Critical Thinking
Recommended Prerequisites
No prerequisites are required for this course.
Course Overview
In today’s society, many people experience information overload. We are bombarded with messages to believe various ideas, purchase things, support causes, and lead our lifestyle in a particular way. How do you know what to believe? How do you separate the truth from the myths?
The answer lies in critical thinking skills. The ability to clearly reason through problems and to present arguments in a logical, compelling way has become a key skill for survival in today’s world. This course will give you some practical tools and hands-on experience with critical thinking and problem solving.
Learning Objectives
- Define critical and non-critical thinking
- Identify your critical thinking style(s), including areas of strength and improvement
- Describe other thinking styles, including left/right brain thinking and whole-brain thinking
- Work through the critical thinking process to build or analyze arguments
- Develop and evaluate explanations
- Improve key critical thinking skills, including active listening and questioning
- Use analytical thought systems and creative thinking techniques
- Prepare and present powerful arguments
Course Outline
- Course Overview
- Understanding Critical Thinking
- What is Critical Thinking?
- Characteristics of a Critical Thinker
- Common Critical Thinking Styles
- Making Connections
- Where Do Other Types of Thinking Fit In?
- Left- and Right-Brain Thinking
- Whole-Brain Thinking
- Pitfalls to Reasoned Decision Making
- The Critical Thinking Process
- The Critical Thinking Model
- The Standards of Critical Thinking
- Identifying the Issues
- Identifying the Arguments
- Clarifying the Issues and Arguments
- Establishing Context
- Checking Credibility and Consistency
- Evaluating Arguments
- Case Study
- A Critical Thinker’s Skill Set
- Asking Questions
- Probing Techniques
- Pushing My Buttons
- Critical Thinking Questions
- Active Listening Skills
- Creating Explanations
- Defining Explanations
- Steps to Building an Explanation
- Making Connections
- Dealing with Assumptions
- Common Sense
- Critical and Creative Thought Systems
- Techniques for Thinking Creatively
- Creative Thinking Exercise
- DeBono’s Thinking Hats
- Putting It Into Practice
- Presenting and Communicating Your Ideas to Others
- Pre-Assignment Preparation
- Presentations
- Personal Action Plan
- Recommended Reading List
- Post-Course Assessment
This course has been recognized by the following professional bodies as a recognized continuous professional development activity for their members:
Australian Natural Therapy Association (ANTA)
Acupuncture and Complementary Medicine Association of Australasia (ACMAA)