Course Instructor Contact:  Professor Idil Boran | Moodle messaging (preferred) or iboran@yorku.ca

The aim of this course is to help students develop skills of critical reasoning and argumentation for studies, professions, and everyday life. With special focus on moral issues, students will develop skills for understanding and analysing arguments, distinguishing good from bad arguments, spot weaknesses in arguments, clarify concepts and terms, as well as articulating strong, convincing, and thoughtful arguments. They will also learn how to listen and respond to different perspectives while being critically engaged.

The course is divided into two parts. The first part is focused on acquiring analytical skills used to differentiate good arguments from bad ones (e.g. the distinction between deductive and inductive reasoning, fallacies, etc.). The second part adds further dimension to these skills by learning how to recognize challenges to sound reasoning and how to address them. In this process, the relationship between scientific thinking and moral reasoning is explored. Explorations of moral reasoning are anchored on issues arising in law, health, and ethics.

Watch an overview on vimeo:

Technical requirements for taking the course:

Course participation will involve weekly live video conferencing and online workshop exercises done through video conferencing. For video conferencing, students will need a stable, high-speed internet connection, and a computer or smart device with webcam and microphone. Lecture notes and slides will be available through the Moodle course. In addition to graded online tests and assignments, students will have opportunities to do online practice exercises and (non-graded) self-check quizzes on a regular basis.

Students are expected to do their work, and fulfil the course’s requirements through the Moodle Course MODR 1760 B Y 2020

Helpful links & resources for remote courses:

Student Guide to Moodle
Zoom@YorkU Best Practices
Zoom@YorkU User Reference Guide
Computing for Students Website
Student Guide to eLearning at York University

You may check your internet connection and speed at Speedtest (optional)

Chris MacDonald & Lewis Vaughn, The Power of Critical Thinking (Fifth Canadian Edition) (Oxford University Press, 2019) ISBN: 9780199030439 – available at York University Bookstore: https://www.bookstore.yorku.ca

Supplementary sources and videos will be linked to Moodle

Fall mid-term test quiz: 15%
Fall weekly assignments (cumulative | graded at the end of term): 10%
Fall essay assignment (cumulative): 20%
Fall weekly assignments (cumulative | graded at the end of the term): 10%
Winter mid-term test (cumulative): 15%
Final exam (take-home exam | cumulative): 30%

Times and locations: Remote teaching - fall term will be remote teaching, possibly extended to winter term (follow university updates).

No on-campus meetings or activities are scheduled in the Fall term, possibly extended to the winter term. Live webinars will follow the course schedule for MODR 1760B Y 2020 set by the Registrar’s Office. Any changes will be announced on Moodle.

Your course hub is: Moodle Course MODR 1760 B Y 2020
All information updates will be made, and tests and assignments will be done, through the Moodle Course.

Organization of the course:

The course includes webinar lectures, supplementary resources through instructional videos, and interactive virtual classroom exercises. Skills are refined through ongoing weekly forum activities, Reasoning Labs, Essay Writing Labs and virtual group workshops. Scheduled webinar lectures will follow the course schedule set by the Registar’s Office. The webinars will take place in shorter segments, and break out workshop sessions. Details will be announced and updated on the Moodle course.

Lecture notes and slides will be available through the Moodle course on an ongoing basis. In addition to graded online tests and assignments, students will have opportunities to do online practice exercises and (non-graded) self-check quizzes on a regular basis.

Detailed timeline will be posted on Moodle.

• gain familiarity the questions, concepts, and methods of critical reasoning with focus in reasoning about moral questions and values

• reflect critically about the links between scientific literacy and morality and values

• develop skills for independent critical inquiry using these questions, concepts, and methods, while gaining an understanding of the challenges they present.

All material posted on Moodle, including lecture notes, slides, and recordings, is for study purposes by students enrolled in the course. Students do not have permission to duplicate, copy and/or distribute the recordings outside of the class (these acts can violate not only copyright laws but also FIPPA).