Instructor(s)

Course Description 

The course comes in two parts. The first part of the course treats Critical Thinking. The components of this part are critical writing, informal logic, and epistemology. The content of the course is largely philosophic, but most of the application exercises will be centered on topics related to leadership. Students will analyze ideas in texts and lectures, learn how to critique and construct arguments, and analyze problems in complex systems. They will also examine the ways that powerful groups and people can influence notions of truth.

The second part of treats Creative Thinking. This part is designed to enhance students‘ understanding of the concepts of creative thinking and to inspire and influence them with new ways of looking at problems and resolving them. The content will include both historic and contemporary examples of innovative companies and highly creative individuals who are leaders in creative endeavours and enterprises. Students will also be given opportunities to discover and express their imagination in various areas of creativity and engage in meaningful creative activities individually as well as in teams. They will find that working together in teams with members with different talents will enhance your individual creativity.

Course Objectives 

At the conclusion of the course, each student should be able to:

1. Understand major theories and models of creative and critical thinking.
2. Demonstrate capability to define typical barriers (internal and external) to thinking, specifically creative thinking.
3. Apply techniques and strategies for stimulating creative thinking abilities in students, including brainstorming, attribute listing, metaphorical thinking, SCAMPER, and creative problem solving.
4. Demonstrate the ability to examine thinking programming, such as Future Problem Solving and Destination Imagination.

Course Content 

Topics

A. Critical Thinking

I. Thinking About Thinking and Truth

1. Introduction: Left brain /right brain exercise
2. Truth and Knowledge
3. Good and Bad Reasoning
4. Inductive and Deductive Reasoning

II. Fallacious Thinking

1. Fallacious Reasoning

III. System Thinking

1. The Nature of Systems
2. Setting Goals and Creating Models
3. Psychological Impediments to Cogent Reasoning

IV. Generational Thinking

B. Creative Thinking

I. Historical Background, Different Approaches, their strengths and weaknesses

II. Promoting and Inhibiting Creativity.

III. Creative Persons

1. Socio-Cultural Influences.
2. Methods of Study
3. Thinking Styles and Strategies.
4. Experimental Studies and Theories

IV. The Creative Process and Creative Problem Solving

1. Problem: Defining and Phrasing
2. Identify: Frames and Metaphors
3. Generate: Groups, Observation, Analogy, Reorganization, rearrangement and Lateral Thinking
4. Meld & Disseminate

V.    The Evaluation of Creativity and its relation to Intelligence VI. Creativity in Organizational Settings, Motivation.

Mode of Delivery

Classroom instruction is demonstration, discussion, project and teamwork based. Assignments range from the short and simple to the detailed and complex.

Reading Materials

1. Brooke Noel Moore & Richard Parker. (2014). Critical Thinking. Grand Rapids: McGraw-Hill Higher Education. Int‘l Ed.
2. Browne, M. N., Keeley, S. M. (2011). Asking the Right Questions: A Guide to Critical Thinking (10^th ed.). London: Longman. 
3. Lauer, H. and Amponsah B. (2010). Critical Thinking and Practical Reasoning. Legon: UGRC.
4. Ritchhart, R., Church, M., Morrison, K. (2011). Making Thinking Visible. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.