Utilization of Active Learning Strategies in Teaching Purposive Communication and Students’ Critical Thinking and Writing Skills

Abstract

The paper investigates the impact of various active learning strategies on college students' critical thinking and writing skills within the context of a Purposive Communication course. The study addresses the significant global concern that students entering higher education are inadequately prepared with essential critical thinking skills. The main objective was to determine the effectiveness of active learning strategies to enhance the critical thinking and writing skills of college students. The research employed a factorial experimental design. Students were divided into three different treatment groups, each utilizing a unique combination of active learning strategies: gamification paired with concept mapping, gamification paired with one-minute papers, and gamification paired with reflection papers. Critical thinking ability was measured using the Critical Thinking Questionnaire (CThQ) by Kobylarek et al. (2022). A content test on Purposive Communication was also administered. The tests were conducted both before (pretest) and after (posttest) the interventions. The findings showed that all combinations of the active learning strategies (Gamification paired with concept mapping, one-minute papers, or reflection papers) resulted in statistically significant improvements when comparing the students' pretest and posttest scores on critical thinking. The study concludes that the integration of interactive and reflective activities successfully transforms the classroom into an environment that promotes active knowledge construction