The effect of Web tools 2.0 on critical thinking with a special emphasis on collaborative learning

This study was conducted to find an answer whether Web 2.0 tools have an effect on critical thinking (CT) with a special emphasis on collaborative learning. Thinking skills have a great role in our life. In purpose or not, we are using them in every scope of life. Moreover, they are essential for our professional and personal lives as well. Especially, CT, one of the thinking skills, has been very significant in the twenty-first century because we are being exposed to a large quantity of new information every day and it has been very tough to cope with. A great many of studies have been conducted on CT and it is obvious that it has a great impact on education. However, there are some practical issues on how to integrate CT into curriculum. On the other hand, literature reviews have shown that Web 2.0 tools are effective tools in learning and teaching process. Web 2.0 tools are becoming more popular everyday and we come across new Web 2.0 applications in both daily life and educational arena. Web 2.0 tools such as blogs, wikis, and social networking are very common and they encourage and support the collective knowledge for the 21st century. In recent years, Fatih Project has been put into practice in all schools around Turkey with the aim enabling equal opportunities in education and improving technology in the schools including primary, secondary and high schools for the efficient usage of ICT tools in the learning-teaching. With this project, all schools will be equipped and transformed into computerized classes with the latest information technologies such as tablets, LCD Interactive Boards. In this transformation process, educational e-contents are going to be formed in accordance with the current teaching programs. Therefore, teachers and students should be informed about Web 2.0 tools and some practical issues should be eliminated. Moreover, collaborative learning has a significant role in education. Teachers use this to enliven their classes, increase the communication and so many other reasons. As we use Web 2.0 tools and provide them to discuss, collaborative learning is essential. With all these in mind, the main question is whether Web 2.0 tools instruction can successfully promote CT with a special emphasis on collaborative learning. The purpose of this paper is to find an answer to this question. It also will identify the teaching strategies and instructional designs, which will successfully promote CT in an electronic learning environment. This study is both a qualitative and a quantitative, which lasted ten weeks. 20 8th grade students in Kahramanmaraş, Dulkadiroğlu, Güzelyurt Secondary School were the participants of this study. Critical Thinking Questionnaire (CTQ) and Web 2.0 tools Questionnaire (WTQ) were administered at the beginning of the study to see the preferences of the participants. Furthermore, interviews and minute papers were used to support the study. During the study, CT was infused into the curriculum through prompts in accordance with the language content and topics for the 8th grades that was determined by the Ministry of Education. At the end of the study, the same questionnaires used at the beginning of the study were administered again to see whether there has been an improvement in learners' CT skills. Quantitative data was analyzed by using descriptive statistics as a component of case study. Research findings from qualitative (Interviews, diary and minute papers) data shed light on the quantitative data as well. Key words: Critical thinking (CT), Web 2.0 tools, Collaborative learning.