ASP208 - Introduction to Logical Reasoning

Unit details

Note: You are seeing the 2020 view of this unit information. These details may no longer be current.
Year:

2020 unit information

 

 

Important Update:

Classes and seminars in Trimester 2/Semester 2, 2020 will be online. Physical distancing for coronavirus (COVID-19) will affect delivery of other learning experiences in this unit. Please check your unit sites for announcements and updates one week prior to the start of your trimester or semester.

Last updated: 2 June 2020

Enrolment modes:

Final year of offer 2020

Trimester 1: Burwood (Melbourne), Waurn Ponds (Geelong), Cloud (online)

Credit point(s):1
EFTSL value:0.125
Unit Chair:Trimester 1: Cathy Legg
Prerequisite:

Nil

Corequisite:

Nil

Incompatible with:

ASP308

Typical study commitment:

Students will on average spend 150 hours over the teaching period undertaking the teaching, learning and assessment activities for this unit.

Scheduled learning activities - campus:

1 x 2-hour seminar per week

Scheduled learning activities - cloud:

1 x 2-hour seminar per week (recordings provided)

Content

The capacity to evaluate and construct arguments is an invaluable skill across all disciplines, including philosophy, politics, science, law, business and media. This unit provides an introduction to the principles of critical thinking and reasoning. Students will learn a range of critical thinking techniques, including how to detect common reasoning errors and construct sound arguments, with a focus upon practical applications and a view to the benefits that these skills have beyond the university as well as in academic contexts. The later weeks of the unit explore some of the theory behind valid argumentation by teaching some introductory tools of analysis in formal logic (mainly covering basic elements of propositional logic). This unit will therefore be of interest to students of philosophy, as well as many other disciplinary areas.

 

These are the Learning Outcomes (ULO) for this unit

At the completion of this unit, successful students can:

Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes

ULO1

Understand and explain the structure of simple arguments, differentiating between conclusions and premises that play a number of different roles, by means of a logical outline

GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities

GLO2: Communication

GLO4: Critical thinking

ULO2

Evaluate simple arguments in terms of the extent to which the evidence/reasons actually support the conclusions drawn from them

GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities

GLO2: Communication

GLO4: Critical thinking

ULO3

Recognise arguments that are unsound because they reproduce certain well-known logical fallacies

GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities

GLO2: Communication

GLO4: Critical thinking

ULO4

Recognise invalid arguments, and perform basic proofs, by means of simple tools of formal logic

GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities

GLO4: Critical thinking

GLO5: Problem solving

These Unit Learning Outcomes are applicable for all teaching periods throughout the year

Assessment

Trimester 1:
Assessment Description Student output Grading and weighting
(% total mark for unit)		 Indicative due week

Assessment 1 (Individual) – Quizzes

 1000 words 25% Week 7

Assessment 2 (Individual) – Research and Writing Exercise

 2 x 500 words 2 x 12.5% Week 9

Assessment 3 (Individual) - Examination

 2 hours 50% Examination period

The assessment due weeks provided may change. The Unit Chair will clarify the exact assessment requirements, including the due date, at the start of the teaching period.

Learning Resource

The texts and reading list for the unit can be found on the University Library via the link below: ASP208 Note: Select the relevant trimester reading list. Please note that a future teaching period's reading list may not be available until a month prior to the start of that teaching period so you may wish to use the relevant trimester's prior year reading list as a guide only.

Unit Fee Information

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