Critical Thinking
ORG536
Tuesday evenings 7:00-9:45 pm
Webb 115
This syllabus is not a contract. It is simply a road map for where I expect to go during the semester. It may change -- check WebCT at least weekly and listen for announcements made in class about changes.
Please plan to spend about 7 hours a week outside of class time to prepare for class. If you do not have that kind of time to devote to this class this semester, I recommend that you take it at a later date. Similarly, if you are beginning the semester knowing that you will miss more than 10% of the class meetings, you may want to reconsider taking the class this semester.
Academic Integrity: All sources (including classmates) must be properly acknowledged. Quotation marks must surround any string of 4 or more words used verbatim from a source. Penalties, including failure in the course and recommended dismissal from the program, will be assessed upon violation of this policy.
Accommodation If you are a student with a disability and believe you will need accommodations for this class, it is your responsibility to contact the Office of AccessAbility Services at 465-5573. To avoid any delay in the receipt of accommodations, you should contact the Office of AccessAbility as soon as possible. Please note that I cannot provide accommodations based upon disability until I have received an accommodation letter from the Office of AccessAbility Sevices. Your cooperation is appreciated.
Attendance: If you expect to miss a class, I would appreciate being informed in advance. There is no such thing as an "unexcused" or "excused" absence -- I realize that you have many demands on your time and make the best decisions you can about how to fulfill those demands. However, I do plan class activities assuming you will be there. Knowing you will be absent will help me to adjust. In rare cases, if I know you are going to be absent, I may be able to suggest something you can do to participate in absentia. In most cases, however, absences mean that you will not be able to receive points for class participation. If you expect to miss a class, and you are supposed to bring an assignment to class, please make arrangements for a classmate to deliver your homework to the class and to communicate any missed information to you.
Grading: Your grade in this class will be based on your performance each day. You will have the opportunity to earn points for homework assignments and class participation. I will give you an idea of what will constitute good (=B) work and give you full points if you do what I ask. Doing this consistently through the semester will earn you 119 points, which will be a B. It will be up to you to go above-and-beyond to produce excellent (=A) work, but when you do, I will give you more than full points. You will have to do this at least 10 times in the semester to earn an A. If you miss a class, you will miss the opportunity to participate and to do any in-class assignments, but you can still receive credit for homework assignments turned in on time. Other students in the class will rely on your completing your assignments on time in order for them to be able to do theirs, so late homework assignments will not be accepted. You will receive 5 free points for the semester. You may feel free to apply them to missed class participation, missed homework assignments, or just to boost your grade.
131 and above = A
127-130 = A-
123-126 = B+
116-122 = B
112-115 = B-
108-111 = C+
102-107 = C
98-101 = C-
84-97 = D
Below 84 = F
Office Hours: I will be in my office for visits or telephone calls on Monday 4:00-5:00, Tuesday 4:30-6:30, and Wednesday 10:00-12:00. If I don't answer the phone during office hours, it is because someone is in my office with me. I am also available to meet at other times, by appointment. Please free to e-mail me with any questions or concerns you have or to set up appointments with me. scotte@easternct.edu
Resources:
One of the ways in which we demonstrate critical thinking is by writing. You will have many homework assignments in which I will expect you to use formal writing styles. Therefore, you may want to brush up on your writing skills. Here are some websites which might help you:
http://members.tripod.com/~lklivingston/essay/
http://elc.polyu.edu.hk/CiLL/essay_checklist.htm
We also demonstrate critical thinking orally. There will be opportunities for informal class participation at the beginning of the semester and more formal debates at the end of the semester. Some resources for informal class participation are found at:
http://www.princeton.edu/mcgraw/library/for-students/class-participation-contr/
http://collegeuniversity.suite101.com/article.cfm/class_participation_tips
http://www.studygs.net/intstudy.htm
http://www.monash.edu.au/lls/llonline/speaking/participation/index.xml
Some resources on formal debating are found at this website:
Texts (Stocked at ECSU bookstore):
Asking the Right Questions, 10th edition, by M. Neil Browne and Stuart Keeley, Prentice Hall. ISBN 97800205111169
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, by
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Topic |
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1/24/12 |
Introductions |
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1/31/12 |
Asking the right question. Issues and Conclusions. Reciprocation. Commitment and Consistency. |
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2/7/12 |
Definition Categorization Assertion |
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2/14/12 |
Reasons. Ambiguous words and phrases. Social proof. Liking. |
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2/21/12 |
Arguments Logic Induction/Deduction |
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2/28/12 |
Value Conflicts and Assumptions Descriptive Assumptions. Authority. Scarcity. |
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3/6/12 |
Are there any fallacies in the reasoning? |
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3/13/12 |
Intuition, Appeals to authority, testimonials Personal observation, case studies, analogies. |
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3/27/12 |
Rival causes Deceptive statistics. |
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4/3/12 |
Omitted information. Reasonable conclusions |
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4/10/12 |
Review of techniques and Debate preparation |
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4/17/12 |
Debate |
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4/24/12 |
Debate |
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5/1/12 |
Debate |