KeiserUniversity

LATIN AMERICAN - SAN MARCOS

San Marcos, Carazo, Nicaragua
505-2535-2314

Course Number and Name: IDS 3355 Critical Thinking

Course Date: T Th
Course Hours: MW 9:00-10:00 am
T/TR 11:00-12:00 pm; 2:00-3:00pm
Semester: FALL 2014
Number of Sessions: 45
CreditHours: 3

Instructor: Dr. Kenia Halleck, Ph.d

Office Phone: 505-25352314 EXT 229
Office Hours:
M W 10:00 A.M. 12:00 P.M
T Th 2 P.M. 4:00 P.M

E-mail: kenia.halleck@keiseruniversity.edu

Required Textbook(s):

TEXTBOOK TITLE: THINK, Critical Thinking and Logic Skills for Everyday Life
PUBLISHER’S NAME: McGraw Hill
EDITION, YEAR: 3ed, 2015
AUTHOR’S NAME:Judith A. Boss
ISBN: 978-0-07-803843-3—0-07-803843-X

Course Description: Focuses on the thinking process and provides students an opportunity
to become more clear, insightful and creative thinkers through systematic study and guided
practice. Topics include problem solving, perception, beliefs, language and thought,
relationships and constructing arguments.

Teaching Methods:

The predominant form of instructional delivery will be an interactive lecture format, in which
students are actively involved in the process. Occasional in-class group assignments will be
given. Students will be assigned to write individual and group essays or responses to specific
material such as video, images and news.

Some types of material are best mastered by reading, some through lecture, some through
independent assignments, some through the use of contemporary theoretical frameworks
and comparative analysis.

Course Topics:
COURSE TOPICS:
• Basics of critical thinking
• Role of emotion in critical thinking
• Cognitive and perceptual errors in thinking
• Fallacies
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• Inductive and deductive arguments
• Constructing arguments
• Moral reasoning
• Inductive and deductive arguments
• Constructing arguments
• Moral reasoning
• Advertising and the media

COURSE OBJECTIVES: Upon completion of the course, students are able to:
1. Identify the characteristics of critical thinking and its benefits
2. Examine the roles of reason and emotion in critical thinking
3. Identify the different communication styles and how they are shaped
4. Describe how to evaluate evidence and avoid cognitive and perceptual errors
5. Identify fallacies and strategies to avoid them
6. Construct, analyze and evaluate arguments
7. Distinguish between inductive and deductive arguments
8. Discuss moral reasoning and its development
9. Identify marketing strategies and their impact on the consumer
10. Understand and critically analyze the influence of mass media
11. Evaluate scientific explanations and analyze experimental results

Course Outline:

Calendar, Spring 2016

Week 1
Introduction to the course, Chapter 1: Critical Thinking: Why It`s important p-1-20
Characteristics of a good critical thinker
Critical thinking and self-development

Week 2
Chapter 1:Barriers to Critical Thinking. Debate on Milgrams Experiment.
Chapter 2: Reason and Emotion: Reason, The role of emotion in critical thinking
Week 3
Chapter 2: Artificial Intelligence, reason and emotion; Debate on Faith and Reason
Exam On Chapters 1 and 2 Th Feb 2nd.
Week 4
Chapter 3: Language and Communication: Language, Definitions, Evaluating Definitions
Chapter 3: Communication Styles, The Use of Language to Manipulate. Perspectives on
Free-Speech Zones on College Campuses.
Week 5
Chapter 4 Knowledge: Evidence & Errors in Thinking: Human Knowledge and Its
Limitations, Evaluating Evidence.
Week 6
Chapter 4: Cognitive and Perceptual Errors in Thinking, Social Errors and Biases.
Exercises.
Exam On Chapters 3 and 4 Th Feb. 18th.
Week 7
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Chapter 5: Informal Fallacies, Fallacy, Fallacies of Ambiguity and Fallacies of Relevance
Chapter 5: Fallacies Involving Unwarranted Assumptions, Strategies for Avoiding
Fallacies. Exercises.

Week 8
Chapter 6: Recognizing, Analyzing, and Constructing Arguments: Issue, Recognizing an
argument, Evaluating Arguments and Constructing an argument.
Exam on Chapters 5 and 6, Th. March 3th.

Week 9
Chapter 7: Inductive Arguments: Definition, Generalization
Chapter 7: Analogies, Causal Arguments. Exercises.

Week 10
Chapter 8: Inductive Arguments: Definition, Types of Inductive Arguments
Chapter 8:Hypothetical Syllogisms, Categorical Syllogisms. Exercises
Exam on Chapter 7 and 8 Group Essay and In class Exam. Thursday, March
17th.

Week 12:
Chapter 9: Ethics and Moral Decision Making: Moral Reasoning , The development of
Moral Reasoning.
Chapter 9: Moral Theories:Morality is Relative; Moral Theories : Morality is Universal.
Moral Arguments.

Week 13
Exam On Chapter 9: Debate, Individual Responses, Environmental Justice,
The Nicaraguan Canal. Tuesday, April 5th.
Chapter 10: Marketing and Advertising: Consumer Culture, Marketing Strategies,
Advertising and the Media.
Chapter 10: Evaluating Advertisement. Exercise.

Week 14
Chapter 11: Mass Media in The United States, Science Reporting,
Chapter 11: The Internet, Media Literacy: A Critical-Thinking approach.

Week 15
Group Project Exam on Chapters 10 and 11 Tuesday, April 19th.
Chapter 12:Science: The Scientific Method, Evaluating Scientific Hypotheses.

Week 16
Chapter 12: Research Methodology, Thomas Kuhn

Exam on Chapter 12 and Post-Test Thursday, Dec. 3rd.

FINAL EXAM THURSDAY MAY 5TH AT 8:00 A.M.

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Class Policies:

You are expected to abide by the rules and procedures set in place by Keiser University and policies related
to this class as follows;

Electronic All cell phones and other devices such as laptops 1% deduction from your class
Media and tablets must be silenced or turned off during participation grade for each
class time unless prior arraignments have been made observed incident
with the Professor or being utilized for a specific
assignment
Dress Code Casual, but appropiate and in adherence to the rules First infraction– warning
and procedures set in place by Keiser University.
No sunglasses, hats, caps. Second infraction- you will be sent
home to change

Third infraction – referral to the

Dean

You will receive a “0” for any

missed work addressing Dress Code
infractions.

Attendance “Absences in excess of 20% of class hours, for any If you are absent 6 classes or a
subject, may cause a student to be ineligible to take total of 450 Minutes, you will not
the final examination in that course.” “Excessive be permitted to take the Final
absences may also result in the following Exam.
administrative actions: attendance warning,
probation, suspension or dismissal. Students must
be in attendance by the third class meeting or they
are not permitted to begin a course.” “In an
emergency which causes a student to be absent, it is
the student's responsibility to make arrangements
with the instructor to complete missed work.
(Keiser University, 2012-13, Academic Catalog).
Attendance will be taken at the beginning of every
class. Minutes late will be counted against your
attendance. Punctual and consistent attendance is
used to your benefit in borderline grade situation. If
you are absent from a class, you are responsible to
inform the instructor and to get the information you
missed from your classmates. If you are absent for
any reason, your work is due on the due date, not
when you return.
Make-up/Extra Students must complete assignments and All approved made up work will
Credit Policy examinations when they are due, unless the student result in 10% deduction.
has given the instructor ample notice with
appropriate documentation upon instructor’s request.
There will be opportunities to earn extra (Bonus)
credit in class as part of the weekly assessments.
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 Make up work will only be permitted in approved
situations and is due the next class

Code of Conduct: [From KU 2012-2013 Catalog]

Keiser University Mission Statement:

Keiser University is a regionally accredited private career university that provides educational
programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels for a diverse student body in traditional,
nontraditional and online delivery formats. The main campus is located in Fort Lauderdale, with
campuses located throughout the State of Florida and internationally. Through quality teaching,
learning, and research, the university is committed to provide students with opportunities to
develop the knowledge, understanding, and skills necessary for successful employment.
Committed to a “students first” philosophy, Keiser University prepares graduates for careers in
business, criminal justice, health care, technology, hospitality, education, and career-focused
general studies.

Inherent in the Mission is service to the community. This service includes community
partnerships, involvement with various constituencies and various continuing education
programs.

Academic Honesty

Academic Honesty Policy

The University can best function and accomplish its mission in an atmosphere of high ethical
standards. As such, the University expects students to observe all accepted principles of
academic honesty. Academic honesty in the advancement of knowledge requires that students
respect the integrity of one another’s work and recognize the importance of acknowledging and
safeguarding the validity of intellectual property. Students are expected to maintain complete
honesty and integrity in all academic work attempted while enrolled at the University. Academic
dishonesty is a serious violation of the trust upon which an academic community depends. There
are different forms of academic dishonesty including, but not limited to, the following:

Acquiring or Providing Information Dishonestly

Using unauthorized notes or other study aids during an examination; using unauthorized
technology during an examination; improper storage of prohibited notes, course materials and
study aids during an exam such that they are accessible or possible to view; looking at other
students' work during an exam or in an assignment where collaboration is not allowed;
attempting to communicate with other students in order to get help during an exam or in an
assignment where collaboration is not allowed; obtaining an examination prior to its
administration; altering graded work and submitting it for re-grading; allowing another person to
do one's work and submitting it as one's own; or undertaking any activity intended to obtain an
unfair advantage over other students.

Plagiarism
The deliberate or unintentional use of another’s words or ideas without proper citation for which
the student claims authorship. It is a policy of Keiser University that students assume
responsibility for maintaining honesty in all work submitted for credit and in any other work
designated by an instructor of a course.Students may not submit the same work completed for
one course in any other course, earning credit for the same work each time. Plagiarism, because
it is a form of theft and dishonesty that interferes with the goals of education, must carry severe
penalties. The penalties are as follows:

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Partially plagiarized assignments
The first occurrence of a student turning in an assignment containing plagiarized material results
in an automatic “F” for that assignment.
The second occurrence of a student turning in an assignment containing plagiarized material
results in anautomatic “F” for the course.
The third occurrence of a student turning in an assignment containing plagiarized material results
in an automatic dismissal from the University.

Entirely plagiarized assignments

The first occurrence of a student turning in an entire plagiarized assignment results in an
automatic “F” for the course.
The second occurrence of a student turning in an entire plagiarized assignment results in an
automatic dismissal from the University.

Students who have been dismissed may reapply to Keiser University after remaining out of
school for one full semester. Keiser University believes strongly that each student against whom
the University is forced to take action, has a right to procedural due process where the student
has notice and an opportunity to be heard. If the administration has to take disciplinary measures
against a student or other action related to the student, the student may appeal the decision to the
Grievance Committee. The procedures for the grievance are found in the Keiser University
catalog.

On written papers for which the student employs information gathered from books, articles,
electronic, or oral sources, each direct quotation, as well as ideas and facts that are not
generally known to the public at large, or the form, structure, or style of a secondary source
must be attributed to its author by means of the appropriate citation procedure. Only widely
known facts and first-hand thoughts and observations original to the student do not require
citations. Citations may be made in footnotes or within the body of the text. Plagiarism also
consists of passing off as one's own, segments or the total of another's work.

Conspiracy
Agreeing with one or more persons to commit any act of academic dishonesty.

Fabrication of Information
Falsifying or inventing any information, citation, or data; using improper methods of collecting
or generating data and presenting them as legitimate; misrepresenting oneself or one's status in
the University; perpetrating hoaxes unbecoming to students in good standing or potentially
damaging to the University's reputation or that of the members of its academic community of
students and scholars.

Multiple Submissions
Submitting the same work for credit in two different courses without the instructor’s permission.

Facilitating Academic Dishonesty

Aiding another person in an act that violates the standards of academic honesty; allowing other
students to look at one's own work during an exam or in an assignment where collaboration is
not allowed; providing information, material, or assistance to another person knowing that it may
be used in violation of course, departmental, or University academic honesty policies; providing
false information in connection with any academic honesty inquiry.

Student Assistance

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Americans with Disabilities Act
Keiser University complies with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504) requiring that no
qualified handicapped person will be excluded by reason of the handicap from enrolling in a
course of instruction. Students wishing to avail themselves of special
adjustments/accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act must disclose special
needs at time of enrollment. Accordingly, every effort is made to make reasonable
adjustments/accommodations. Certain programs may require manual dexterity. Please consult
campus Admissions Offices for further information.

For physically challenged students, Keiser University campuses are either located on ground
level or have appropriate elevator service with ramps and designated parking to facilitate easy
entry. Restrooms are equipped with wide doorways and bars to ensure wheelchair accessibility.

The following individual is Keiser University’s Section 504 Coordinator:

Mr. Jack Sites

Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs/Office of the Chancellor
1900 W. Commercial Boulevard, Suite 180
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida 33309
Tel: (954) 776-4476

Disability Statement:
A student with physical or learning challenges is encouraged to register with the Office of the
Academic Dean to assess the need for accommodations. It is the student’s responsibility to
contact the Office of the Academic Dean and to submit the appropriate documentation prior to
receiving services.

Student Assistance:
If you encounter any difficulties, please contact me without delay. The University has many
resources to help students succeed in their courses, and I would like to help you to obtain the
assistance that will allow you to complete the course successfully.

Course Requirements, Assignments and Evaluation

Grading:

60% 6 Exams
10% Final Exam
25% Classwork/Participation/
In-class Assignments and Activities
5% Post-Test
100% Total

Grading Scale:
90-100% A
80-89.99% B
70-79.99% C
65-69.99 D 7
Less than 65% F
HAVE A GREAT SEMESTER, STUDY HARD,
AND GOOD LUCK.

Dr. Kenia Halleck