CRITICAL THINKING SYLLABUS
SEMESTER 2 (2020-2021)
Number of credits: 3
Prerequisite: None
Course Description:
Critical Thinking studies a process which is indispensable to all educated persons - the process by which
we develop and support our beliefs and evaluate the strength of arguments made by others in real-life
situations. It includes practice in inductive and deductive reasoning, presentation of arguments in oral
and written form, and analysis of the use of language to influence thought. The course also applies the
reasoning process to other fields such as business, science, law, social science, ethics, and the arts.
Course objectives/ Learning outcomes:
Successful completion of this course will enable you to
know and apply the standards of critical thinking in various contexts
identify, construct, and evaluate inductive and deductive arguments in spoken and written forms;
recognize common fallacies in everyday reasoning;
distinguish the functions of language and its capacity to express and influence meaning; and
recognize, standardize, and respond to arguments in various forums of reasoning.
The goals of the course are to help you
develop the habits of assessing and defending the reasonableness of your beliefs and values as
well as those of others;
appreciate the importance of looking at an issue from a variety of perspectives and; and
apply critical thinking skills in both public and personal decision-making.
After you have finished this course, you should be more:
self-aware, recognizing your own biases and influences;
inquisitive and curious, wanting to learn more about issues before passing judgment;
objective, basing your judgments on evidence and avoiding twisting evidence to fit your opinion;
open-minded, having the courage to say, "I don't know";
sensitive to language, avoiding slanted language, recognizing ambiguous, vague, emotionally
laden language;
imaginative, approaching topics and problems from various angles; and
fair and intellectually honest, avoiding misrepresenting the ideas of others or misinterpreting
data and research to fit your own purposes.
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HCMC International University - Critical Thinking
Teaching Methods:
Lectures, classroom discussions, presentations; and case studies
Course Assessment:
A. Regular mode:
1. Ongoing assessment: participation, quizzes, presentations, etc.: 30%
2. Mid-term exam (Written exam): 30%
3. Final exam (Project + Written exam) 40%
B. Online mode:
1. Ongoing assessment: participation, quizzes, presentations, etc.: 30%
2. Mid-term exam (Written exam): 20%
3. Final exam (Project + Written exam) 50%
*Note: The weighting is subject to change.
Textbook
Bassham, G. et al. (2020). Critical Thinking: A Student's Introduction, 6th ed. McGraw-Hill
References:
[1] Moore, B.N. et al. (2009). Critical Thinking, 9th ed. McGraw-Hill
[2] Bookfield, S. D. (2012). Teaching for critical thinking: Tools and techniques to help students
question their assumptions. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass
[3] Facione, P. A. (2011). Think critically. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Pearson Education
[4] Fisher, A. (2001). Critical thinking: An introduction. New York: Cambridge University Press
[5]… Relevant web resources
Contact Details
Lecturer: Đỗ Thị Diệu Ngọc
Department of English
Email:
[email protected]Mobile: 0904 361 717
Office: Department of English (Building 1 - Room 510)
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HCMC International University - Critical Thinking
CRITICAL THINKING - COURSE OUTLINE
Week Contents Activities
1 Chapter 1: Introduction Course presentation
Q&A
- Course orientation
Lecture
- What is critical thinking? Classroom activities
- Critical thinking standards Assignment
- Benefits of critical thinking
- Barriers to critical thinking
- Characteristics of a critical thinker
2 Chapter 2: Recognizing arguments Lecture
Classroom activities
- What is an argument?
Assignment
- Identifying premises, conclusions, and assumptions
- What is not an argument?
3 Chapter 3: Basic logical concepts Lecture
Classroom activities
- How can we tell whether an argument is deductive or
inductive? Assignment
- Common patterns of deductive reasoning
- Common patterns of inductive reasoning
- Deductive validity
- Inductive strength
4 Chapter 3 + Chapter 11: Basic logical concepts Lecture
Classroom activities
- Deductive and inductive arguments
Assignment
- Common patterns of deductive reasoning
- Common patterns of inductive reasoning
- Deductive validity
- Inductive strength
5 Chapter 4: Language (Self-study)
Consolidation of Chapters 1+ 2 + 3
6 Chapter 9: Categorical logic Lecture
Classroom activities
- Categorical statements
Assignment
- Translating into standard categorical form
- Categorical syllogisms
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HCMC International University - Critical Thinking
7 Chapter 10: Propositional logic Lecture
Classroom activities
- Conjunction
Assignment
- Negation
- Disjunction
- Conditional statements
8 Review + sample test for Mid-term exam Classroom activities
Correction + Consultation
9 Midterm Exam: Chapters 1, 2, 3, 9, 10
10 Chapter 5: Logical fallacies Lecture
Classroom activities
Fallacies of relevance
Assignment
11 Chapter 6: Logical fallacies Lecture
Classroom activities
Fallacies of insufficient evidence
Assignment
12 Chapter 7: Analyzing arguments Lecture
Classroom activities
- Diagramming short arguments
Assignment
- Summarizing longer arguments
13 Chapter 8: Evaluating arguments and truth claims Lecture
Classroom activities
- When is an argument a good one?
Assignment
- When is it reasonable to accept a premise?
- Refuting arguments
- Sample critical essays
14 Chapter 12: Finding, Evaluating, and Using sources Classroom activities
Correction + Consultation
- Finding sources, evaluating sources,
- Taking notes, using sources
(Self study)
Review for Final exam
15 Project presentation Student group presentation
16 Project presentation Student group presentation
17 Final exam: Chapters 5, 6, 7, 8, 11
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HCMC International University - Critical Thinking
