Academic Writing, Critical Thinking, and Logic (AP8001C)

Postgraduate, 24.0 points

Content

This unit assists students to develop skills in argument analysis and development, language analysis (e.g. evaluating the use of analogies), the identification of fallacies, critical thinking and the preparation of critical summaries and analyses of academic texts. These logical and critical thinking skills are basic to tertiary education, and are required for any academic study in the humanities. The unit also introduces and trains students in key academic skills such as paraphrasing, appropriate referencing and using library resources to develop a bibliography for a particular topic.

Unit code: AP8001C

Unit status: Approved (Major revision)

Points: 24.0

Unit level: Postgraduate Foundational

Unit discipline: Philosophy

Proposing College: Catholic Theological College

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Learning outcomes

1.

Identify and explain the main semantic, rhetorical and logical fallacies studied in the unit
2.

Recognise, analyse and evaluate the formal structure of simple arguments
3.

Write academic prose in accord with the University of Divinity style guide that contains a critical analysis of the arguments of both simple and complex academic texts, and assess them in terms of the semantic and rhetorical fallacies studied in the unit
4.

Write academic prose in accord with the University of Divinity style guide that contains a critical analysis of a piece of academic prose, identifying its presuppositions and conclusions
5.

Propose revisions to an academic text that would improve the quality of its argument and bring it into accord with good academic writing practice and the University of Divinity style guide
6.

Reflect critically on a piece of prose using the academic and critical thinking skills taught in the unit in a critical, rigorous, sustained and self-directed manner

Pedagogy

Lectures, seminars, tutorials

Indicative Bibliography

  • University of Divinity Style Guide - https://divinity.libguides.com/styleguide/home
  • ACU Academic Skills Unit. ACU Study Guide: Skills for Success. 3rd ed. North Sydney: Australian Catholic University, 2012.
  • Bowell, Tracy and Gary Kemp. Critical Thinking: A Concise Guide. 3rd ed. London: Routledge, 2010.
  • Govier, Trudy. A Practical Study of Argument. International Enhanced 7th ed. Boston: Wadsworth, 2013. (recommended for purchase).
  • LeBlanc, Jill. Thinking Clearly: A Guide to Critical Reasoning. New York: W.W. Norton, 1998.
  • Martinich, Aloysius. Philosophical Writing: An Introduction. 3rd ed. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing, 2005.
  • Thomson, Anne. Critical Reasoning: A Practical Introduction. 3rd ed. London, New York: Routledge, 2009.
  • Turabian, Kate L. A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations: Chicago Style for Students and Researchers. 8th ed. Revised by Wayne C. Booth et al. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2013.
  • Warburton, Nigel. The Basics of Essay Writing. 2nd ed. London: Routledge, 2006.

Assessment

Type Description Word count Weight (%)

Variant 1

Report

4 x take-home précis/essay planning exercises (equivalent of 1500 words total)

 1500 25.0
Short Answer Tests

4 x logic exercises completed in class - equivalent of 375 words per exercise (1500 words total)

 1500 25.0
Essay

1 x 1500-word essay

 1500 25.0
Written Examination

1 x 1.5-hour written examination (1500 words)

 1500 25.0

Variant 2

Report

4 x take-home précis/essay planning exercises (equivalent of 1500 words total)

 1500 25.0
Short Answer Tests

4 x logic exercises provided throughout semester and due the next week on a schedule determined at start of semester and published in the unit guide - equivalent of 375 words per exercise (1500 words total)

 1500 25.0
Essay

1 x 1500-word essay

 1500 25.0
Written Examination

1 x 1.5-hour written examination (1500 words)

 1500 25.0
Approvals

Unit approved for the University of Divinity by Prof Albert Haddad on 16 Aug, 2022

Unit record last updated: 2022-08-16 15:20:59 +1000