The workshop exposes the participants to the nature of Critical Thinking and factors that might control or impact the understanding and the analysis processes. Another learning outcome is to help participants develop the ability to analyze data and identify the link between the input and inferences and link these to the conclusion of an argument.
Purpose: The aim of this workshop is to familiarize the participants with critical thinking as a higher-order thinking, and enables participants to be responsible academics who contribute to academia, and not be merely consumers of society's distractions. Hence participants are encouraged to think critically and ask appropriate questions, gather relevant information, and efficiently and creatively sort through this information. This eventually prepares the participants to reason logically, and come to reliable and accurate conclusions
Methodology: The workshop is conducted in a highly interactive format, incorporating participant-centered learning activities such as group discussions, group work activities, and debates. The participant’s handout is designed both as a learning tool to develop participant skills and knowledge during the workshop, and as a resource guide with samples questions that require critical thinking abilities. The trainers encourage the participants to questioning process in ways that require that they not only understand the material, but can analyze given data and apply it to new situations. Questions included in the handouts discuss the basic structure of an argument, properly drawn conclusions, underlying assumptions, well – supported explanatory hypotheses, and parallels between structurally similar arguments.
Content in brief: The workshop helps participants to identify assumptions in the reasoning by listing differences, comparing situations and identifying biases in thinking. This is achieved by applying critical thinking skills to reading and constructing arguments to strengthen or weaken arguments and dealing with Critical Thinking skills integrated in Academic Reading and MCQ test questions.
Students are invited to see the Workshop PowerPoint & Handouts