About this course
University Microcredential in Reasoning, Argumentation and Decision-Making. Academic Reviewer: Carmen Sánchez Ovcharov. Lecturer and Director of Learning Experience at Camilo José Cela University. Currently, the ability to to reason, to argue and to make informed decisions It is more crucial than ever. On the ‘Reasoning, Argumentation and Decision-Making’ course, you will acquire essential skills for navigating a world saturated with information, where misinformation and bias are rife. This course will help you turn opinions into sound arguments, critically analyse sources of information and improve your critical judgement in the face of cognitive biases. You will learn to reason rationally and justify complex decisions, particularly in the context of artificial intelligence and contemporary challenges such as climate change and bioethics. The demand for professionals with these skills is booming, as they are essential in sectors that value innovation, ethics and evidence-based decision-making. Taking this course will not only enhance your analytical thinking …and your critical thinking skills, but it will also put you in a stronger position in a competitive job market.
What you’ll learn
- To identify and distinguish between opinions, beliefs and arguments in order to improve critical thinking.
- To construct sound arguments that are coherent, valid and well-founded.
- To critically evaluate sources and evidence in order to develop well-founded knowledge.
- Recognise heuristics and cognitive biases in order to avoid prejudices in reasoning.
- To think things through rationally and weigh up the options in order to make informed decisions.
- To analyse the influence of artificial intelligence on knowledge and decision-making.
- Apply critical thinking to contemporary challenges, taking ethical and social considerations into account.
What it prepares you for
This course prepares you to develop critical and analytical skills essential for solving complex problems. You will learn how to turn opinions into sound arguments, critically evaluate information and overcome biases in order to reach an informed judgement. You will develop the ability to make reasoned decisions, taking risks and uncertainties into account, and use artificial intelligence tools critically. Furthermore, you will apply this knowledge to the major contemporary challenges, thereby gaining a deep and well-founded understanding.
Syllabus
TEACHING UNIT 1. FROM OPINIONS TO ARGUMENTS
- Opinions, beliefs, arguments and knowledge
- Theses, premises and conclusions
- Logical structure of the arguments
- Explicit and implicit assumptions
- Coherence, validity and strength of argument
- Constructing and communicating one’s own arguments
TEACHING UNIT 2. FROM INFORMATION TO EVIDENCE-BASED KNOWLEDGE
- Information, evidence and knowledge
- Critical evaluation of sources
- Quality of the evidence
- Facts, figures, interpretations and opinions
- Correlation, causality and uncertainty
- How knowledge is constructed in science and other fields of learning
TEACHING UNIT 3. FROM PREJUDICE TO CRITICAL THINKING
- Heuristics and cognitive biases
- Availability, representativeness and grounding
- Motivational thinking
- Stereotypes, prejudices and clichés
- Polarisation and echo chambers
- Argumentative fallacies
- Persuasion, propaganda and disinformation
- Strategies for improving one’s own reasoning
TEACHING UNIT 4. FROM REACTIONS TO REASONED DECISIONS
- Rational deliberation
- Assessment of alternatives
- Risk and uncertainty
- Consequences of decisions
- Individual and collective decisions
- Rational justification of complex decisions
TEACHING UNIT 5. CRITICAL THINKING IN THE AGE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
- Algorithms and artificial intelligence
- Algorithmic biases
- Decision automation
- AI and knowledge construction
- Verification and cross-checking of AI-generated responses
- Critical and responsible use of AI tools
TEACHING UNIT 6. APPLICATION TO MAJOR CONTEMPORARY CHALLENGES
- Science and evidence
- Politics and democracy
- Culture, identity and diversity
- Technology and artificial intelligence
- Sustainability and climate change
- Human rights
- Bioethics
- Freedom of expression and the regulation of platforms
- Disinformation and public opinion
- Ethical dilemmas and conflicts of values
TEACHING UNIT 7. CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF A CONTEMPORARY ISSUE
- Identification of positions and stakeholders
- Analysis of arguments and counter-arguments
- Critical appraisal of evidence
- Identifying assumptions and biases
- Assessment of alternatives
- Drawing up a reasoned proposal
Who is it aimed at?
The course Reasoning, argumentation and decision-making is designed for professionals and graduates who wish to improve their critical and analytical skills in the workplace. With a focus on constructing sound arguments and evaluating evidence, it is ideal for those seeking to apply the critical thinking in the age of artificial intelligence and tackling contemporary challenges.
