Critical Thinking (Phil 12) Spring 2014 - Section 5762 TTh 4:00-5:15PM, Rm 817 Instructor: Phillip Barron Email address: - Until the official WCC email address pbarron@yccd.edu is working, you can email me at pbarron@nicomachus.net Course Description This course offers a basic introduction to critical thinking skills, emphasizing their application to everyday decision-making. Topics include: definitions of critical thinking, language and meaning, claims and reasons, argument and inference, argument identification and reconstruction, inductive reasoning, deductive reasoning, underlying assumptions, evaluating assumptions, assumptions and evidence, world views as a context for critical thought, evaluating arguments, sound and fallacious reasoning, casual inference, and scientific method. Skill Advisory: Language Course Objectives and Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) Students who complete this class will be able to: 1. Define critical thinking 2. Describe and appraise the role of language and meaning as they relate to the critical thinking process. 3. Locate an argument in a passage or other medium. 4. Write an argumentative essay that avoids committing informal logical fallacies and makes a plausible case for a position on an issue. 5. Judge whether an argument s conclusion follows with certainty or only with probability from its premises. 6. Detect and remove vagueness and ambiguity. 7. Identify and evaluate informal fallacies in reasoning. 8. Evaluate the quality of various forms of evidence 9. Outline the basic steps of the scientific method. 10. Detect when significant information is being omitted from a passage or argument. 11. Identify and evaluate when searching for rival / alternative causes with respect to a particular conclusion or particular interpretation of data / evidence is appropriate or necessary. 12. Identify, discuss, and evaluate the role of world views as a context for critical thought. 13. Reflect critically on one s own reasoning processes and the processes of those around us, and apply the critical thinking process to the relevant societal problems. Page 1 of 5
REQUIRED TEXTS: The following books will be available in the WCC bookstore. I have provided links to where you can find the books on amazon.com so that you can compare prices. Note that the Moore and Parker textbook is available to rent as well as in Kindle format. Additional readings will be made available as PDFs on the course website. Title: Critical Thinking Authors: Brooke Noel Moore & Richard Parker Publication Date: January 11, 2011 ISBN-10: 0078038286 Title: TBA Author: TBA Publication Date: TBA Publisher: TBA ISBN-10: TBA COURSE REQUIREMENTS ASSIGNED READINGS: (SEE SCHEDULE) QUIZZES: There will be 5-7 quizzes consisting of questions on the readings and lectures. These will be announced in lecture and given in class; likely every two weeks. You will be allowed to drop your lowest quiz grade. PAPERS: You will write 2 papers: 1 short (2-3 pages) and 1 longer (3-5 pages). You will receive more guidance and ample opportunity for discussion of your papers in class. A COMPREHENSIVE FINAL: The final exam will be cumulative and will consist of short answers and short essays, similar to those on the quizzes and likely taken from the questions at the end of each reading assignment. ATTENDANCE & PARTICIPATION: Participation makes for a more enjoyable and interesting class. Discussion is crucial to understanding and reasoning. To get full credit for participation you must attend class, and be prepared to discuss questions and cases from the reading assignments. Page 2 of 5
YOUR GRADE FOR THE COURSE WILL BE DETERMINED ROUGHLY AS FOLLOWS: QUIZZES 15% PAPER 1 20% PAPER 2 35% PARTICIPATION 5% FINAL EXAM: 25% Reading Effectively In addition to the texts listed above, the rest of your reading assignments are posted on Canvas. In this class, read the assigned readings (listed in your syllabus on the following pages for each class meeting) before the related class. Always bring your reading with you to class. We will go over parts of it together and you will want to able to follow along and take notes directly in the reading. Plagiarism Policy Plagiarism copying someone else s work without giving them credit is taken very seriously by colleges and universities. I have a zero-tolerance policy for cheating; students who cheat or plagiarize will receive an automatic F on the assignment and will be referred to Administration for disciplinary action as outlined in the Student Code of Conduct. Additional Resources I strongly encourage students to take advantage of the resources on our campus, including the WCC Library, the Media Lab (Room 812 in the library), the Academic Reading Center (Room 870), the Tutoring Center (Room 809) and the Writing and Math Center (WAM) (Room 850). Students with disabilities who believe that they may need accommodations in this class are encouraged to contact Disabled Students Programs and Services (DSPS) (Room 769) as soon as possible to ensure that such accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion. Page 3 of 5
Reading Schedule - temporary Date Readings Assignments Week 1 Tues, January 14 Thurs, Jan 16 No Class Week 2 Jan 21 Critical Thinking, Ch. 1 Jan 23 Week 3 Jan 28 Critical Thinking, Ch. 2 Jan 30 Week 4 February 4 Critical Thinking, Ch. 3 Feb 6 No Class Week 5 Feb 11 Critical Thinking, Ch. 4 Feb 13 Week 6 Feb 18 No Class - Holiday Feb 20 Critical Thinking, Ch. 5 Paper #1 topic announced Week 7 Feb 25 Critical Thinking, Ch. 6 Feb 27 Week 8 March 4 Critical Thinking, Ch. 7 Paper #1 Due Mar 6 Week 9 Mar 11 Critical Thinking, Ch. 8 Mar 13 Week 10 Mar 18 Critical Thinking, Ch. 9 Mar 20 Week 11 Mar 25 Critical Thinking, Ch. 10 Mar 27 Week 12 April 1 Spring Break - no class Apr 3 Spring Break - no class Week 13 Apr 8 The Stranger, Part 1 Page 4 of 5
Date Readings Assignments Apr 10 Week 14 Apr 15 The Stranger, Part 2 Paper #2 topic announced Apr 17 Week 15 Apr 22 Critical Thinking, Ch. 11 Apr 24 Week 16 Apr 29 Critical Thinking, Ch. 12 May 1 Paper #2 Due Week 17 May 6 May 8 Page 5 of 5