Thinking Skills: Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
Unit 1. Thinking and Reasoning: 1. Thinking as a skill 2. An introduction to critical thinking 3. Solutions not problems Unit 2. Critical Thinking: the Basics: 1. Claims, assertions, statements 2. Judging claims 3. Argument 4. Identifying arguments 5. Analysing arguments 6. Complex arguments 7. Conclusions 8. Reasons 9. Assumptions 10. Flaws and fallacies Unit 3. Problem solving: Basic Skills: 1. What do we mean by a 'problem' 2. How do we solve problems? 3. Selecting and using information 4. Processing data 5. Finding methods of solution 6. Solving problems by searching 7. Recognising patterns 8. Hypotheses, reasons, explanations and inference 9. Spatial reasoning 10. Necessity and sufficiency 11. Choosing and using models 12. Making choices and decisions Unit 4. Applied Critical Thinking: 1. Inference 2. Explanation 3. Evidence 4. Credibility 5. Two case studies 6. Critical thinking and science 7. Introducing longer arguments 8. Applying analysis skills 9. Critical evaluation 10. Responding with further argument 11. A live text Unit 5. Advanced Problem solving: 1. Combining skills using imagination 2. Developing models 3. Carrying out investigations 4. Data analysis and inference Unit 6. Problem solving: Further Techniques: 1. Using other mathematical methods 2. Graphical methods of solution 3. Probability, tree diagrams and decision trees 4. Have you solved it? Unit 7. Critical Reasoning: Advanced Level: 1. Conditions and conditionals 2. Soundness and validity: a taste of logic 3. Non deductive reasoning 4. Reasoning with statistics 5. Decision making 6. Principles 7. An argument under the microscope 8. Critical writing End of chapter assignments: answers and comments Appendix Index Acknowledgements.