AS Level Critical Thinking

Read Lyam's view

What is the subject about?

The study of critical thinking will equip candidates with reasoning skills to use in life, work and further academic study. It provides opportunities for candidates to think deeply, and in a structured way, about issues that are key to participating in society e.g. ethical questions, cultural issues and issues of personal responsibility. It enables them to make reasoned decisions that are based on evidence and argument rather than assumption and prejudice.

Critical thinking can be defined as a form of reflective reasoning that emphasises the logical connection of ideas within a sound structure. It involves the analysis and evaluation of information and argument; and the development of a range of intellectual skills that assist the use of reasoning to reach clear, logical and coherent judgements [conclusions] within a given context.

AS Unit 1 Credibility of Evidence

The first AS unit concerns the credibility of evidence. We rely on the testimony of others for much of our information about the world, but how can we decide whether or not a source of information is reliable? When several sources of information conflict, what method can we use to decide which of them (if any) to believe? This unit gives answers to these questions, providing students with tools to assess the credibility of documents and individual witnesses, and with a framework for resolving disputes.

AS Unit 2 Assessing and Developing Argument

Perhaps the core skill in critical thinking is that of assessing and developing arguments. This is the concern of the second AS unit. It teaches students how to analyse the argument in a passage, establishing what evidence is being offered in support of what conclusion. Once this has been done, students are asked to assess the strength of the support provided by the evidence, often exposing flaws in the reasoning. Finally, students are asked to construct persuasive arguments of their own, developing skills that should prove useful outside the classroom.

Teaching and Learning Styles

Learning will be achieved by note-taking, reading, and research from primary and secondary sources, videos, Internet and CDROM. Teaching styles vary from formal lectures to discussions and debates. A key element of this course is the opportunity to visit major historical sites