ATS2946 · Critical thinking: How to analyse arguments and improve your reasoning skills

Overview

Critical thinking skills are useful in a wide variety of professions, including law, business, computer science, medicine, as well as in everyday life. What is the best way to construct, articulate and represent an argument? How can we overcome bias and prejudice in our decision-making, to think clearly and innovatively? ? Should we believe what our doctors, mechanics, or financial advisors tell us, just because they are experts in their fields? By addressing questions like these, we will examine several methods of effective reasoning. We will also examine the ways in which reasoning can go wrong. If you successfully complete the unit you will be able to evaluate evidence, critique arguments, and use these abilities in a wide variety of workplace and everyday situations. This unit will help you to develop the analytical skills needed to generate new ideas and innovative solutions in your professional and personal life.

Areas of study: Philosophy Journalism Professional Futures

Offerings

Assessment

The Handbook does not list a final examination among the assessment items. That is not a guarantee there is none.

Within semester assessment: 100%

Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.

Requisites

The Handbook lists no prerequisite, corequisite or prohibition for this unit.

Learning outcomes

1. Identify and explain the theory of argument;
2. Extract arguments from a variety of texts;
3. Identify and represent the structure of an argument;
4. Recognise and apply the criteria of argument success;
5. Evaluate common types of argument;
6. Construct an argument of your own.

Workload

Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.

Student experience, not official rules. Nothing here changes what the Handbook says.