Critical Thinking Skills for University Success

This course is part of the Academic Skills for University Success Specialization

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Academic Skills for University Success SpecializationThe University of Sydney

About this Course

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In this course, you will learn how to develop your Critical Thinking Skills to help you achieve success in your university studies. After completing this course, you will be able to:
Use critical thinking and argumentation in university contexts to improve academic results 

 Understand the importance and function of critical thinking in academic culture  

Use a variety of thinking tools to improve critical thinking  

Identify types of argument, and bias within arguments, in order to better evaluate the strength of arguments 

Use evidence to support claims in arguments  

Apply critical thinking and argumentation to real world problems and issues

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Course 3 of 5 in the

Academic Skills for University Success Specialization

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Beginner Level

Approx. 26 hours to complete

English

Subtitles: Arabic, French, Portuguese (European), Italian, Vietnamese, German, Russian, English, Spanish

Instructors

Instructor rating

4.6/5 (143 Ratings)

Katherine Olston

Deputy Director (Digital Learning)

University of Sydney Centre for English Teaching

80,126 Learners

9 Courses

Luke Alexander

Academic Literacy Instructor and MOOC Learning Instructor

Centre for English Teaching

38,212 Learners

3 Courses

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Course 3 of 5 in the

Academic Skills for University Success Specialization

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Beginner Level

Approx. 26 hours to complete

English

Subtitles: Arabic, French, Portuguese (European), Italian, Vietnamese, German, Russian, English, Spanish

Offered by

The University of Sydney

Our excellence in research and teaching makes the University of Sydney one of the top universities in Australia and highly ranked among the best universities in the world. In 2020, we were ranked second in the Times Higher Education (THE) University Impact Rankings, and first in Australia in the QS Graduate Employability Rankings.

Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Content Rating95%(3,260 ratings)

Week

Week 1

5 hours to complete

Introduction to Critical Thinking in Academic Culture

5 hours to complete

7 videos (Total 47 min), 7 readings, 6 quizzes

7 videos

Welcome to the Academic Skills for University Success Specialization!1m

1.1a Introduction to the Course3m

1.2a Introduction to Academic Culture10m

1.2b Introduction to Critical Thinking9m

1.3a Survival Skills at University part 15m

1.3b Survival Skills for University part 27m

1.4a Academic Integrity9m

7 readings

Critical Thinking Weekly Topics10m

Critical Thinking Assessment Overview10m

Summative Peer Assessment10m

Learning Outcomes10m

6 practice exercises

1.1 Practice quiz30m

1.2 Practice Quiz30m

1.3 Practice Quiz30m

1.4 Practice Quiz30m

Summative Quiz - Module 130m

Discussion Board Self Assessment - Module 110m

Week

Week 2

4 hours to complete

Critical Thinking in Academic Contexts

4 hours to complete

7 videos (Total 46 min), 4 readings, 6 quizzes

7 videos

2.1a Dispositions & Habits of Mind for Critical Thinking7m

2.1b Dispositions & Habits of Mind for Critical Thinking Expert Video6m

2.2a Argument Spheres7m

2.3a Argument Fields7m

2.4a Questioning in Critical Thinking6m

2.4b Questioning a Text6m

2.4c Questioning in Critical Thinking Expert Video4m

4 readings

Learning Outcomes10m

6 practice exercises

2.1 Practice Quiz30m

2.2 Practice Quiz30m

2.3 Practice Quiz30m

2.4 Practice Quiz30m

2.5 Summative Quiz - Module 225m

Discussion Board Self Assessment - Module 210m

Week

Week 3

4 hours to complete

Logic & Reasoning

4 hours to complete

6 videos (Total 47 min), 4 readings, 6 quizzes

6 videos

3.1a Premises and Conclusions7m

3.1b Formal Logic Structures9m

3.2a Common Fallacies7m

3.3a Forms of Reasoning9m

3.4a Applying Systems Thinking7m

3.4b Applying Systems Thinking Expert Video4m

4 readings

Learning Outcomes10m

6 practice exercises

3.1 Practice Quiz30m

3.2 Practice Quiz30m

3.3 Practice Quiz30m

3.4 Practice Quiz30m

Summative Quiz - Module 325m

Discussion Board Self Assessment - Module 310m

Week

Week 4

5 hours to complete

Argumentation

5 hours to complete

10 videos (Total 67 min), 4 readings, 6 quizzes

10 videos

4.1a Claims and Evidence5m

4.1b Claims and Evidence Expert Video3m

4.2a Identifying Biases and Assumptions 15m

4.2b Identifying Biases and Assumptions 28m

4.2c Identifying Biases and Assumptions 36m

4.3a Using Critical Thinking to Evaluate Arguments 16m

4.3b Using Criteria to Evaluate Arguments 25m

4.4a Types of Argument 111m

4.4b Types of Argument 26m

4.4c Types of Arguments Expert Video5m

4 readings

Learning Outcomes10m

6 practice exercises

4.1 Practice Quiz30m

4.2 Practice Quiz30m

4.3 Practice Quiz30m

4.4 Practice Quiz30m

Summative Quiz - Module 425m

Discussion Board Self Assessment - Module 410m

Reviews

4.8

113 reviews

5 stars
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1 star
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TOP REVIEWS FROM CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS FOR UNIVERSITY SUCCESS

by AHMay 13, 2019

Very interesting and well structured course. Condenses a lot of theory into something manageable and includes lots of quizes and exercises to put new learnings into practice.

by RJul 10, 2020

Thank you so much.. I had a great time completing my assignments and answering assessments. I've learned a lot from this course.

by MJJul 28, 2020

this is course is really important for learning about chances and instances in critical situation

by MKAug 6, 2020

Good Course. Helped me to understand the basic principles of Critical thinking and arguments.

View all reviews

About the Academic Skills for University Success Specialization

Develop skills in information & digital literacy, problem-solving, critical thinking and communication.

Frequently Asked Questions

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What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
Is financial aid available?
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Will I earn university credit for completing the Course?
This Course doesn't carry university credit, but some universities may choose to accept Course Certificates for credit. Check with your institution to learn more. Online Degrees and Mastertrack™ Certificates on Coursera provide the opportunity to earn university credit.

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Critical Thinking Skills for University Success

About this Course