Information and critical thinking

Teacher(s)

Bauwens Anne (compensates Rees Jean-François); De Kesel Myriam; Rees Jean-François (coordinator);

Language

French

Main themes

This course addresses the issue of critical thinking and its application in assessing the quality of information.

Learning outcomes

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :

Decode the mechanisms at work behind our stereotypes

Spot how content staging can manipulate us

Determine the reliability of information and its source

Assess and interpret the quality of a scientific approach

Discuss the place and limits of science today

Content

The course consists of 7 modules.

• Module 1: Why should you develop your critical thinking skills?
• Module 2: Identifying your preconceptions
• Module 3: Decoding Speech
• Module 4: Assessing Source Quality
• Module 5: Understanding the scientific approach
• Module 6: Analyzing data, information
• Module 7: Being aware of the limits of science

Teaching methods

Teaching is based on an online course accessible on the EdX platform. Participants will follow the online courses. Working sessions will be organized to implement what will have been covered in the online course.

Evaluation methods

The evaluation will be carried out during an oral examination which will cover all the material seen online and will be based on concrete cases as discussed during the working sessions. Part of the mark will be based on participation in the working sessions.

The final note is made of:
1. Participation to the online course (30%)
2. Participation to the on site course  (20%).
3. Personnal essai on a choosen topic (50%)

Online resources

www.edx.org

Faculty or entity

> SC