XYHX1012 Critical thinking: level-up your arguments (3–4 op)

^{Course description}

Can you win an argument without shouting? Can you detect when you are being persuaded? In the age of deep-fakes and large language models, resilience to persuasion has never been more important. This course for students aims to make you better at arguing, in speech and writing, and evaluating others’ arguments. We look at different contexts where argumentation is important, both for your academic work and in the wider world. You will learn to recognise biases and fallacies and correct them, and practice arguing with others to strengthen your English skills. You will try out tools and resources such as argument-mapping apps and chatbots. A project gives you the chance to take a deep dive into a subject that interests you, applying what you’ve learned. This can be done in pairs, or it could focus on your own dissertation or coursework for another course. You'll be better equipped to conquer academic challenges and succeed in your future career, no matter what field you're passionate about.

On successful completion of the course, you will be able to:

• Apply critical thinking to solve scientific communication challenges effectively and ethically.

• Analyse persuasive arguments across various formats and media, and craft your own.

• Spot and explain common cognitive biases and logical fallacies in arguments and discourse.

• Improve your oral and written argumentation skills in English by practice.

• Use and evaluate tools and resources to help with persuasive communication in English.

• Show understanding of language and cultural considerations in persuasive communication.

• Use logic and rhetoric to describe and solve communication problems.

3-4 credits are available. 4 credits are awarded for completion of class work, assignments and an agreed project. 3 credits are awarded for completion of class work and assignments only, without the project.