title: E-learning for Critical Thinking: Using Nominal Focus Group Method to Inform Software Content and Design.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Undergraduate nursing students are often confused by multiple understandings of critical thinking. In response to this situation, the Critiique for critical thinking (CCT) project was implemented to provide consistent structured guidance about critical thinking.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This paper introduces Critiique software, describes initial validation of the content of this critical thinking tool and explores wider applications of the Critiique software.
  
  
  METHODS
  Critiique is flexible, authorable software that guides students step-by-step through critical appraisal of research papers. The spelling of Critiique was deliberate, so as to acquire a unique web domain name and associated logo. The CCT project involved implementation of a modified nominal focus group process with academic staff working together to establish common understandings of critical thinking. Previous work established a consensus about critical thinking in nursing and provided a starting point for the focus groups. The study was conducted at an Australian university campus with the focus group guided by open ended questions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Focus group data established categories of content that academic staff identified as important for teaching critical thinking. This emerging focus group data was then used to inform modification of Critiique software so that students had access to consistent and structured guidance in relation to critical thinking and critical appraisal.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The project succeeded in using focus group data from academics to inform software development while at the same time retaining the benefits of broader philosophical dimensions of critical thinking.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing and Midwifery, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia.
authors.forename: Steve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Parker
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing and Midwifery, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia.
authors.forename: Lidia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mayner
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing and Midwifery, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Michael Gillham
keywords: Critiique; Distance; Education; Group Thinking; Mainstreaming (Education); Nursing; Peer Review; Problem Solving; Professional Competence; Research
references.citation: Nurse Educ Today. 2014 Jan;34(1):67-72
references.pmid: 23623746
references.citation: Nurse Educ Today. 2013 Jul;33(7):734-8
references.pmid: 23260619
references.citation: J Nurses Prof Dev. 2014 Mar-Apr;30(2):87-91
references.pmid: 24658041
references.citation: Arch Ophthalmol. 1987 Dec;105(12):1627
references.pmid: 3689183
references.citation: J Med Libr Assoc. 2014 Jan;102(1):31-40
references.pmid: 24415917
references.citation: J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2006 Sep;7(7):420-5
references.pmid: 16979085
references.citation: J Nurses Prof Dev. 2013 Jan-Feb;29(1):8-15
references.pmid: 23486150
references.citation: N Engl J Med. 2013 Jun 27;368(26):2445-8
references.pmid: 23802513
references.citation: Am J Public Health. 1972 Mar;62(3):337-42
references.pmid: 5011164
references.citation: J Nurs Educ. 2010 May;49(5):253-60
references.pmid: 20143759
references.citation: Nurs Ethics. 2011 May;18(3):418-30
references.pmid: 21558117
references.citation: Anat Sci Educ. 2011 Jul-Aug;4(4):214-26
references.pmid: 21735557
references.citation: Int J Nurs Stud. 2014 Apr;51(4):640-53
references.pmid: 24016598
references.citation: J Nurs Manag. 2009 Apr;17(3):278-87
references.pmid: 21456315
references.citation: Teach Learn Med. 2014;26(1):95-102
references.pmid: 24405353
references.citation: Nurs Midwifery Stud. 2015 Mar;4(1):e25721
references.pmid: 25830160
references.citation: Contemp Nurse. 2011 Apr-Jun;38(1-2):84-93
references.pmid: 21854240
references.citation: BMC Nephrol. 2011 Dec 05;12:66
references.pmid: 22142369
references.citation: Nurse Educ Today. 2011 Feb;31(2):204-7
references.pmid: 20655632
references.citation: J Nurs Educ. 2000 Nov;39(8):352-9
references.pmid: 11103973
references.citation: Am J Nurs. 2014 Jan;114(1):26-35, quiz 47, 36
references.pmid: 24335593
references.citation: Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2011 Nov 09;(11):CD001270
references.pmid: 22071800
references.citation: Nurse Educ Today. 2014 May;34(5):829-35
references.pmid: 23706962