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University of Leeds

Critical Thinking at University: An Introduction

University of Leeds via FutureLearn

Overview

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Make sure you have the critical thinking skills required for university

Critical thinking is a vital skill at university and later in life. University study introduces you to new concepts, ways of learning and requires you to think critically. You need to know how to question information sources and how to evaluate different arguments.

Despite critical thinking being so important, students are often unprepared when they start their studies. This course will show you what critical thinking skills you need at university level, how they can be applied to different disciplines and how to use practical strategies to develop these skills for a successful academic life.

This course has been ranked as one of the best online courses of all time by online course aggregator class central.

This course is for anyone preparing to study at university level or for current university students. You may be an undergraduate or a new taught postgraduate student who might be unfamiliar with studying in the UK. If you want to have a successful academic life, this course will give you the foundations whatever your discipline at university.

Critical thinking skills are also valued later life by employers, so if you want to refresh your skills, this practical online course is for you.

The course is part of the academic skills courses portfolio at the University of Leeds aiming to improve skills required for academic study.

Syllabus

  • Critical thinking and what it means at university
    • Welcome
    • What is critical thinking?
    • A model for critical thinking
    • Why is critical thinking important at university?
    • Summary
  • Improving your critical thinking
    • Welcome to Week 2
    • Challenges to thinking critically at university
    • How can you improve your critical thinking?
    • How will critical thinking help you at university?
    • Summary

Taught by

Jiani Liu and Michelle Schneider

Reviews

4.7 rating, based on 155 Class Central reviews

Start your review of Critical Thinking at University: An Introduction

  • Gives a good overview over what Critical Thinking is, what is expected from a Critical Thinker, and how Critical Thinking is split into three stages. This is a good introduction for a beginner. However, I wish there were more exercises in order to practise our Critical Thinking skills.
  • Thanks to this practical course, I have a better grasp of what critical thinking is. Before I took this course, my approach to critical thinking was to ask questions whatever came up to me. However, this introductory course gave me a more structured…
  • Anonymous
    This is an extremely helpful and well thought out course, which I feel would be particularly beneficial to those embarking on an undergraduate degree - I wish something like this had been available when I did my degree many years ago. It is invalua…
  • Anonymous
    I think this course is really useful, especially for beginners. It introduces the concepts of critical thinking in the first week and then provides more examples and exercises for learners to get an idea of what they mean theoretically in the first week, enabling learners to have a go with it and understand the strategies better:) Hope the course can contain more sample responses, which can further help beginners to briefly understand what a good critical thinking looks like. Also, more exercises will be certainly helpful:)
  • Anonymous
    The Critical Thinking at University: An Introduction has been an invaluable course for me, recommended by the Course Director of Trinity College London to support my start on their TEFL & TESOL course. Developing a deeper understanding on not just becoming an independent learner but the skills and strategies to overcome information overload and evaluate sources will be transferable to my future career.
  • Anonymous
    Ofrece un panorama general sobre el pensamiento crítico el cual es muy importante para todo alumno de universidad del mundo, además proporciona modelos que pueden adaptarse para mejorar el nivel de habilidad crítica de cada alumno.
  • Anonymous
    Course was informative, I found it useful as it taught me how to be a critical thinker which will be useful for my university life plus it transferable too. I would recommend this course as to any one going to university as it help you to critique article and how to not get overwhelmed with information that out there. Try it you won't be disappointed.
  • Anonymous
    A very helpful course - I'd say it took me a bit more than the 4 hours a week to complete, but it is what you make it as well I think. I'd recommend this to anyone looking for some support in their first weeks at university, or anyone like me who just wishes to improve their personal critical thinking skills.
  • The Course valuable with useful information and preparing students for the university to enhance critically knowledge and building new educational life for a better future the Course well building and giving examples from real life
  • Anonymous
    Great. Good. The course has broaden my ideas on what its entails to critical thinking at university and this will help me the future and my academic journey in any discipline of my choice and extend in to my future professions.
  • Anonymous
    This is an excellent course. I think it is aimed mainly at undergraduates, but there is plenty of useful information for Masters students and PhD researchers, particularly those who have been away from academia for a while. The exercises and mini assignments provide helpful opportunities to practise the skills taught on the course. As a postgraduate, some of this was familiar to me, but I definitely identified weaknesses in my own ability to think critically and acquired new skills to make me a more effective researcher. In other words, I needed to 'up my game' and this course has given me the tools to do so.
  • FLORENCE MACDONALD (M.L.E (SM)
    Greetings !! Thanks to Future Learn and to the University of Leeds and your respective team members.
    Thank you Ms Jiani and Ms Michelle for showing me the way and for walking along with me in the journey of learning Critical Thinking. I have no words . but say I am grateful to you for the structured course, the relevant topics, and the professional manner it was done. This is a give in for University of Leeds and I am glad to learn from such professionals from such an elite University of Leeds.
    Kind regards,
    Florence MacDonald
  • Anonymous
    This course was very helpful on my part as a learner. It gives insights and knowledge on how to properly describes something, how to evaluate and analyze before arriving into a conclusion. In this course i learned how to arrange my thoughts and ideas in a proper context and perspective view. This course on Critical thinking absolutely will absolutely help me in my professional career and personal life.
  • Anonymous
    This course was very helpful on my part as a learner. It gives insights and knowledge on how to properly describes something, how to evaluate and analyze before arriving into a conclusion. In this course i learned how to arrange my thoughts and ideas in a proper context and perspective view. This course on Critical thinking absolutely will absolutely help me in my professional career and personal life.
  • Anonymous
    As a matter of fact, critical thinking is [was] a whole new concept to me. Since I'm new to it, it made learning a bit difficult.

    The course itself is great. It has opened me to see the enormous possiblity of learning new things and learning them deeply.

    I highly recommend the course to all and sundry, whether you are 7 or 70 yrs, whether a teacher or plumber, a student or not.

    Thanks to Leeds Uni and FutureLearn for this programme.
  • Anonymous
    I chose to complete the course as a refresher when about to apply for higher level courses. It was very thorough in its approach and very clear. There were also opportunities to revise and refresh your understanding throughout. Further opportunities to 'test' your knowledge of your learning were also available.
  • Anonymous
    This course has further developed my understanding of critical thinking. In addition, it has made me mindful of the challenges that can affect this ever-so-significant skill, and by providing the various ways in which these can be dealt with, this course has made me more aware of the solutions that can be implemented to achieve a higher level of critical thinking. In fact, I will be employing many of these.
  • Anonymous
    I think the course is well designed as it includes rich resources of atritcles, videos, audio and pdf. transcripts. Besides, each session has exercises to enhance what we have learned. I like this course.
  • Anonymous
    This really is a fantastic course it takes you through from explaining what is critical thinking and how in a step by step way giving the skills to know the best way to do it.

    With examples and tips on how to get better, there are also some great links within the materials for you to get more practice.

    Would thoroughly recommend.
  • Anonymous
    The course has been very useful in my learning and understanding of critical thinking and how to write critically.
    The practical lessons and examples used in the course were impactful in understanding about the prerequisites and steps required in critical writing.
    I think the course was very helpful to all that attended.

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