ECTS - Introduction to Critical Thinking

Introduction to Critical Thinking (HUM323) Course Detail

Course Name Course Code Season Lecture Hours Application Hours Lab Hours Credit ECTS
Introduction to Critical Thinking HUM323 3 0 0 3 4
Pre-requisite Course(s)
none
Course Language English
Course Type N/A
Course Level Bachelor’s Degree (First Cycle)
Mode of Delivery Face To Face
Learning and Teaching Strategies Lecture, Discussion, Question and Answer.
Course Coordinator
Course Lecturer(s)
  • Staff
Course Assistants
Course Objectives The course aims at introducing the central concepts of critical thinking to students, teaching them how to analyse ideas, arguments, hypotheses, and types of reasonings, as well as detecting the types of fallacies.
Course Learning Outcomes The students who succeeded in this course;
  • The students who succeeded in this course; - Comprehend the connections between ideas. - Formulate ideas in a clear and understandable way. - Identify, construct and evaluate arguments. - Evaluate the evidence for and against a hypothesis, and the pros and cons of a decision. - Detect inconsistencies and fallacies in reasoning. - Analyze problems in a systematic way. - Identify the relevance and importance of ideas. - Justify one's beliefs and opinions.
Course Content Examining and discussing the themes of critical thinking, such as writing and thinking clearly, learning and analysing the types of reasonings and arguments, making rational decisions, learning the types of fallacies; also, exercises to make these topics more understandable.

Weekly Subjects and Releated Preparation Studies

Week Subjects Preparation
1 Introduction to the topic. An Introduction to Critical Thinking and Creativity: Think More, Think Better, pp. 1-9. Critical Thinking: A Concise Guide, pp. 1-20. Critical Thinking: An Appeal to Reason, pp. 3-26.
2 Thinking and Writing Clearly. Definitions. An Introduction to Critical Thinking and Creativity: Think More, Think Better, pp. 11-31. Critical Thinking: A Concise Guide, pp. 168-215. Critical Thinking: An Appeal to Reason, pp. 27-54.
3 Necessary and Sufficient Conditions. Linguistic Pitfalls. An Introduction to Critical Thinking and Creativity: Think More, Think Better, pp. 33-52. Critical Thinking: A Concise Guide, pp. 108-142. Critical Thinking: An Appeal to Reason, pp. 55-72.
4 Truth. Basic Logic. An Introduction to Critical Thinking and Creativity: Think More, Think Better, pp. 53-67. Critical Thinking: A Concise Guide, pp. 216-240. Critical Thinking: An Appeal to Reason, pp. 73-88.
5 Identifying Arguments. Valid and Sound Arguments. An Introduction to Critical Thinking and Creativity: Think More, Think Better, pp. 69-85. Critical Thinking: A Concise Guide, pp. 21-61. Critical Thinking: An Appeal to Reason, pp. 89-105.
6 Inductive Reasoning. Argument Mapping. An Introduction to Critical Thinking and Creativity: Think More, Think Better, pp. 87-105. Critical Thinking: A Concise Guide, pp. 61-80. Critical Thinking: An Appeal to Reason, pp. 105-117.
7 Mid Term The questions prepared by the course instructor.
8 Argument Analysis. Scientific Reasoning. An Introduction to Critical Thinking and Creativity: Think More, Think Better, pp. 107-124. Critical Thinking: A Concise Guide, pp. 81-107. Critical Thinking: An Appeal to Reason, pp. 118-144.
9 Mill’s Methods. Reasoning About Causation. An Introduction to Critical Thinking and Creativity: Think More, Think Better, pp. 125-140. Critical Thinking: A Concise Guide, pp. 241-282. Critical Thinking: An Appeal
10 Diagrams of Causal Processes. Statistics and Probability. An Introduction to Critical Thinking and Creativity: Think More, Think Better, pp. 141-157. Critical Thinking: A Concise Guide, pp. 283-321. Critical Thinking: An Appeal to Reason, pp. 169-184.
11 Thinking About Values. Fallacies. An Introduction to Critical Thinking and Creativity: Think More, Think Better, pp. 159-184. Critical Thinking: A Concise Guide, pp. 143-167. Critical Thinking: An Appeal to Reason, pp. 202-227.
12 Cognitive Biases. Analogical Reasoning. An Introduction to Critical Thinking and Creativity: Think More, Think Better, pp. 185-199. Critical Thinking: A Concise Guide, pp. 322-334. Critical Thinking: An Appeal to Reason, pp. 228-241.
13 Making Rational Decisions. What Is Creativity? An Introduction to Critical Thinking and Creativity: Think More, Think Better, pp. 201-221. Critical Thinking: A Concise Guide, pp. 335-368. Critical Thinking: An Appeal to Reason, pp. 185-201.
14 Creative Thinking Habits. An Introduction to Critical Thinking and Creativity: Think More, Think Better, pp. 223-231. Critical Thinking: A Concise Guide, pp. 369-432. Critical Thinking: An Appeal to Reason, pp. 242-265.
15 Review.
16 Final Exam The questions prepared by the course instructor.

Sources

Course Book 1. Joe Y. F. Lau, An Introduction to Critical Thinking and Creativity: Think More, Think Better [Eleştirel Düşünmeye ve Yaratıcılığa Giriş: Daha Fazla Düşün, Daha İyi Düşün], New Jersey: Wiley, 2011.
2. Tracy Bowell, Gary Kemp, Critical Thinking: A Concise Guide [Eleştirel Düşünme: Kısa Bir Rehber], London: Routledge, 2010.
3. Peg Tittle, Critical Thinking: An Appeal to Reason [Eleştirel Düşünme: Akla Yapılan Bir Çağrı], London: Routledge, 2011.

Evaluation System

Requirements Number Percentage of Grade
Attendance/Participation - -
Laboratory - -
Application - -
Field Work - -
Special Course Internship - -
Quizzes/Studio Critics - -
Homework Assignments - -
Presentation - -
Project - -
Report - -
Seminar - -
Midterms Exams/Midterms Jury 1 40
Final Exam/Final Jury 1 60
Toplam 2 100
Percentage of Semester Work
Percentage of Final Work 100
Total 100

Course Category

Core Courses X
Major Area Courses
Supportive Courses
Media and Managment Skills Courses
Transferable Skill Courses

The Relation Between Course Learning Competencies and Program Qualifications

# Program Qualifications / Competencies Level of Contribution
1 2 3 4 5
1 To be able to use English language competently concerning four basic skills, namely listening, reading, speaking, and writing
2 To have extensive theoretical knowledge about English literature.
3 To gain knowledge about literary theories and to be able to apply these theories to various literary texts
4 To acquire detailed knowledge about British culture in all its aspects
5 To be able to compare and contrast English literature with other literatures through works from different periods and genres.
6 To be able to compare and contrast British culture with other cultures
7 To plan, organize, and conduct the activities related to the field
8 To acquire the skills of creative, critical, and analytical thinking
9 To gain knowledge about how to conduct an academic research and to use the acquired knowledge in accordance with the purpose of the research
10 To acquire professional ethics and to use them in the process of research and production
11 The ability to translate various kinds of texts from different disciplines both from English into Turkish and from Turkish into English
12 To get prepared for professional life by developing a sense of responsibility through individual tasks and group projects
13 To be able to understand and decipher various discourses involved in literature such as literary, philosophical, psychological, cultural, critical and theoretical discourses in English language
14 To be able to understand and be a part of world culture

ECTS/Workload Table

Activities Number Duration (Hours) Total Workload
Course Hours (Including Exam Week: 16 x Total Hours) 16 3 48
Laboratory
Application
Special Course Internship
Field Work
Study Hours Out of Class 14 3 42
Presentation/Seminar Prepration
Project
Report
Homework Assignments
Quizzes/Studio Critics
Prepration of Midterm Exams/Midterm Jury 1 4 4
Prepration of Final Exams/Final Jury 1 6 6
Total Workload 100