| CODE | IOT1006 | ||||||||||||||||
| TITLE | Critical Thinking | ||||||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 01 - Year 1 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 5 | ||||||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | The Edward de Bono Institute for Creative Thinking and Innovation | ||||||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | We are constantly bombarded by thousands of messages telling us what to do or not to do, what to believe or not to believe. Our overexposure to these messages has turned many of us into passive receivers of information. We tend to accept many of these messages unquestioningly, uncritically. However, not all information we receive is equally reliable or valuable. We therefore need to learn to think critically about information rather than simply accepting all messages at face value. Critical thinking involves questioning, evaluating, making judgments, finding connections and categorising information. It involves being aware of vested interests, but also means being open to other points of view and not being blinded by our own biases. Study-Unit Aims: This study-unit aims to provide students with critical thinking skills that will enable them to act upon the information they receive rather than passively accepting it. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of this study-unit, students will be able to: - Describe and reflect on the traits of mind that accompany fairmindedness; - Apply the universal standards to assess and improve the quality of their thinking; - Reflect critically on their own thinking and the thinking of others; - Recognise and consider alternative points of view when thinking through issues and making decisions. 2. Skills: By the end of this study-unit, students will be able to: - Develop a reflective approach that will help them progress as developing professionals; - Apply higher order thinking skills to enhance the quality of their thinking; - Question, reason, investigate, compare and explore various viewpoints; - Produce a reasoned critique; - Practice fairmindeness in their thinking. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: - Brookfield, S. (2008). Developing critical thinkers: Challenging adults to explore alternative ways of thinking and acting. Jossey-Bass. - Browne, N., & Keeley, S. (2014). Asking the right questions: A guide to critical thinking. 11th edition. Longman. - Cottrell, S. (2005). Critical thinking skills: Developing effective analysis and argument. Hampshire, UK: Palgrave Macmillan. - Paul, R., &Elder, L. (2013). Critical thinking tools for taking charge of your learning and yoru life. 3rd edition. Prentice Hall. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture and Workshop | ||||||||||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Gordon James Pisani |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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