Assessing Critical Online Reasoning Skills: Latent Trajectories Among Young Professionals in Medicine, Law, and Teaching

• In Event: Informing Curriculum and Assessment in Professions Education

Abstract

This study examines critical online reasoning (COR) skill profiles of young professionals in medicine, law, teaching. Aiming to validate a triangulated assessment framework and to assess the change of COR profiles across two measurements during professional training, 77 participants completed online research tasks, and their response process and performance data were analyzed using latent transition analysis. Results revealed two distinct COR profiles: heuristic and systematic. Systematic researchers demonstrated higher COR performance and consulted more reliable sources. Latent transition analysis showed that heuristic researchers had a one-third chance of transitioning to a more systematic approach, while systematic researchers were likely to maintain their profile, depending on prior skills. These findings suggest significant potential for targeted training to improve online research strategies.

Authors

• Andreas Maur, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz

• Olga Zlatkin Troitschanskaia, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz

• Lisa Martin de los Santos, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz

• Marie-Theres Nagel, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz

• Jennifer Fischer, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz