COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus

Defence Road, Off Raiwind Road, Lahore

COURSE HANDBOOK

1 Course Title Creative Thinking and Decision Making

2 Course Code HUM-
3 Credit Hours 3(3,0)
4 Semester Fall 2022.
5 Resource Person Dr. Sehrish Khan
7 Contact Hours (Theory) 3 hours per week
8 Contact Hours (Lab)
9 Office Hours 9am-4pm,Mon to Thu
10 Course Introduction
Critical thinkers question their own beliefs as well as those of others, formulate
well-reasoned arguments to support their beliefs, recognize the possibility of
change in their beliefs, and express their beliefs in clear, coherent language.
Learning Critical Thinking skills and using them to make important decisions in
your life can enhance your academic performance. Students who know how to
analyze and critique ideas are able to make connections across disciplines, see
knowledge as useful and applicable to daily life and understand content on a
deeper, more lasting level. This course is about how to make students learn to
make timely and well-considered decisions and lead your team to spectacular and
well-deserved success. Participants will identify their individual strengths and
weaknesses and develop a highly practical personal action plan that will see them
increase their capability in making timelier and more effective decisions that will
enable both themselves and others to benefit from the outcomes.

11 Learning Objectives
The learning objectives of this courses in divided into two branches that are going to This pro
link with one and other on various levels. The objectives are given below
brings a
 Understand the links between ideas.
 Determine the importance and relevance of arguments and ideas.
process to
 Recognize, build and appraise arguments. anyone who
 Identify inconsistencies and errors in reasoning. make long
 Approach problems in a consistent and systematic way.
 Reflection. effective de
 Analysis. Understand
 Acquisition of Information.
strategy –
 Creativity.
 Structuring arguments. put the deci
 Decision making. are making
  Commitment. context.
 Debate.
Evaluate f
This program brings a robust process to assist anyone who has to make long-lasting,
focus on the
effective decisions.
involved a
 Understand the strategy – learn to put the decision you are making in to context.
specifically
 Evaluate factors – focus on the factors involved and not specifically the problem
problem fac
facing you to widen your options, expand your thinking and look at all options
to widen
objectively.
options,
 Make the right decision – some of the best decisions carry the most potential
your think
risk. The trick is to understand the potential risks and mitigate them; whilst
look at all
reinforcing success.
objectively.
 Communicate the message – It is not enough simply making the right decision;
Make the
the right decision needs to be effectively communicated to ensure all employees
decision –
buy-in to the plan. The decision taken will also require constant re-evaluation to
the best d
ensure it remains successful and on track.
carry the
potential ri
trick is
understand
potential ri
mitigate
whilst rei
success.
Communic
message –
enough
making th
decision; th
decision nee
effectively
communica
ensure
employees
to the pla
decision tak
 also
constant
evaluation t
it
successful
track.
12 Course Contents
The contents on the course are based on learning, applying and implementations. The
students would be able to use critical thinking and decision-making ass strong skills.
With the help of reference books, lectures, workshops, team work and case studies, the
students are going to develop critical thinking skill which in future would help them take
major professional decisions.
13 Lecture/Lab Schedule
Weeks Topic of Lecture and Reading Assignment Language Lab and Related
Readings
Week 1 Introduction to creative thinking  Introduction and
 Communication tendencies Discussion Sessions
 Interpersonal Competence
 Identify problems
Week 2 Logical thinking  “You can if you think
 Positive and negative attitude you can”- Norman
 Changing your point of view Vincent Pearle, first
two chapters
Week 3 Creative Thinking  Thinking outside the
 Identify problem box (articles, case
 Issues raised and resolved study, handouts)
 Relevant ethical codes  7 habits – Sean
 Possible course of actions Covey

Week 4 Answering questions regarding creative  Handouts

thinking  Seven Habits of
 Significance Highly Effective
 Demonstration Teens by Sean Covey

Week 5 Creative thinking steps and process  Robert Cogan, Step

Types of creative thinking by Step
Week 6 Group thinking and decision support  Discussions and class
Difference between creative and critical activities
thinking  Authentic material

Week 7 Decision making  Sean Covey, The 6

 Introduction most important
 What is decision? decisions you’ll
 Effective Decision? make.
 Charles Duhigg,The
Power of Habit
Week 8 Decision making  Sean Covey , The 6
 Right or wrong? most important
 Precision decisions you’ll
 Strategies make.
 Personal vs Professional decision  Charles Duhigg, The
 Alternatives Power of Habit

Week 9 Lateral thinking and Case study

Week 10 Six decision keys  Sean Covey , The 6

Issues regarding decision making most important
decisions you’ll
make.
 Charles Duhigg,The
Power . of Habit
Week 11 Self-evaluation and key points Discussions and workshop
Six thinking hats

Week 12 Difference between critical and creative Handouts and authentic

thinking? documents
Difference between critical thinking and
problem solving?
Difference between critical thinking and
analytical thinking?
Week 13 Techniques of decision making Critical thinking: A
literature review - Pearson
Assessments
Week 14 Case study (role of creative thinking in Discussions forums
excellent decision making)

Week 15 Group Presentations or Role-Plays  Sean Covey , The 6

Gathering material, organising data most important
and presentation of the six factors decisions you’ll
from the reference book make.
 Charles Duhigg,The
Power . of Habit
 7 habits – Sean
Covey
Week 16  Terminal Examination
14 Course Assessment
The assessment of this module shall have following breakdown structure

First Sessional Exam 10%

Second Sessional Exam 15%
Quizzes/Assignments/Presentation 25%
Terminal Examination 50%
________________________

The minimum pass marks for the course shall be 50%. Students obtaining less than 50%
marks in the course shall be deemed to have failed in that course. The correspondence
between letter grades, credit points, and percentage marks at CIIT shall be as follows:
Grades Letter Grade Credit Points Percentage Marks
A ( Excellent) 4.0 90 and above
A- 3.7 85-89
B+ 3.3 80-84
B (Good) 3.0 75-79
B- 2.7 70-74
C+ 2.3 65-69
C (Average) 2.0 60-64
C- 1.7 55-59
D (Minimum passing) 1.3 50-54
F (Failing) 0.0 Less than 50
Note: The marks to be assigned to students shall be in whole numbers and are not same
as followed in the annual system of Lancaster University.
15 Assessment Schedule
Week 2 1st Assignment
Week 3 1st Quiz
Week 4 2nd Quiz
 Week 7 2nd Assignment
Week 9 3rd Quiz
Week 11 3rd Assignment
Week 14 1st Presentation
Week 15 Final Presentation
16. Format of Assignment
Assignments should be formatted according to parameters and details provided in class.
Broadly, the assignments will be assessed on the following parameters: presentation,
power of expression, skills, knowledge and understanding and meeting the expected
length/word limit.
17. Reference Books  Sean Covey, The 6 most important decisions
you’ll make.
 Charles Duhigg,The Power of Habit
 “You can if you think you can”- Norman
Vincent Pearle

19. Plagiarism
Plagiarism involves the unacknowledged use of someone else’s work, usually in
coursework, and passing it off as if it were one’s own. Many students who submit
apparently plagiarised work probably do so inadvertently without realising it because of
poorly developed study skills, including note taking, referencing and citations; this is
poor academic practice rather than malpractice. However, some students plagiarise
deliberately, with the intent to deceive. This intentional malpractice is a conscious, pre-
mediated form of cheating and is regarded as a particularly serious breach of the core
values of academic integrity. COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus has
zero tolerance for intentional plagiarism.

Plagiarism can include the following:

1. collusion, where a piece of work prepared by a group is represented as if it were

the student’s own;
2. commission or use of work by the student which is not his/her own and
representing it as if it were, e.g.:
a. purchase of a paper from a commercial service, including internet sites,
whether pre-written or specially prepared for the student concerned
b. submission of a paper written by another person, either by a fellow student
or a person who is not a member of the university;
3. duplication (of one’s own work) of the same or almost identical work for more
than one module;
4. the act of copying or paraphrasing a paper from a source text, whether in
manuscript, printed or electronic form, without appropriate acknowledgement (this
includes quoting directly from another source with a reference but without
quotation marks);
 5. submission of another student’s work, whether with or without that student’s
knowledge or consent;
6. Directly quoting from model solutions/answers made available in previous years;
7. cheating in class tests, e.g.
a. when a candidate communicates, or attempts to communicate, with a fellow
candidate or individual who is neither an invigilator nor a member of staff
b. copies, or attempts to copy from a fellow candidate
c. attempts to introduce or consult during the examination any unauthorised
printed or written material, or electronic calculating, information storage
device, mobile phones or other communication device
d. personates or allows himself or herself to be impersonated.
8. Fabrication of results occurs when a student claims to have carried out tests,
experiments or observations that have not taken place or presents results not
supported by the evidence with the object of obtaining an unfair advantage.

These definitions apply to work in whatever format it is presented, including written

work, online submissions, group work and oral presentations.
20. Attendance Policy
Students are expected to maintain at least 90% attendance during the course which
includes lectures/seminars and language lab. Any student falling short of the required
percentage of attendance of lectures and/or lab will not be allowed to appear in the
terminal examination of this course and will be treated as having failed this course.
21. Field Trips/Case Studies/Seminars/Workshop
Not applicable