Critical Thinking FAST TRACK A Level

Critical Thinking FAST TRACK A Level

Critical Thinking develops the ability to make sense of arguments and ideas. People who question what they read in the newspaper and enjoy reading between the lines, by analysing the language used in a logical way, will enjoy this course. As well as being lively and enjoyable in its own right it can help improve study and communication skills. On this basis, Critical Thinking can be a very useful way to support the study of other subjects and improve your performance in other subjects.

Learning about critical thinking provides a framework for you to weigh up all of the information that you are bombarded with every day. This may be very helpful when you are studying other subjects. It helps develop the skill of reading for meaning. Rather than skimming through a newspaper article, a technical report or a difficult chapter in a book, you should become better equipped to take what you have read to pieces. You are given a discipline to see what somebody is really saying and whether you are convinced by it, rather than taking them at face value. By the end of the course you may also be better able to construct an argument yourself.

The course is divided into two units, each of which is divided into several sections. There are a large number of activities to do. The course is skills based rather than content based. In other words, there is not very much to commit to memory. It is more about practising and developing skills. The answers to all the activities are included with the course notes. At various points you will complete one of the assignments and send it to your tutor for marking. Each unit corresponds to a unit as set out in the syllabus and an examination. The lessons also broadly correspond to sections of the units in the syllabus. It is important that you will study the lessons in the right sequence. However you should be aware that Critical Thinking is very much an integrated subject – try and see the links between terms and concepts as you go along. The units are divided up as follows:

UNIT 1 INTRODUCTION TO CRITICAL THINKING
Part A – the language of reasoning

3.1.1 What is an argument?

What is an argument?
Some basic rules of arguments
Using common notation as shorthand

3.1.2 The elements of an argument

What are argument indicators?
Counter arguments
The use of counter claims
Providing evidence
Providing examples
Hypothetical reasoning
Assumptions

3.1.3 How strong is the evidence in a reason?

Evaluating evidence
How big was the sample?
Was the sample representative?
How and when was the evidence collected?
How is the evidence presented?
Alternative interpretations of statistics
How well does a reason support the conclusion?

Part B – Credibility
3.1.4 What is credibility?
3.1.5 Credibility criteriaIs the evidence plausible?Is the source an eye witness?
Is there corroboration?
To what extent are different sources consistent with each other?
Is there any suggestion of bias?
Does the source have a vested interest?
Is the source neutral?
Can the source be seen as expert?
Does the source have a positive reputation?

3.1.6 A guide to the unit one exam

How the exam works
What do I need to be able to do?
How to give a good answer
Practice makes perfect!

UNIT 2 ASSESSING AND DEVELOPING ARGUMENT
Part A – Further points on components

3.2.1 Some things that are not an argument

Explanation
Description
Opinion

3.2.2 Intermediate conclusions
3.2.3 Analogies
3.2.4 Principles
3.2.5 Drawing conclusions

Part B – spotting problems with an argument - types of flaw
3.2.6 Inconsistency and contradiction
3.2.7 Types of flaw

Wrong actions
Unwarranted assumption of a causal relationship
Generalisation
Restricting the options
Slippery slope
Circular argument
Confusing necessary and sufficient conditions
Conflation
Straw person
Ad hominem flaws
Arguing from one thing to another

3.2.8 Irrelevant appeals
Part C – Developing your own reasoned argument
Part D – Guide to the unit 2 exam

Recommended textbook and use of the webAlthough the course material provides explanations of the whole syllabus you are strongly advised to purchase a copy of OCR Critical Thinking AS by Jo Lally and others. It is published by Heinemann. (ISBN 978-0-435235-89-5). The book provides clear explanations and contains many activities.

At the front of the book is a CD which contains, among other things, the answers to the activities.

On the critical thinking website you will see a useful links section, though as the creator of the website admits, there isn’t much else out there.

Finally, the OCR website contains full details of the syllabus and sample exam papers with answers.

Studying Critical Thinking

Critical Thinking is a broad, contemporary and “real world” subject.

Students probably need to have passed GCSE level English Language to do well on the course. There is no mathematics element but there is a need to have a go at interpreting figures and understanding some basic mathematical concepts such as averages and percentages at a fairly basic level.

AS EXAMS - Exam board: OCR - Code: HO52

Unit 1 Introduction to Critical Thinking (20% of total A level marks)1.5 hour written paper. Answer all questions. Candidates will be presented with 2 or more passages, totalling 900 words.

Candidates answer short answer questions and more discursive answers

Unit 2 Assessing and Developing Argument (30% of total A level marks)1.5 hour written paper. Answer all questions. The paper has 2 parts and candidates answer all questions. Section A: contains multiple choice questions. Section B: Short answer questions after analysing a passage. Section C: short answer questions and construction of one or more further arguments.

Exams available January and June

FURTHER DETAILS OF SYLLABUS AND EXAMS AVAILABLE ON OCR WEBSITE.  Please refer to these details in preparation for exams, not this brief summary.
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A2 Critical Thinking

The course is divided into two units, each of which is divided into several sections. There are a large number of activities to do. The course is skills based rather than content based. In other words, there is not very much to commit to memory. It is more about practising and developing skills. The answers to all the activities are included with the course notes. At various points you will complete one of the assignments and send it to your tutor for marking.

Each unit corresponds to a unit as set out in the syllabus and an examination. The lessons also broadly correspond to sections of the units in the syllabus. It is important that you will study the lessons in the right sequence. However you should be aware that Critical Thinking is very much an integrated subject – try and see the links between terms and concepts as you go along. The units are divided up as follows:

UNIT 3: ETHICAL REASONING AND DECISION MAKING

3.3.1 Ethical reasoning

Conflicting ideas
Social, political, religious and moral factors
More on hypothetical reasoning
Different responses, different criteria

3.3.2 Dilemmas, applying principles and decision making

The nature of a dilemma
Constructing arguments

UNIT 4 CRITICAL REASONING
3.4.1 Analysis and evaluation of complex arguments

Assumptions
Valid and invalid arguments
Syllogisms
Sustained suppositional reasoning
Sustained counter-argument
Relationship between components
Independent or joint?
Smaller arguments, counter arguments and explanations
Not part of an argument?
Evaluating strength and weakness

3.4.2 Developing your own cogent and complex argumentsStudying Critical ThinkingCritical Thinking is a broad, contemporary and “real world” subject.

Students probably need to have passed GCSE level English Language to do well on the course. There is no mathematics element but there is a need to have a go at interpreting figures and understanding some basic mathematical concepts such as averages and percentages at a fairly basic level.

A2 EXAMS - Exam board: OCR - Code: H452Unit 3 Ethical reasoning and decision making (25% of total A level marks)1.5 hour written paper. Question paper is based on resource material including graphs, charts and diagrams. Exercise in applying general and ethical principles. Short or more discursive answers.

Unit 4 Critical reasoning (25% of total A level marks)1.5 hour written paper. Complex materials in form of one or more passages, images, statistics etc. Short or more discursive answers dealing with analysis and evaluation. Also own further argument produced in response to the material.

FURTHER DETAILS OF SYLLABUS AND EXAMS AVAILABLE ON OCR WEBSITE. Please refer to these details in preparation for exams, not this brief summary.