CS COMP 149 Goals and Objectives Critical Thinking

CS COMP 149 - “How to Solve It”
Goals - Critical Thinking - Fall-Spring

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How to Solve It

Goals and Objectives:
The goals of the course are to help us all become better critical thinkers and learn to:

ask the right questions developing them clearly and precisely;
analyze and solve problems;
gather & assess relevant information, using critical thought to understand it effectively
develop the ability to think logically, creatively and imaginatively
develop the habit of assessing AND defending your beliefs & values & those of others;
appreciate the importance of looking at an issue from a variety of points of view
recognize the complexity that surrounds most controversial issues;
come to reasoned conclusions & solutions, testing them against reliable criteria and standards;
appreciate the value of critical thinking in both public and private decision-making;
be open-minded about opposing ideas or thoughts,
recognize & assess, your assumptions, implications, and consequences of these ideas or thoughts as well as those who oppose you;
communicate effectively with others in figuring out solutions to complex problems.

Upon completion of this course we should be able to:

recognize common fallacies in everyday reasoning;
assess the pros and cons of proposed solutions;
conduct thorough research the ability to write and speak clearly;
persuade through the construction of an argument;
recognize and assess arguments in various forums of reasoning.
define an argument, how it is organized and how it is presented both in writing and orally
define the meaning of an argument, i.e., “to convince or change the mind of the reader or to incite the reader to some action”;
develop the ability to organise ideas and to present and structure an argument in writing and orally;
recognize and assess an argument, how it is organized and how it is presented in writing and orally
write a persuasive argument in a medium other than paper such as a play, a poem, a song, or software multimedia programs:
explain the appropriate uses of criticism, analysis and evaluation in finding the “truth” of an argument.

Someone with critical thinking skills:

After this course is finished, we should be more:

Self-aware, recognizing your own biases and influences;
Inquisitive and curious, wanting to learn more about issues before passing judgment;
Objective, basing your judgments on evidence and avoiding twisting evidence to fit your opinion;
Open-minded, having the ability to say, "I don't know" or "I was wrong";
Sensitive to language, avoiding slanted language, recognizing ambiguous, vague, emotionally laden language, defining key terms;
Imaginative, approaching topics and problems from various angles;
Fair and intellectually honest, avoiding misrepresenting the ideas of others or misinterpreting data and research to fit your own purposes.