COMM 386S - Critical Thinking and Communications

This course will teach you how to form strong arguments by developing an analytical thinking process (critical thinking). We will explore how arguments are formed, how humans reason (or don’t), ethical decision-making, heuristic thinking (mental shortcuts for making snap decisions), deductive and inductive inferences, dominance structuring (being swayed by info at your fingertips rather than assessing situations fully and objectively), how the news media works, the impact of propaganda, and the psychology of persuasion. You will learn what it means to be an independent truth-seeker, weighing up opposing viewpoints to reach your own well-reasoned and fair-minded viewpoints. This is a 100 percent project-based course without a final or midterm exam. All content will relate to real-world issues. Classroom discussions will be fun and lively. Assignments will challenge you to recognize multiple perspectives on the same issue, to evaluate your own and other people’s claims, and to craft logical, evidence-backed opinions.

Note: COMM 386S will not be offered in 2023W.