Overview

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Trains students to evaluate critically important issues from the main areas of psychology (e.g., cognitive and neural, clinical, developmental, history, quantitative and theoretical, law and psychology, social) and to communicate their ideas clearly in written form. The content may vary in different offerings of the course. Writing.

COURSE DETAILS:

The purpose of this course is to help psychology majors (you!) cultivate, practice, and demonstrate critical thinking skills. As the name of the course suggests, students will engage in critical analysis by learning to spot psychological claims and then investigate, discuss, and evaluate the appropriateness of evidence for such claims. Writing is the primary tool we will use to cultivate critical thinking skills (writing is thinking!). The best way to learn skills like critical thinking and writing is to do them – so there will be plenty of opportunities to try and try again while you learn. It will take effort and persistence to revise your work while you get and give feedback – so don’t give up. We (the Teaching Team) believe if you and are here to help! By applying the practical skills you build in PSYC 300W, you will become better equipped to separate fact from fiction when you encounter (mis)information about psychology (or any other topic) in your day-to-day life.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

Each component of this course is designed to cultivate one or more of the objectives listed below. Throughout the semester, you will have the opportunity to:
• Build and practice critical thinking skills
• Write concisely and efficiently by focusing on key points and knowing what to omit
• Construct a critical analysis (by thoughtfully examining the positive and negative qualities of the work and justifying a response based on the validity of the evidence). This will require:
o finding and consulting primary sources
o critically evaluating evidence
o taking an informed stance
o demonstrating scientific literacy
o seeking new evidence as it becomes available and revising conclusions when appropriate
• Engage in practical application of transferrable skills sought by employers. These skills include:
o critical thinking
o writing
o working collaboratively
o project management
o peer-review and peer-evaluation
o revising work in response to feedback
o using AI effectively and with integrity
o demonstrating flexibility in a changing environment

Grading

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

REQUIRED READING NOTES: