the classroom in the information age. This has involved a shift from the old “factory model” of education, centered on direct instruction in teacher-centered learning environments, to new student-centered curricula that teach learners how to think critically and creatively to produce in our rapidly changing world.
When contemplating this approach with second language English learners in Korean classrooms, educators are often confronted with cultural and institutional obstacles that are difficult to overcome. Research and observation suggest that Korean students struggle when asked to use critical thinking skills to create and share ideas in student-centered activities. While both native and foreign teachers in Korea recognize these challenges, it does not mean that efforts to develop these skills should be abandoned.
This workshop will explore the impact of the use of higher-level questioning on critical thinking in group discussions. The material will be drawn from recently published research carried out by the presenter which explored the viability of higher-level questioning in student-centered activities to elevate critical thinking and increase student engagement among Korean university English majors in topic-based courses. By carefully designing good questions, and teaching students to design them, instructors in Korean classrooms can witness marked strides in student creativity in group conversations. The purpose of this workshop is to share tools that teachers may use to achieve this with their students.
Biography
Prof. Scott A. DeWaelsche is an assistant professor in the Department of General Education at Duksung Women’s University in Seoul, South Korea. A certified secondary history teacher in his home state of Arizona in the U.S., he has taught English language learners at every level over the past six years in Korea. His article “Critical thinking, questioning, and student engagement in Korean university English courses” was published in Linguistics and Education in November 2015, and he presented the paper at the KOTESOL International Conference in Seoul in October. His graduate study focused on best practice teaching strategies that emphasized critical thinking pedagogies and student-centered methods of classroom instruction. His research interests include Korean education, critical thinking, and interdisciplinary education in an EFL context. Scott can be contacted via email at sdewaelsche@gmail.com.
Research paper: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0898589815000832
Note: This workshop was developed from the output of his research paper.
