Critical and Creative Thinking

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2016:

170 hours

Admission into the MC-EMA Executive Master of Arts program.

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Student Support and Engagement Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and Student Equity and Disability Support: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

This subject focuses on critical and creative thinking and how we can best develop and harness good ideas. The critical thinking component explores critical reasoning, causal reasoning and decision theory. The creative thinking component explores how we understand the relationship between critical and creative thinking, acknowledging that ideas about creative thinking are often ‘fuzzy’. Exercises and assessments in the first half of the subject will provide a framework for exploring how critical thinking works with creativity; the creative workshops in the second half will be geared to assessment and how we put knowledge into practice.

On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:

• understand, identify, analyse and synthesise major theories of critical and creative thinking;
• demonstrate an effective critical understanding of critical and creative processes;
• demonstrate effective critical and creative thinking and the application of these forms of thinking to the workplace;
• demonstrate the ability to undertake effective independent research; and
• conduct all activities in an ethical and responsible manner, demonstrating high levels of acadmic integrity.

1. An essay on critical reasoning, 2,000 words (50%), due late March.
2. A manifesto, 500 words or equivalent (10%), draft due mid-April.
3. One peer review, 500 words (10%), due late April.
4. A critical reflection/exegesis, 2,000 words (30%), due early May.

Hurdle Requirement: Students are required to attend a minimum of 80% of classes in order to pass this subject.

Readings for this subject are drawn from a variety of textbooks and articles on critical and creative thinking, and will be available in reading packs that can be purchased at the bookstore or via LMS.

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.