Critical Thinking

Unit Code:HAH103

Credit Points	Duration	Contact Hours	Campus	Prerequisite	Corequisite
12.5 Credit Points	1 Semester	3 Hours per Week	Hawthorn	Nil	Nil

Credit Points

Duration

Contact Hours

Campus

Prerequisite

Corequisite

12.5 Credit Points

1 Semester

3 Hours per Week

Hawthorn

Nil

Related Course/s:

A unit of study in the Bachelor of Arts; Bachelor of Arts (Media and Communications); Bachelor of Arts (Psychology and Psychophysiology); Bachelor of Social Science; Bachelor of Social Science (Psychology); and Bachelor of Science (Psychology and Psychophysiology).

Aims & Objectives:

The aim of this unit is the development of critical reasoning skills which students will find very useful in both academic and everyday contexts. The emphasis is on the study of argumentation.

Teaching Methods:

Lectures and Tutorials

Assessment:

Class tests, essay

Generic Skills Outcomes:

Develop skills in analysis and argumentation which have a wide range of applications in personal and professional life.

Content:

A variety of practical skills are taught. For example:

How to distinguish claims from evidence and assess claims in the light of supporting evidence.
Identifying fallacies.
Organising material in logically coherent patterns.
Identifying problematic uses of language.
Critically evaluating extended arguments and writing evaluative essays.

Such skills are central to the effective completion of academic assignments, as well as to good reasoning in everyday life.

Reading Materials:

Please consult with lecturer before buying recommended readings.
Govier, TA, Practical Study of Argument., 5th edn, Wadsworth, Belmont, CA, 2001.
Barry, V & Rudinow, J, Invitation to Critical Thinking, 4th edn, Harcourt Brace, Fort Worth, Texas, 1999.