This study explored the effects of the ORID focused discussion method combined with online argumentation on issues related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The participants were 110 freshmen from two classes at a college in northern Taiwan. Students in one class (n = 59) were assigned to the control group, and students in the other class (n = 51) were assigned to the experimental group. Before the learning activities, the students were asked to complete an argumentative essay and two questionnaires (i.e., learning motivation and cognitive load) to assess their perceptions before the intervention (pre-test). During the 2-hour class period each week, issues related to the Sustainable Development Goals were explored over four weeks. The students in the control group discussed the issues using the ORID focused discussion method, while those in the experimental group discussed the issues using the same method combined with an online argumentation platform (Kialo Edu). After the learning activities, the students again completed an argumentative essay and the questionnaires (i.e., learning motivation and cognitive load) to assess their perceptions after the learning activities (post-test). The questionnaires used in this study included the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ), developed by Pintrich et al. (1990) to measure students’ motivational beliefs, and a cognitive load questionnaire adapted from Hwang, Yang, and Wang (2013) to mesure students’ cognitive load. The results indicated that combining online argumentation with the ORID focused discussion method not only enhanced the students’ learning motivation but also reduced their cognitive load.

Authors:
Pei-Shan Tsai, National Taipei University of Technology, Taiwan

About the Presenter(s)
Pei-Shan Tsai is currently an associate professor in the Teacher Education Center and Graduate Institute of Technological & Vocational Education, National Taipei University of Technology, Taiwan.

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