Course Description:
This course introduces you to the tools used by the world’s best thinkers and will exemplify the activities and practice you can use to emulate them. With enough practice, you too will become the best thinker you can be. Your coursework will introduce you to the tools of mind that will help you reason through any of the problems and issues you face, whether in the classroom, in your personal life, or in your professional life. If you take these ideas seriously, and practice using them, you will be able to take command of the thinking that drives your quality of life.
Learning Outcomes:
By the end of this course you should be able to:
- understand the importance of fair-minded critical thinking in the cultivation of fair-minded critical societies;
- understand universal intellectual standards and their importance in human reasoning;
- articulate and exemplify the primary concepts in critical thinking and how they can be used as tools for understanding and improving human reasoning;
- articulate understanding of the problem of media bias and propaganda as a barrier to critical thought in human societies; and,
- understand ethical reasoning and the differences between ethics and other modes of thought, including religion, social ideologies, politics, and the law.
Faculty:
Linda Elder, PhD is an educational psychologist and a prominent authority on critical thinking. She is President of the Foundation for Critical Thinking, and Executive Director of the Center for Critical Thinking. Dr. Elder has taught psychology and critical thinking at the college level and has presented to more than 50,000 educators at all levels. She has co-authored four books, including, “Critical Thinking: Tools for Taking Charge of Your Learning and Your Life,” “Critical Thinking: Tools for Taking Charge of Your Professional and Personal Life,” and, “30 Days to Better Thinking and Better Living.” She has co-authored 24 Thinker’s Guides on critical thinking.
Course Modalities:
Non-Credit Options
Lite Level – This course is delivered on-demand with no faculty interaction and is perfect for lifelong learners who want to go at their own pace and who are not interested in academic credit but still want to experience the course.
Audit-No Credit – If you would like to participate when this course is offered in our Live Virtual Classroom mode, you may attend the live faculty webinars but will not be required to submit assignments for credit.
If you take a few courses and decide you want to officially enroll in a degree program, you can gain academic credit for Lite versions or Audit-No Credit versions by paying the difference between these course fees and a normal academic fee, successfully completing quizzes, submitting your reflection journals, and delivering a Final Creative Assignment that will be graded.
For-Credit Options
Live Virtual Classroom: Study that takes place within Ubiquity University, in which Ubiquity academic coursework is accomplished through attendance in Live Webinars, with faculty and student interaction being a part of the Live Webinar content. To receive academic credit, you must not miss more than 3 live sessions, you must complete the quizzes and submit any other required assignments (if any), and a final creative assignment for grading at the degree level you are enrolled in.
Internal Online Independent Study: Study that takes place within Ubiquity University, in which Ubiquity academic online coursework is engaged in independently on one’s own and does not include faculty interaction. To receive academic credit, you must complete the quizzes and submit your reflection journals and final creative assignment for grading at the degree level you are enrolled in.
Pricing:
- BA Level: $300
- MA Level: $600
- PhD Level: $900
- Audit-No Credit: $240 (only if offered in Live Virtual Classroom Mode)
- Lite: $50 (no credit, access to course materials only)
Our shopping cart is simple and easy to understand. If you do not have a user account, you will be able to create one upon purchase. Save your username and password as you will need it to login to access course materials later. For more detailed, step-by-step instructions you can review our tutorial How to Purchase a Course. Again, if you experience any issues, please email Veronica Saldias at registrar@ubiquityuniversity.org.
We allow students at all academic levels to participate in our online courses. However, those students who are enrolled in MA or PhD programs are expected to offer a more sophisticated analysis on reflection tasks, writing assignments, and in the final creative assignment. You will be graded commensurate with your degree level. Except for the Final Creative Assignment, word counts are offered as guidelines. If you need to exceed the word counts to submit an MA or PhD level response, you may feel free to do so as long as the word count expansion is reasonable and necessary.
Course Contact Information:
Live Virtual Classroom macrocourses are delivered by faculty in live Zoom sessions. You will have a course facilitator who is available to answer questions and offer additional assistance and that information will be provided to you upon registration. Please do not email faculty directly with any technology or registration issues.
For on-demand lite or Internal Online Independent Study versions, click the “Chat” button down on the left-hand side of the screen for any technical issues or questions you may have about the content.
FCT - Resources and Syllabus for The Foundations of Critical Thinking for Learning and Everyday Life
FCT - Week One: Introduction to the Course and the Concept of Critical thinking
- FCT - Week 1 – Introduction to the Concept of Critical Thinking – Reading Assignment
- FCT - Week 1 - Introduction to Critical Thinking - Video
- FCT - Week 1 - Introduction to Critical Thinking - Reading Assignment
- FCT - Week 1 - Introduction to Critical Thinking - Group Discussion
- FCT - Week 1 - Introduction to Critical Thinking - Reflection Task - Journal
FCT - Week Two: Introduction to Intellectual Standards
FCT - Week Three: Intellectual Standards
- FCT - Week 3 - Applying Intellectual Standards - Video
- FCT - Week 3 - Applying Intellectual Standards - Reading Assignment
- FCT - Week 3 - Applying Intellectual Standards - Writing Task
- FCT - Week 3 - Applying Intellectual Standards - Group Discussion
- FCT - Week 3 - Applying Intellectual Standards - Reflection Task - Journal
FCT - Week Four: Three Kinds of Thinkers; Introduction to Intellectual Virtues as Essential To Fair Minded
FCT - Week Five: Intellectual Virtues as Essential To Fair Minded Critical Thinking
FCT - Week Six: Introduction to the Three Functions of Mind: Thinking, Feeling, Wanting
- FCT - Week 6 - Three Functions of the Mind - Video
- FCT - Week 6 - Three Functions of the Mind - Reading Assignment
- FCT - Week 6 - Three Functions of the Mind - Writing Task
- FCT - Week 6 - Three Functions of the Mind - Group Discussion
- FCT - Week 6 - Three Functions of the Mind - Reflection Task - Journal
FCT - Week Seven: Understanding Native Egocentricity as a Fundamental Barrier to Critical Thinking
FCT - Week Eight: Understanding Native Egocentricity as a Fundamental Barrier to Critical Thinking
- FCT - Week 8 - Native Egocentricity Continued - Video
- FCT - Week 8 - Native Egocentricity Continued - Reading Assignment
- FCT - Week 8 - Native Egocentricity Continued - Writing Task
- FCT - Week 8 - Native Egocentricity Continued - Group Discussion
- FCT - Week 8 - Native Egocentricity Continued - Reflection Task - Journal
FCT - Week Nine: Understanding Native Sociocentricity as a Fundamental Barrier to Critical Thinking
FCT - Week Ten: Introduction to the Elements of Thought: The Parts of Thinking Part 1
- FCT - Week 10 - Elements of Reasoning: Part One - Video
- FCT - Week 10 - Elements of Reasoning: Part One - Reading Assignment
- FCT - Week 10 - Elements of Reasoning: Part One - Writing Task
- FCT - Week 10 - Elements of Reasoning: Part One - Group Discussion
- FCT - Week 10 - Elements of Reasoning: Part One - Reflection Task - Journal
FCT - Week Eleven: Introduction to the Elements of Thought: The Parts of Thinking Part 2
- FCT - Week 11 - Elements of Reasoning: Part Two - Video
- FCT - Week 11 - Elements of Reasoning: Part Two - Reading Assignment
- FCT - Week 11 - Elements of Reasoning: Part Two - Writing Task
- FCT - Week 11 - Elements of Reasoning: Part Two - Group Discussion
- FCT - Week 11 - Elements of Reasoning: Part Two - Reflection Task - Journal
FCT - Week Twelve: The Elements of Thought
- FCT - Week 12 - Elements of Reasoning: Part Three - Video
- FCT - Week 12 - Elements of Reasoning: Part Three - Reading Assignment
- FCT - Week 12 - Elements of Reasoning: Part Three - Writing Task
- FCT - Week 12 - Elements of Reasoning: Part Three - Group Discussion
- FCT - Week 12 - Elements of Reasoning: Part Three - Reflection Task - Journal
FCT - Week Thirteen: The Elements of Thought
FCT - Week Fourteen: Where are You in the Stages of Critical Thinking Development?
FCT - Week Fifteen: Final Assessments and Self-Evaluation
- FCT - Week 15 - Closing Lesson - Reflection Task
- FCT - Week 15 - Closing Lesson - Writing Task
- FCT - Week 15 - Closing Lesson - Group Discussion
- FCT - Week 15 - Closing Lesson - Reflection Task - Journal
- FCT - Creative Assignment - BA
- FCT - Creative Assignment - MA
- FCT - Creative Assignment - PHD
- FCT - Reflection Journal Upload