XYHX1012 Critical Thinking: Level-Up Your Arguments (3–4 cr)

Course description

This course develops students’ understanding and confidence in critical thinking, argumentation and persuasion.

Main content:

• Evaluating and reconstructing arguments in English and between languages.
• Fallacies and argument evaluation in persuasion
• Developing your own dispositions as a critical thinker.
• Interactions between critical thinking and emotions and cognitive biases
• The language of study is English.

On successful completion of the course, the student is expected to

• Be able to apply critical thinking skills to solve scientific communication challenges ethically.
• Be able to analyse, create and reconstruct persuasive arguments in various formats and media, taking language and cultural considerations into account.
• Be able to identify common cognitive biases and logical fallacies in arguments.
• Be able to develop their oral and written argumentation skills in English.
• Be able to use and evaluate tools and resources to help with persuasive communication in English.

3-4 credits are available. 4 credits are awarded for completion of class work, assignments and an agreed project. 3 credits are awarded for completion of class work and assignments only, without the project.

The student should have completed the first UVK module about academic literacies, or its equivalent, in any field.