liberal agenda- social sciences

[kimberlyaz]

One thing that I really appreciate about the university that I'm finishing my degree with (Ottawa University) is that every student, regardless of major, has to take an introductory course called "Proseminar" that covers critical thinking methods.

This allowed me as a student to learn and apply critical thinking to any texts, handouts, or arguments that were made in class. It's kind of an "insulator" against falling prey to one slant or another like what cookderosa presented above.

I think it would be especially helpful for younger, more traditional students entering college for the first time. Although I didn't see a significant amount of that type of slant at Ottawa; thinking back to my first years of education at a state university I could find a number of examples of an instructor's bias or a biased text.

Below is a summary of the CLEAR or C-L-E-A-R method of critical thinking that can help you, your kids, and fellow students evaluate any argument (written or spoken) with a clear head --

1. Claims: What are the main claims or arguments in the text? What is the author’s main point?

2. Logic: How does the author reach these conclusions? What are the steps in the author’s reasoning or logic? Is this logic sound?

3. Evidence: What evidence does the author present to support the argument(s)? Does the author offer enough evidence? Is this evidence convincing? Can you think of any counter-evidence that would challenge the author’s claims?

4. Assumptions: Does the author rely on hidden assumptions? If so, are these assumptions correct?

5. Alternative arguments: Can you think of alternative arguments that the author has not considered?

Hope this is something you can put in your toolbox.