Developing skills in complex critical thinking, analysis, and expression

Overview

The main aim of the module is to increase students’ knowledge and understanding of the core concepts of and applications of complex thinking skills and to further their personal capabilities to develop their skills in critical thinking, problem solving, analysis, and expression in their undergraduate studies, and in their professional and practical settings in the future. The module draws on successful thinking – based interventions from various theoretical perspectives, with a particular focus on the role of metacognition, interpersonal dialogue, and collaborative learning, and complex problem solving for the development of enhanced thinking skills. The module will have practical elements, enabling participants to participate and collaborate in developing their personal and complex thinking capabilities and to develop sustainable strategies such as critical reflection to further develop their future complex thinking skills.

Learning Objectives

Studying this module will enable students to:

• Develop their understanding of the research literature on theories in the field of complex thinking skills and be able to critically evaluate apply this understanding to different perspectives on complex thinking and problem solving;

• Be able to integrate complex thinking skills into more general theories in their undergraduate studies;

• Critically reflect on the concept of metacognition and the importance of collaborative dialogue for promoting and sustaining complex thinking skills development and thinking dispositions;

• Critically reflect upon alternative problem-solving models for learning and assessing complex thinking skills and personal capabilities;

• Apply these ideas in their own educational learning contexts, for example, in the planning, learning and assessment of their wider undergraduate studies;

• Gain insights into their current thinking and learning strategies and appraise the role of the development of complex thinking skills in enhancing for example, their problem solving and critical analysis skills.

Skills

Regarding transferable skills, students should be able to:

• Demonstrate critical and self-evaluation skills in this Module and further in their wider undergraduate studies and ultimately in their chosen careers;

• Show literature searching and literature selection skills to an appropriate level;

• Contribute constructively to group discussion in class in both face to face and online discussion forums;

• Be competent in the style and conventions of academic writing;

• Reflect and self-evaluate their learning and complex thinking practices with the purpose of enhancement and improvement;

Assessment

None