When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.
Learn new concepts from industry experts
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Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
Earn a shareable career certificate
There are 4 modules in this course
Your brain is capable of remarkable thinking — but for most adults, critical thinking skills are switched off up to 70% of the time. This course shows you why that happens and, more importantly, what you can do about it.
Drawing on neuroscience research, you'll discover how your brain operates in two distinct states and how everyday stress, emotions, and social dynamics can quietly sabotage your clearest thinking. Through practical, research-backed techniques, you'll learn to recognize your personal triggers, regulate your responses, and shift back into the focused, executive state where your best decisions get made.
What makes this course unique is its dual focus: you'll not only sharpen your own critical thinking, but also develop the skills to activate it in the people around you. From facilitating better team decisions to guiding colleagues through conflict, you'll walk away with a complete toolkit for thinking more clearly — alone and with others — no matter what challenges land on your plate.
Your brain's stress responses — fight, flight, and freeze — can quietly sabotage your ability to think clearly and work effectively with others. In this module, you'll build awareness of how your brain operates under pressure, recognize your personal stress triggers, and apply practical strategies to stay grounded so you can make better, more deliberate decisions.
What's included
6 videos1 assignment1 discussion prompt
Show info about module content
6 videos•Total 19 minutes
Develop Better Thinking•2 minutes
The Two Brain States•4 minutes
Fighting Back•3 minutes
Responding With Flight•3 minutes
Freezing Up•4 minutes
Building Awareness•3 minutes
1 assignment•Total 30 minutes
Successful Decision Making•30 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 10 minutes
Know Your Flight Pattern•10 minutes
Activating Optimized Critical Thinking
Module 2•1 hour to complete
Module details
Your emotions and body have more influence over your thinking than you might realize, and knowing how to manage them is key to staying sharp when it counts. In this module, you'll identify the emotions and physiological cues that shut down clear thinking, pick up on survival-state signals in the people around you, and apply real-time techniques to shift yourself back into an executive state so you can think and respond at your best.
What's included
4 videos1 assignment1 discussion prompt
Show info about module content
4 videos•Total 12 minutes
Labeling Your Emotions•3 minutes
Impacts On The Body•2 minutes
Non-Verbal Language•3 minutes
Curiosity vs Concern•3 minutes
1 assignment•Total 30 minutes
Activating Optimized Critical Thinking•30 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 10 minutes
Your Body Knows First•10 minutes
The Decision Making Process
Module 3•1 hour to complete
Module details
Making a good decision starts long before you weigh your options — it starts with making sure you're solving the right problem in the first place. In this module, you'll work through a proven end-to-end decision-making process: pinpoint root causes, generate strong solutions, and apply evaluation techniques to identify the best path forward with confidence.
What's included
5 videos1 assignment2 discussion prompts
Show info about module content
5 videos•Total 15 minutes
Solving the Right Problem•3 minutes
Identifying the Root Cause•3 minutes
Coming Up With Ideas•3 minutes
Evaluating the Ideas•3 minutes
Finding the Best Idea•3 minutes
1 assignment•Total 30 minutes
The Decision Making Process•30 minutes
2 discussion prompts•Total 20 minutes
What Are You Really Solving For?•10 minutes
Ask Why Until It Hurts•10 minutes
Critical Thinking with Others
Module 4•1 hour to complete
Module details
Getting a group of people to think critically together — and actually reach a decision everyone supports — is one of the hardest parts of working with others. In this module, you'll apply neuroscience-backed techniques to bring out the best thinking in your team, use structured frameworks to guide group discussions efficiently, and develop the awareness to recognize what your team needs to move forward together.
What's included
6 videos2 assignments
Show info about module content
6 videos•Total 15 minutes
Critical Thinking With Teams•3 minutes
Sitting With Problems•2 minutes
Asking the Right Questions•3 minutes
Making the Group Decision•2 minutes
Recognizing Direction•3 minutes
Expand Your Mind•2 minutes
2 assignments•Total 60 minutes
Critical Thinking with Others•30 minutes
Know Where Your Team Stands•30 minutes
Earn a career certificate
Add this credential to your LinkedIn profile, resume, or CV. Share it on social media and in your performance review.
Built on a decade of creating exceptional video libraries for world-class brands, Madecraft brings you authentic learning for the way we live now. Partnering with bestselling authors, renowned professors, and industry leaders, we pair expert-led content with practical tools to accelerate your career and personal growth.
When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
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.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.