PHIL 1101 - Argument and Critical Thinking
North Terrace Campus - Semester 1 - 2024
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General Course Information
Course Details
Course Code PHIL 1101 Course Argument and Critical Thinking Coordinating Unit Philosophy Term Semester 1 Level Undergraduate Location/s North Terrace Campus Units 3 Contact Up to 3 hours per week Available for Study Abroad and Exchange Y Assumed Knowledge ESL students are advised to consult the Course Coordinator to discuss enrolment in the course Assessment Short Essay, Long Essay, Weekly Quizzes, end-of-Semester Online Test Course Staff
Course Coordinator: Dr Jonathan Opie
Course Timetable
The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from .
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Learning Outcomes
Course Learning Outcomes
This course will help you develop a powerful set of critical thinking skills. After successfully completing the course, your will be able to:
1 Reason and communicate more effectively 2 Evaluate your thinking processes, actively develop your own beliefs, and justify your views with well-constructed arguments 3 Recognize errors in reasoning, identify various kinds of cognitive bias 4 Distinguish justified conclusions from mere opinions, disinformation and “spin” 5 Participate in constructive dialogue, adopt and critique alternative points of view, appraise other perspectives charitably and impartially 6 Write more clearly, critically analyze popular and academic literature, structure your written work to better communicate cogent lines of reasoning 7 Engage more confidently in political and ethical discourse.
University Graduate Attributes
This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:
University Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s) Attribute 1: Deep discipline knowledge and intellectual breadth
Graduates have comprehensive knowledge and understanding of their subject area, the ability to engage with different traditions of thought, and the ability to apply their knowledge in practice including in multi-disciplinary or multi-professional contexts.
1-4 Attribute 2: Creative and critical thinking, and problem solving
Graduates are effective problems-solvers, able to apply critical, creative and evidence-based thinking to conceive innovative responses to future challenges.
1-7 Attribute 3: Teamwork and communication skills
Graduates convey ideas and information effectively to a range of audiences for a variety of purposes and contribute in a positive and collaborative manner to achieving common goals.
6, 7 Attribute 4: Professionalism and leadership readiness
Graduates engage in professional behaviour and have the potential to be entrepreneurial and take leadership roles in their chosen occupations or careers and communities.
5, 6, 7 Attribute 5: Intercultural and ethical competency
Graduates are responsible and effective global citizens whose personal values and practices are consistent with their roles as responsible members of society.
7 Attribute 8: Self-awareness and emotional intelligence
Graduates are self-aware and reflective; they are flexible and resilient and have the capacity to accept and give constructive feedback; they act with integrity and take responsibility for their actions.
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Learning Resources
Required Resources
Readings and other required resources will be supplied on MyUni.
Recommended Resources
1. The Elements of Reasoning by Ronald Munson and Andrew Black (5th, 6th or 7th edition) or The Elements of Reasoning by Munson, Conway and Black (4th edition).
The second week of lectures focus on recognising and diagramming arguments. Editions 5 and above of 'The Elements of Reasoning' have two chapters on this: 'Recognising Arguments' and 'Analysing Arguments'. These sections are not required reading, but are definitely helpful in understanding the lecture material.
2. There is a copy of the book Science and Unreason by Radner and Radner posted on MyUni. This is an important text for the second essay and for the lectures on pseudo science, both in the second half of the course.Online Learning
Various online resources are provided and employed in the teaching of this course. Assessment tasks also involve online engagement. -
Learning & Teaching Activities
Learning & Teaching Modes
There are two lectures each week and a one-hour tutorial. Lectures are presented face-to-face and also live-streamed, and are available on-demand on Echo 360 (in MyUni).
Before tutorials, please do the suggested reading and think about the questions we have set. Tutorials will sharpen your understanding of the course content and help prepare you for quizzes and essays. Please be sure to bring the tutorial reading and your notes to class so you can refer to them in discussion.Workload
The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.
2 x 1-hour lectures (or equivalent) per week 24 hours per semester 1 x 1-hour tutorial (or equivalent) per week 10 hours per semester 5 hours assignment preparation per week 56 hours per semester 3 hours tutorial preparation per week 30 hours per semester 3 hours reading per week 36 hours per semester TOTAL WORKLOAD 156 hours per semester
Learning Activities Summary
The course has two main parts:
Part 1: Being Reasonable (12 Lectures)We introduce argument and its role in critical thinking, show you how to reason with certainty and with uncertainty, and explore the nature of explanation.Part 2: Reasoning in the Wild (12 Lectures)We discuss various ways that reasoning can go wrong, both in others and in your own thinking, and provide strategies to help you avoid deception. -
Assessment
The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:
- Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
- Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
- Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
- Assessment must maintain academic standards.
Assessment Summary
The assessment tasks in Argument and Critical Thinking consist of three online quizzes and two essays.- Quizzes. Three online quizzes, with multiple-choice and written answers.
- Essay 1 (500-600 words). You will answer one question from a choice of 4-6.
- Essay 2 (1000-1200 words). You will answer one question from 4-6.
Assessment Detail
No information currently available.
Submission
Your assignments are submitted through MyUni. The submission process is as follows:
• Log into MyUni and select Argument and Critical Thinking (PHIL_1101).• Select Assignments in the left-hand menu.• Select Quiz 1, Essay 1 or Essay 2, etc., as appropriate.• Follow the instructions for uploading your assignment.• Please be sure to keep electronic copies of your work.Course Grading
Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:
M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme) Grade Mark Description FNS Fail No Submission F 1-49 Fail P 50-64 Pass C 65-74 Credit D 75-84 Distinction HD 85-100 High Distinction CN Continuing NFE No Formal Examination RP Result Pending Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.
Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.
Final results for this course will be made available through .
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Student Feedback
The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.
SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.
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Student Support
- Academic Integrity for Students
- Academic Support with Maths
- Academic Support with writing and study skills
- Careers Services
- Library Services for Students
- LinkedIn Learning
- Student Life Counselling Support - Personal counselling for issues affecting study
- Students with a Disability - Alternative academic arrangements
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Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
- Academic Credit Arrangements Policy
- Academic Integrity Policy
- Academic Progress by Coursework Students Policy
- Assessment for Coursework Programs Policy
- Copyright Compliance Policy
- Coursework Academic Programs Policy
- Intellectual Property Policy
- IT Acceptable Use and Security Policy
- Modified Arrangements for Coursework Assessment Policy
- Reasonable Adjustments to Learning, Teaching & Assessment for Students with a Disability Policy
- Student Experience of Learning and Teaching Policy
- Student Grievance Resolution Process
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Fraud Awareness
Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student鈥檚 disciplinary procedures.
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