Critical Thinking
Duration
- 1 Semester or equivalent
Contact hours
- 36 hours
On-campus unit delivery combines face-to-face and digital learning.
Prerequisites
NilCorequisites
NilAims and objectives
The aim of this unit is the development of critical reasoning skills which students will find very useful in academic, professional, and everyday contexts. It extends a foundational treatment of argument analysis and evaluation into students’ understanding of the roles and forms of argumentation in the sciences, the appraisal of their cogency and effectiveness, and the requirements for their effective communication.
Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
1. Systematically analyse short arguments in standard written and diagrammatic forms, so as to clearly show their intended logical structure;
2. Understand and demonstrate the ability to apply the core requirements for systematic argument evaluation;
3. Understand and apply the requirements for analysing important specialised types of arguments used in scientific reasoning, and the for evaluating the cogency of these arguments;
4. Appraise the real-world effectiveness of arguments advocating science-based proposals to the general public and to policy makers;
5. Demonstrate ability to identify fallacies and problematic uses of language—particularly in scientifically based arguments—and to appraise the extent of these defects in weakening the related arguments;
6. Demonstrate argument analysis and evaluation in a detailed critical appraisal of an article-length, science-based argument.
Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
1. Systematically analyse short arguments in standard written and diagrammatic forms, so as to clearly show their intended logical structure;
2. Understand and demonstrate the ability to apply the core requirements for systematic argument evaluation;
3. Understand and apply the requirements for analysing important specialised types of arguments used in scientific reasoning, and the for evaluating the cogency of these arguments;
4. Appraise the real-world effectiveness of arguments advocating science-based proposals to the general public and to policy makers;
5. Demonstrate ability to identify fallacies and problematic uses of language—particularly in scientifically based arguments—and to appraise the extent of these defects in weakening the related arguments;
6. Demonstrate argument analysis and evaluation in a detailed critical appraisal of an article-length, science-based argument.
Unit information in detail
- Teaching methods, assessment, general skills outcomes and content.
Teaching methods
This unit will involve up to 150 hours of work including:
| Type | Hours per week | Number of Weeks | Total |
| Face to Face Contact Lecture Tutorial |
1 2 |
12 12 |
12 24
|
| Online Contact
| n/a |
|
|
| Specified Learning Activities Essential Reading Portfolio |
2 6 |
12 6 |
24 36 |
| Unspecified Learning Activities Supplementary Reading Essay Preparation Test Preparation | Recommended 2 4 6 |
12 6 1 |
24 24 6 |
| TOTAL |
|
| 150 hours/12.5cp |
Assessment
| Types | Individual or Group task | Weighting | Assesses attainment of these ULOs |
| Portfolio | Individual | 30% | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| Class Test | Individual | 30% | 1, 2, 3, 5 |
| Essay | Individual | 40% | 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 |
General skills outcomes
During this unit students will receive feedback on the following key generic skills:
• Analysis Skills
• Problem Solving Skills
• Communication Skills
• Ability to tackle unfamiliar problems
• Ability to work independently
• Analysis Skills
• Problem Solving Skills
• Communication Skills
• Ability to tackle unfamiliar problems
• Ability to work independently
Content
• How to distinguish claims from evidence and assess claims in the light of supporting evidence;
• Identifying (and in one's own reasoning avoiding) fallacies;
• Organising material in logically coherent patterns;
• Identifying (and in one's own reasoning avoiding) problematic uses of language;
• Understanding the roles, importance, and forms of argumentation in the sciences;
• Specialised types of reasoning in the sciences, and the specialised forms of analysis and critical evaluation appropriate for dealing with them;
• Communicating scientific reasoning to a general audience;
• Critically evaluating article-length science-based arguments and writing evaluative essays.
• Identifying (and in one's own reasoning avoiding) fallacies;
• Organising material in logically coherent patterns;
• Identifying (and in one's own reasoning avoiding) problematic uses of language;
• Understanding the roles, importance, and forms of argumentation in the sciences;
• Specialised types of reasoning in the sciences, and the specialised forms of analysis and critical evaluation appropriate for dealing with them;
• Communicating scientific reasoning to a general audience;
• Critically evaluating article-length science-based arguments and writing evaluative essays.
Study resources
- Reading materials.
Reading materials
A list of reading materials will be made available in the Unit Outline.