Critical Thinking and Analysis
Critical Thinking and Analysis
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Module Description
Critical thinking and Critical analysis are 21st Century Skills, necessary for individuals in general and most essential in academic scholarship, particularly when reading, writing, and working with peers or professionals. Critical thinking is today considered an intellectual skill based on universal intellectual values that transcend subject matter division and is necessary for the disciplined process of active and skilful conceptualization, application, analysis, synthesisation, and evaluation of information. Critical thinking affects the way information is sourced, generated, and gathered ensuring clarity, accuracy, precision, consistency, relevance, validity, depth, breadth, and ethical considerations.
Critical analysis requires that students examine and evaluate ideas against what they already know to establish their worthiness. It is through this process of critical analysis that students gain a broader view and are exposed to alternative perspectives that need consideration. Through the process of critical analysis, students may find evidence that supports their views and practices or overtly challenges the positions they take. When students think critically, they can consider an argument from different perspectives and evaluate its strengths and weaknesses by testing the soundness of claims presented on the one hand, as well as the evidence used to support the claims on the other.
This unit will help students face the difficult aspect of understanding “what constitutes an argument”, to identify assumptions and suppositions in any piece of writing, in synthesizing and evaluating information in considerable depth. It will also help students to use this skill to critically assess academic texts and to spot the strengths and weaknesses of published work.
The development of a Critical Thinking disposition and the acquisition of Critical Thinking Skills, which is a life-long endeavor, entails the examination of those structures or elements of thought implicit in all reasoning such as purpose and issues, concepts, empirical suppositions and assumptions, the processes of reasoning leading to conclusions, implications and consequences, alternative viewpoints, and the generating of objections as well as the frames of reference.
This module will be assessed through an assignment which will include a critical review of selected pieces of literature.
Module / Unit Instruction
This unit will be taught through a blended approach with: · Face-to-face sessions: 30h · Online Learning Activities: 20h.
Face to Face sessions
Face-to-face sessions may include lectures, tutorials, discussions, presentations, and workshop activities promoting peer-to-peer learning.
Online Learning Activities
Online learning activities incorporate tutorials and asynchronous discussions. These may consist of active interaction, participation, and contributions in fora discussions, sharing resources and self-reflection exercises. Learners also contribute to the building of the community of practice by providing feedback to their peers as critical friends, enhancing the learner’s critical engagement throughout the study period.
The tutor provides continual support during both teaching and learning modes by providing information, readings, and tasks relevant to the module in question. The tutor provides continuous feedback as guidance during the student’s learning experience.
Target Audience
Academically qualified practitioners in business or other related fields who seek innovation through applied research and wish/need to be formally educated to achieve their objective.
How you’ll be assessed
This unit will be assessed through a critical analysis of two or more peer-reviewed papers addressing the same issue but from different standpoints. The students will be expected to engage with the readings critically, drawing on further readings, and bringing in relevant experience in practice to uncover bias and possible covert leverage of authors.
The students would also be expected to present evidence and justify their arguments for a newly formed/confirmed opinion regarding the issue in discussion.
Students would be expected to achieve 50% of the marks to pass the unit.
Assessment
Marks shall be 100% assignment based. Library and online search engines to access peer-reviewed/scholarly papers are necessary to complete this assignment.
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge:
At the end of the module/unit the learner will have been exposed to the following:
1. Define what constitutes critical thinking
- Understanding what is and what constitutes ‘critical thinking’
- Review the History of Critical Thinking and Classical Thinking Styles: From Socrates to 21st Century Critical Thinking.
- Examine the as an Interdisciplinary schematic concept as a form of Critical Thinking.
2. Compare different approaches to Critical Thinking
- Review approaches to critical thinking.
- Recognise the challenges and constrictions to Critical Thinking.
- Review the philosophical approach.
- Review the cognitive psychology approach.
- Discuss the link between Critical Thinking and Character – the influence of non-cognitive factors, such as self-esteem, open mindedness, and personal values.
3. Evaluate arguments systematically showing coherence and supporting evidence
- Assess considerations to make when evaluating an argument.
- Forming a judgment based on the validity.
- Providing coherence and supporting evidence.
4. Produce sophisticated arguments supported by academic evidence
- Build argumentation and deconstructing arguments.
- Identify cognitive biases and logical fallacies; Pseudoscience vs science.
- Use Argument Mapping to Enhance Critical Thinking Skills 5. Critically analyse texts for academic rigour.
- Identify the thrust of the information.
- Analyse and select the material.
- Compare and apply information.
5. Being critical when writing
- Approach the question.
- Read the question critically.
- Structure the writing.
- Substantiate the writing with context and examples.
- Structure in themes.
- Link and signpost parts/sections within text.
Skills:
At the end of the module/unit the learner will have acquired the following skills:
- Break down different points and perspectives of an argument.
- Differentiate between ordinary and critical thinking: standards, criteria of objectivity, utility, evidentiality and consistency; logical and deductive thinking.
- Evaluate and draw accurate and warranted Inferences.
- Apply flexible and versatile thinking strategies.
- Manipulate language for rhetorical and critical use.
- Apply purposeful, skillful, and responsible self-regulatory value judgements to self-moderate.
- Conduct self-reflexive analysis including self-correcting thinking patterns to challenge one’s own perceptions and cognitive biases.
- Analyse, test, differentiate and question information.
- Assess assumptions and suppositions for validity analysis in statements, assertions, theories and studies.
- Critically and systematically analyse issues for problem solving identifying the various components of problems and their complexities.
Competences:
At the end of the module/unit the learner will have acquired the responsibility and autonomy to:
- Define what constitutes critical thinking.
- Compare different approaches to Critical Thinking.
- Evaluate arguments systematically showing coherence and supporting evidence.
- Produce sophisticated arguments supported by academic evidence.
- Critically Analyse texts for academic rigour.
Module-Specific Learner Skills:
- Critically analyse problems and/or arguments.
- Evaluate arguments systematically showing coherence and providing supporting evidence.
- Synthesize longer and more complex arguments to draw conclusions and present innovative proposals.
- Produce sophisticated arguments supported by academic evidence.
Module-Specific Digital Skills and Competences:
The learner will be able to navigate through the online learning platform to find assignments, discussion boards, literature, tutorials etc.