Arguments are everywhere - in our newspapers, on our television screens and radios, in books and academic papers, on blogs and other websites. We argue with our friends, families, teachers and taxi drivers. These arguments are often important – they help us to decide what to do, what to believe, whom to vote for, what car to buy, what career path to follow, or where we should attend university (and what we should study). The ability to recognise, evaluate and produce arguments is therefore immeasurably valuable in every aspect of life.
This course will teach you how to recognise an argument, how to understand it, how to evaluate and criticise it, and how to produce your own. Students in this module will learn how to extract an argument from a complex text, how to uncover hidden assumptions, and how to recognise and criticise bad reasoning.
This capability combines two types of thinking – critical thinking and creative thinking. Though the two are not interchangeable, they are strongly linked, bringing complementary dimensions to thinking and learning.
Critical thinking is at the core of most intellectual activity that involves students in learning to recognise or develop an argument, use evidence in support of that argument, draw reasoned conclusions, and use information to solve problems. Examples of thinking skills are interpreting, analysing, evaluating, explaining, sequencing, reasoning, comparing, questioning, inferring, hypothesising, appraising, testing and generalising.
Creative thinking involves students in learning to generate and apply new ideas in specific contexts, seeing existing situations in a new way, identifying alternative explanations, and seeing or making new links that generate a positive outcome. This includes combining parts to form something original, sifting and refining ideas to discover possibilities, constructing theories and objects, and acting on intuition. The products of creative endeavour can involve complex representations and images, investigations and performances, digital and computer-generated output, or occur as virtual reality.
Concept formation is the mental activity that helps us compare, contrast and classify ideas, objects, and events. Concept learning can be concrete or abstract and is closely allied with metacognition. What has been learned can be applied to future examples. It underpins the elements outlined below.
Dispositions such as inquisitiveness, reasonableness, intellectual flexibility, open- and fair- mindedness, a readiness to try new ways of doing things and consider alternatives, and persistence both promote and are enhanced by critical and creative thinking.
Critical and creative thinking can be encouraged simultaneously through activities that integrate reason, logic, imagination and innovation; for example, focusing on a topic in a logical, analytical way for some time, sorting out conflicting claims, weighing evidence, thinking through possible solutions, and then, following reflection and perhaps a burst of creative energy, coming up with innovative and considered responses. Critical and creative thinking are communicative processes that develop both flexibility and precision. Communication is integral to each of the thinking processes. By sharing thinking, visualisation and innovation, and by giving and receiving effective feedback, students learn to value the diversity of learning and communication styles.
For a description of the organising elements for Critical and creative thinking, go to Organising elements.
There are many ideas on critical thinking, and we must specify which one we advocate. Our thesis is that people reason and make decisions to solve problems or achieve goals. Within this approach we conceive critical thinking as a theory of action. Critical thinking is not merely going more deeply into good judgement and argumentation. It is essential that this reflection prove that critical thinking serves to solve problems or achieve goals, thus considering the argument as a means, not an end.
We conceive of critical thinking as an action that leads us to implement our plans.
From this perspective, critical thinking rests on three fundamental skills: reasoning, problem solving and decision making. Thinking must change reality, not just our ideas, it must do more than produce knowledge, it must solve problems. The applied aspect of critical thinking ends in action, effectively solving problems and making sound decisions. Good reflection is essential for this. Therefore, reasoning, deciding and resolving should be considered as inseparable thought mechanisms that are dependent on each other. Good reflection can design a good action plan that is executed with good decision-strategies and problem-solving.
"Critical thinking is the active and systematic process of communication, problem-solving, evaluation, analysis, synthesis, and reflection, both individually and in community, to foster understanding, support sound decision-making, and guide action.”
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