Critical Thinking

CRITICAL THINKING
Level(s):AS, A2

FACTS
Courses available

AS, A2

Entry requirements

How the courses are assessed

AS: 100% exam A2: 100% exam

Exam board

OCR

Where does it lead?

Critical Thinking involves basic transferable skills that are useful in all subject areas, most occupations, and life in general. It is well regarded by universities and employers.

Other information

Critical Thinking is taught in half the time commitment of other subjects as it is all skills based and less â€- content heavy†. It occupies only one 2 hour session per week and can therefore be easily combined with other subjects.

Modern life is becoming increasingly complicated and there seems to be no limit to the amount of information with which we are bombarded. The Internet in particular has given us access to a wider diversity of information and opinions than was ever possible before. Moreover, many of our ideas are based on what others tell us; politicians, scientists, teachers, journalists, parents and â€-experts†generally! Many such people have a vested interest in having us believe them and this makes critical thinking an essential set of skills for modern living.

Critical Thinking is in some ways quite different from other subjects you may be considering taking. There are very few â€-facts†to learn as the name suggests. It is about learning how to think and reason, as well as how to write in a coherent and logical way. During the course you will work from a variety of materials such as newspaper articles and current affairs programmes covering a wide range of topics. There will be opportunities for you to focus on issues of particular interest to you and you will learn about your own strengths and weaknesses in argument. If you enjoy provocative class discussion and debate, then Critical Thinking is for you!

TOPICS COVERED
AS Level
Foundations of critical thinking \ Information, inference and explanation

A2 Level
Beliefs, claims and arguments \ Reasoning and decision making