ATS2946 Critical thinking: How to analyse arguments and improve your reasoning skills
Faculty of Arts
ATS2946 Critical thinking: How to analyse arguments and improve your reasoning skills is a level 2, 6-credit-point, undergraduate unit from the Faculty of Arts, offered in 2021 in Summer A, Semester 1 and Semester 2 at Clayton. It has no prerequisites.
- Credit points
- 6
- Offered in 2021
- Summer A, Semester 1, Semester 2
- Clayton
- Assessment
- No exam
- 7 tasks
- Workload
- 144 hours
- per semester
This is the 2021 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.
Reviews
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Requisites
Before ATS2946
No prerequisites or corequisites besides the enrolment rules below.
After ATS2946
No unit lists ATS2946 as a prerequisite in the 2021 handbook.
Enrolment rules
Prohibition: ATS1833
Overview
Critical thinking skills are useful in a wide variety of professions, including law, business, computer science, medicine, as well as in everyday life. What is the best way to construct, articulate and represent an argument? How do we distinguish real news from "fake" news? Should we believe what our doctors, mechanics, or financial advisors tell us, just because they are experts in their fields? By addressing questions like these, we will examine several methods of effective reasoning. We will also examine the ways in which reasoning can go wrong. If you successfully complete the unit you will be able to evaluate evidence, critique arguments, and use these abilities in a wide variety of situations, both in and beyond the classroom.
Offerings in 2021
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Summer semester A | Clayton | Flexible |
| First semester | Clayton | On campus |
| Second semester | Clayton | Flexible |
Assessment
- Weekly Quizzes10%
- Assessment Task 110%
- Assessment Task 210%
- Assessment Task 315%
- Assessment Task 410%
- Assessment Task 520%
- Final AssessmentThreshold hurdle25%
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
Identify and explain the theory of argument;
- 2
Extract arguments from a variety of texts;
- 3
Identify and represent the structure of an argument;
- 4
Recognise and apply the criteria of argument success
- 5
Evaluate common types of argument;
- 6
Construct an argument of your own.
Workload and teaching
- Tutorials24 hours
- Tutorials12 hours
- Teaching approachActive learning
Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.
This unit engages students in actively applying their knowledge, skills and attributes in interactive, collaborative and reflective activities.
Where it fits
ATS2946 is part of 9 areas of study in the 2021 handbook.
- FILMSCRN06Level 2 and 3 elective unitsFilm and screen studiesNo reviews yet
- FILMSCRN07Level 2 and 3 elective unitsFilm and screen studiesNo reviews yet
- JOURNLSM07Journalism elective unitsJournalismNo reviews yet
- JOURNLSM11Level 2 and 3 elective unitsJournalismNo reviews yet
- JOURNLSM12Level 2 and 3 unitsJournalismNo reviews yet
- PHILOSSP01Specialisation elective unitsPhilosophyNo reviews yet
- PHILSPHY05Level 2 and 3 elective unitsPhilosophyNo reviews yet
- PHILSPHY06Level 2 and 3 elective unitsPhilosophyNo reviews yet
- SCREEN03Screen electivesScreenNo reviews yet
Contacts
- Chief Examiners
- Associate Professor Jacqueline Broad
- Professor Jakob Hohwy
- Unit Coordinators
- Ms Elka Sadler
- Mr Andrew McKilliam
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for ATS2946?
ATS2946 has no prerequisites, but enrolment rules apply.
When is ATS2946 offered?
In 2021, ATS2946 runs in Summer A, Semester 1 and Semester 2 at Clayton.
How much work is ATS2946?
The handbook expects about 144 hours of study across the semester. No students have rated its difficulty yet.
Does ATS2946 have an exam?
No. ATS2946 has 7 assessment tasks and no exam.
Which majors and minors include ATS2946?
ATS2946 is part of Film and screen studies; Journalism; Philosophy; and Screen.