“Online learning” potential in Socratic learning methods to empower Higher Level Thinking

The ability to think is a complex process as it requires us to use our mental capacity to resolve a problem. Malaysian Secondary school students involved with the assessment of Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2011 and Programme International Student Assessment (PISA) in 2012 could not meet the standards that have been set by the Ministry of Education (MOE) seeing as Malaysia's position is below the international average according to a report issued by the MOE. The new era of rapid technology has now made the learning process easier. Previous studies found that learning through Socratic Method can improve critical thinking skills, specifically that of higher-order thinking. With the use of technology such as “online learning” in learning Socratic Method, the learning process can be done optimally, whereby it is not limited to only the classroom. This paper will look at the potential of “online learning” technology combined with Socratic Method of learning in improving higher-order thinking.

I. Introduction

This rapid technological era has created many favourable impacts in the field of education. The effects can allow both teachers and students to experience better teaching and learning process. According to [1], technology can support learning activities and can make learning more interesting and meaningful [2]. Furthermore, referring to the Education Development Plan 2013–2025 (EDP), one element of the EDP is that education is more focused towards the High-Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) to get better results in future TIMSS and PISA. In addition, there are six key features required of each student to be able to compete on the global stage; i) General knowledge, ii) Thinking skills, iii) Leadership skills, iv) Bilingual skills, v) Ethics and abilities, vi) National identity.