Companion Animal Sciences Institute

Course Title: Critical Thinking - 102

Credits: 3 (Approx. 42 work-hours)

Instructor: James O'Heare, CABC

Course Description

Critical Thinking is a 3 month in-depth and advanced exploration of logic, critical thinking and reasoning skills. This foundational course will help provide the student with the skills necessary to critically evaluate arguments and produce more solid arguments. This is one of our most valuable foundational courses. The student will learn about how to systematically evaluate and critique the arguments presented by others as well as validly and soundly present effecting arguments one's self. Critical thinking skills involve logic and reasoning as well as creativity and provides a solid basis for scientific reasoning. 

The course will be evaluated by a single course project and by way of a final exam.

Students should emerge from this course with a foundational understanding of:

• Identifying arguments (as opposed to other kinds of utterances)
• Diagramming arguments, identifying the premises and conclusions, and their relationship to one another
• Formulating and evaluating definitions
• Understanding, defining and distinguishing facts, inferences, opinions  and assumptions.
• Characteristics of strong and weak arguments, valid and invalid arguments
• Acceptability of premises as well as relevance and sufficiency of the premises in supporting the conclusion
• Critiquing the arguments and writings of others
• Fallacies
• Argumentative writing skills

Course Texts

• Thinking for yourself: Developing Critical Thinking Skills Through Reading and Writing 7th edition by Marlys Mayfield
• http://philosophy.hku.hk/think/ (as a resource)

Enrollment Package Includes

• Coursework document with assignments and course notes
• Student Handbook
• Access to Classroom, with transcripts from Guest Visits and handouts
• Free membership with IIACAB and to all issues of its journal JACAB
• Access to your Instructor for one-on-one guidance

Schedule

The course begins as soon as your enrollment is complete and you receive your enrollment package. Although we allow 3 months for this course, you are free to complete the course sooner if you can, and we do allow extensions if need be.

Prerequisites

None

Tuition

$300 Cdn. (Currency Converter) + 4% fee for for online payments. Textbooks not included in tuition. They may be purchased through http://www.dogwise.com, http://www.amazon.com, http://www.abebooks.com or http://www.half.com in most cases. Also check the Student Library. Canadian Residents 5% GST.