Which of the following are assessed tasks on the Critical Thinking Skills for University Success MOOC?

Which of the following are learning objectives for this MOOC?

Which of the following are NON-assessed activities on this MOOC?

What percentage of your total marks is the final summative assessment worth?

What does Professor Phillipa Patterson mean by the contingent nature of knowledge?

Why does Patrick Pheasant compare academic culture to an onion?

Why does Marcella Robertson say independent learning is a core value of academic culture?

Check one option.

According to Adam Bridgeman, how is assessment different at university?

Consider the following statement:

Dogs cannot hold government positions or run for public offices.

Which of the following is an academic response to this statement?

Brooke talks about the need for systematic and objective decision-making in a context other than university. Where does she say these skills are also important?

How does Tony Cannell characterise critical thinking in commerce and accounting?

Which of the following are some of the core values and expectations of academic culture mentioned by academics in 1.2a?

What metaphor do Molinari and Kavanagh (2013) use to describe critical thinking?

At university, what is an argument?

What did studying performance studies show Jessica?

Which of the following was NOT a way that Jenni said university had changed her?

What differences does Vince point out between assessments at high school and assessments at university?

How did Amy have to demonstrate critical thinking in her Global Studies course?

In lesson 1.3a, Jonathon mentions that he learnt two valuable skills when he struggled to pass a first year university course. What were they?

In lesson 1.3a, why does Ben say he felt comfortable at university?

In lesson 1.3b, Jenni contrasts her essay writing and argumentation at the beginning of her university course with the argumentation at the end. What differences did she notice?

According to the International Centre for Academic Integrity, which of the following are central values that underpin academic integrity?

In this situation, would you get in trouble for breaching Academic Integrity? That is, if Paul gets caught handing in the essay you wrote for him, will this impact you?

Who do you think discovered his fraud?

Mohammed is a third year undergraduate student studying epidemiology. His professor is highly regarded in the field and Mohammed is very excited to study under him. While trying to replicate one of his professor’s experiments, Mohammed notices that another student has made a mistake while calculating the data for the experiment. In one of the equations, one of the signs is around the wrong way. This has made the results of the experiment seem really positive. However, when Mohammed does his calculations, he notices that his results aren’t very good at all.

Mohammed does the calculations multiple times. He consults a few other students, and they all come up with the same thing. It isn’t an assignment, and students are allowed to collaborate and work together, so Mohammed tells the student about the mistake. However, the other student shrugs and refuses to change it because it is the same as the one used in the original paper.

What is Mohammed required to do?

Consider the following situation.

Mohammed is a third year undergraduate student studying epidemiology. His professor is highly regarded in the field and Mohammed is very excited to study under him. However, after seeing another student use an incorrect equation while trying to replicate one of his professor’s experiments, Mohammed notices that his professor made a small error when calculating the data for the original experiment. When Mohammed fixes the error, it changes the results so much that the conclusion isn’t correct any more. Mohammed checks the original and his own multiple times but he still gets the same result.

Mohammed is very concerned because the paper with the published results of the experiments his professor did has been referenced many times.

What should Mohammed do?

Consider the following situation.

Mohammed is a third year undergraduate student studying epidemiology. His professor is highly regarded in the field and Mohammed is very excited to study under him. However, while trying to replicate one of his professor’s experiments, Mohammed notices that his professor made a small error when calculating the data for the original experiment. When Mohammed fixes the error, it changes the results so much that the conclusion isn’t correct any more. Mohammed checks the original and his own multiple times but he still gets the same result.

Mohammed is very concerned because the paper with the published results of the experiments his professor did has been referenced many times.

Mohammed decides to approach his professor with the mistake and his calculations. However, his professor tells him not to worry about it and that “is just how science is”. His professor does nothing.

What should Mohammed do now?

“A wise man … proportions his belief to the evidence.” – David Hume

What quality of academic culture does this relate to?

Consider the following situation:

For a course Timmy is taking, he has to conduct a research experiment and write a full research report. Part of the research report is a literature review. Timmy feels really lucky because earlier in the semester they had to write a literature review for the same class.

Can Timmy use the same literature review he did earlier in the course for this assignment?

Which of the following is a trait of critical thinking according to lecture 1.2b?

How had university changed some of the people interviewed in lesson 1.3a?

What is argumentation?

Which of the following are examples of metacognition?

What is a disposition?

Which disposition is “being orderly in your inquiry” an example of?

Which disposition is “being motivated to find the best knowledge” an example of?

Which disposition is “accepting others’ points of view” an example of?

Dr Sakhaee identifies two forms of mindset. What are they?

Dr Pardo compares acquiring skills in critical thinking with acquiring a catalogue of …

Which of the habits of mind or dispositions discussed in lesson 2.1a is reflected in the following quote?

“When I started thinking about my assignment question, the first thing I did was to start applying some of the techniques that I had learnt in my course. My lecturer had talked about a set of criteria that could be applied to problems in my field, so I used that to start generating solutions.”

Which of the habits of mind or dispositions discussed in lesson 2.1a is reflected in the following quote?

“The final assignment in my organisational behavior course was a complex case study assignment about some issues in a large company. It’s unrealistic to expect in a tricky situation such as this that there is only one possible answer.”

Which of the habits of mind or dispositions discussed in lesson 2.1a is reflected in the following quote?

“Through my university course my lecturers really helped me reflect on my own thinking processes. One unit in particular made me do so using an online reflective blog. It was a bit of a pain at the time, but I recognize now how useful it is.”

Which of the following are characteristics of an argument in the personal sphere?

Which of the following are characteristics of an argument in the technical sphere?

Which of the following are characteristics of an argument in the technical sphere?

Consider the following list of traits of the different spheres of argumentation.

1. Uses any example or means as evidence in arguments

2. No fixed rules for reasoning or evidence

3. Aimed at a specific audience

4. Tries to change opinions or values

5. Adheres to strict rules about data collection and analysis

6. Aimed at the general public

Which traits describe the technical sphere of argumentation?

Consider the following list of traits of the different spheres of argumentation.

1. Uses any example or means as evidence in arguments

2. No fixed rules for reasoning or evidence

3. Aimed at a specific audience

4. Tries to change opinions or values

5. Adheres to strict rules about data collection and analysis

6. Aimed at the general public

Which traits describe the personal sphere of argumentation?

Which argument sphere does the following argument belong to?

“We definitely need the new rail system in this area. Buses are usually late, and it’s a long way to drive to the city. It’s a bit more comfortable getting a train too I think.”

Which of the following are features of an argument field?

Apart from academic disciplines, what else can help define an argument field?

In which of the following disciplines would you probably need to display argumentation in your first year of study?

Which of the following are characteristics of argument fields?

Apart from academic disciplines, what are some other things that can define an argument field?

Think back to the lesson on differences in argumentation in History and Biology. What is an example of a difference in argumentation in the arts and social sciences courses on the one hand, and science courses on the other?

Which of the following would be a content question?

How does critical thinking relate to content knowledge?

Why is asking questions a key part of knowledge production at universities, according to Brooke Donnelly?

What two characteristics defined successful students in the final assignment in the Critical Thinking for Engineering course?

What is a questioning stance, according to the lesson?

Why is a questioning stance a central part of academic culture, according to Brick, Herke and Wong (2016)?

Why do we need to take a questioning stance in our learning at university?

Consider the following situation.

A group of engineering students are doing a group assignment. The assignment asks them to calculate the ability of a tall building to withstand wind, earthquakes and other potential stresses. One student, who has worked through all the set questions and activities in class, knows how to address the question and helps the others students complete the assignment with assurance.

Which of the following dispositions or habits of mind for critical thinking is the student displaying?

Consider the following situation.

A student is asked to do a feminist analysis of a movie. The student already has strong opinions about both feminism and the film they must analyse. However, they make a mental note of their biases when conducting research. The student makes sure they read sources representing a variety of different views, rather than just their own.

Which of the following dispositions or habits of mind for critical thinking is the student displaying?

Which argument sphere does the following argument belong to?

“Proponents of the new rail network say that it will reduce traffic and car emissions. What is overlooked, however, is the enormous bill for the cost of the new rail network will present to current and future generations, a bill that the citizens of this state will be paying off for quite some time.”

Which argument sphere does the following argument belong to?

“In contrast with many neoclassical theorists, who see government spending as constrained, modern monetary theory (MMT) sees government spending as relatively less limited. This is because according to MMT the very notion of government debt is a misnomer due to the government’s control over the fiat money supply. Thus spending on infrastructure projects is often seen as advantageous, particularly at times of low interest rates.”

Consider the following methodology, which can be considered an argument field.

Conversation analysis is a well-defined method and school of thought that analyses language from a social perspective. It seeks to study naturally occurring talk, either in everyday conversations or institutional settings such as schools and organizations. Any conversation analysis must be strictly based on the actual conversation, and outside categories (such as the race or class of the speaker) cannot be imposed unless they are referred to in the conversation being analyzed. Conversation analysts seek to find out what actions are performed by speakers in conversation (e.g. telling stories, making arrangements), and how they organize their talk in order to do that. They use a special mode of analysis to understand how actions are performed in talk called the next turn proof procedure. In this procedure, the action of the speaker is understood by examining how the following speaker understood them. When discussing the organization of talk, conversation analysts use terms such as turns, sequence organization and repair (how speakers fix errors in their talk).

When thinking about Conversation Analysis as an argument field, what is a specialized process of thought?

Consider the following methodology, which can be considered an argument field.

Conversation analysis is a well-defined method and school of thought that analyses language from a social perspective. It seeks to study naturally occurring talk, either in everyday conversations or institutional settings such as schools and organizations. Any conversation analysis must be strictly based on the actual conversation, and outside categories (such as the race or class of the speaker) cannot be imposed unless they are referred to in the conversation being analyzed. Conversation analysts seek to find out what actions are performed by speakers in conversation (e.g. telling stories, making arrangements), and how they organize their talk in order to do that. They use a special mode of analysis to understand how actions are performed in talk called the next turn proof procedure. In this procedure, the action of the speaker is understood by examining how the following speaker understood them. When discussing the organization of talk, conversation analysts use terms such as turns, sequence organization and repair (how speakers fix errors in their talk).

When thinking about Conversation Analysis as an argument field, what is object of study?

Consider the following abstract for an academic journal article.

Mega-events, such as the Olympic Games and world fairs, are a major factor in tourism development, urban revitalization, and urban reimaging strategies. However, despite their economic, social, and political significance, it is only within the last decade that substantial attention has been paid to their impact and legacies. This article provides a discussion of the scope and definition of mega-events, an analysis of the reasons why mega-events are held, and offers an examination of the housing and social impact of mega-events on host cities and regions with special reference to the housing and social planning of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. The article concludes that the focus on the economic dimension of events is often at the expense of social, environmental, and political analyses.

(Hall, C. M., & Hodges, J. (1996). The party's great, but what about the hangover?: The housing and social impacts of mega-events with special reference to the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Festival Management and Event Tourism, 4(1-1), 13-20.)

A student has taken a questioning stance towards this article. Here are some of the questions he has asked of the text.

1. “What are the qualifications of C.M. Hall and J. Hodges?”

2. “How could the information included in this article be used to better organise mega-events in the future?”

3. “What are the weaknesses of their position on the impacts of mega-events?”

4. “Do I agree with their notion that the economic dimension of these events is in contradiction to environmental and social analyses?”

5. “What evidence are Hall and Hodges using?”

6. “Does their argument make sense?”

Which of these questions are content questions?

Consider the following abstract for an academic journal article.

Mega-events, such as the Olympic Games and world fairs, are a major factor in tourism development, urban revitalization, and urban reimaging strategies. However, despite their economic, social, and political significance, it is only within the last decade that substantial attention has been paid to their impact and legacies. This article provides a discussion of the scope and definition of mega-events, an analysis of the reasons why mega-events are held, and offers an examination of the housing and social impact of mega-events on host cities and regions with special reference to the housing and social planning of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. The article concludes that the focus on the economic dimension of events is often at the expense of social, environmental, and political analyses.

(Hall, C. M., & Hodges, J. (1996). The party's great, but what about the hangover?: The housing and social impacts of mega-events with special reference to the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Festival Management and Event Tourism, 4(1-1), 13-20.)

A student has taken a questioning stance towards this article. Here are some of the questions he has asked of the text.

1. “What are the qualifications of C.M. Hall and J. Hodges?”

2. “How could the information included in this article be used to better organise mega-events in the future?”

3. “What are the weaknesses of their position on the impacts of mega-events?”

4. “Do I agree with their notion that the economic dimension of these events is in contradiction to environmental and social analyses?”

5. “What evidence are Hall and Hodges using?”

6. “Does their argument make sense?”

Which of these questions are context questions?

Is this an example of an argument:

I don’t like ice-cream.

In formal logic, a statement is any sentence that is either valid or invalid. For example, the sentence “the book is green” is a statement. Statements can function as either premises or conclusions. However, a question is not a statement, so “Is the book green?” would not be classified as a statement. Equally, instructions are not statements. So the sentence, “Paint the book green!” is not a statement, nor is a simple sentence like “Stop!” or “Open the door!”

Is this a statement?

“It is a commonly held belief that there are more homeless people in the summer months than in winter”

Is this a statement?

“There is an estimated 1.4million people who “sleep rough” during the harsh European winters.”*

*false statistic

Is this a statement?

What is the government doing to solve this issue?

Consider the following argument:

It isn’t easy for homeless people to “just get a job”. Often, homeless people spend so much time and energy finding food and shelter each day that they don’t have the time to write a CV and apply for jobs. Moreover, many homeless people struggle to make themselves look presentable for interviews.

Indicate which sentence(s) are the premises.

The average cost of a cheap hair cut is $15 to $25. Moreover, doing laundry costs money, as does accessing showers. However, when you’re homeless and unemployed you need to use every penny you have to buy food or a bed for the night. Thus, many homeless people, especially those who sleep rough, struggle to make themselves look presentable for interviews.

What is the implicit premise(s) in this statement:

You would like to be attractive and happy.

What is the implicit premise in this rhetorical question:

Are you sick of having dull hair?

What is an argument?

“My mug of tea is on the table in the kitchen.

This is the only mug of tea on the table in the kitchen.

Therefore, this mug of tea is mine.”

Is this a valid argument?

“All animals that wean their offspring are mammals.

Even though platypus lay eggs, they wean their offspring.

Therefore, platypus are mammals.”

Is this a valid argument?

“I have seen 40,000 swans.

All the swans that I have ever seen are white.

All pictures and records of swans say they are white.

Therefore, all swans are white.”

Is this a valid argument?

“I know that all poodles are mammals because all cats are mammals and all poodles are cats.”

Is this argument good or bad?

Are these two equivalent?

“All A are B

All C are A

Therefore, all C are B. “

And

“All X are Y

All Z are Y

Therefore, all Z are X”

Consider the following argument:

“If it is 5pm, I can go home. It is 5pm. Therefore…”

What is the conclusion?

“If I jump into the pool wearing my clothes, my clothes will be wet. My clothes are wet. Therefore, I jumped into the pool.”

Is this valid?

“If you don’t have any fuel, you can’t drive your car. You can’t drive your car, therefore you don’t have any fuel.”

Is this a valid argument?

Consider the following argument:

“I either left my keys at home, or I’ve lost them.

My keys are not at home.

Therefore…”

What is the conclusion?

Consider the following argument:

“Jenny didn’t eat soup for lunch.

Therefore, she ate a sandwich.”

What is the missing premise?

We can either have vegetarian food for dinner, or Chinese food.

John doesn’t want vegetarian food.

Therefore, we will have Chinese food.

Have a look at the following statement. Which sentence is the conclusion?

I have the right to leave work after lunch. According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, article 24, everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of working hours. I have been working an unreasonable amount of hours.

Have a look at the following argument. What is one problem with the argument?

According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, article 24, everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of working hours. I have been working an unreasonable amount of hours. Therefore, I have the right to leave work after lunch.

Have a look at the following argument. What is the problem with the conclusion?

I have the right to leave work after lunch. According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, article 24, everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of working hours. I have been working an unreasonable amount of hours.

The conclusion does not follow from the premises.

Consider the following argument:

“If it is 5pm then I can leave work. It is 5pm. Therefore, I can leave work.”

What kind of argument structure does this follow?

Two trends that occur at the same time exist in a cause-effect relationship.

The trends of increased shark attacks and increased ice cream sales occur at the same time.

Therefore, shark attacks are caused by increased ice cream sales or vice versa.

Which premise is problematic?

Consider the following argument and counter argument:

“Argument: A solution to the problem of homelessness in Australia requires investment in affordable housing.

Counter-argument: Giving homeless people free houses may encourage more people to become homeless.”

What is the logical fallacy in the counter-argument?

Have a look at the following passage. What is wrong with the argument?

Every morning, as it gets closer to midday, the temperature rises. At the same time, I always start to feel hungry. Therefore, an increase in temperature makes me hungry.

Which of the following statements can be considered hasty generalizations?

Have a look at the following passage. What is wrong with the counter-argument?

Argument: Research suggests that restorative and reparative punishments, such as community-service sentences, result in a reduction of repeat offenders. This is particularly the case for minor, non-violent offenses. The justice system should reduce the amount of prison sentences and increase the number of community-service sentences for minor, non-violent offences.*

Counter-argument: According to crime statistics, between 50% and 60% of all released prisoners will re-offend. If you take criminals out of jail and let them free on the street you will be putting innocent people’s lives in danger.*

*Arguments are fictional

Imagine you have a bag of stones in front of you. All the stones in the bag are black. You pull out a single stone.

Logically, what color is the stone? (You cannot look at the stone!)

Why is this argument not deductively valid?

Most cats shed fur.

Your pet is a cat.

Therefore, your pet probably sheds fur.

Imagine that you have a bag of stones in front of you. You know that there is 1 white stone and 99 black stones. You pull out a single stone from the bag.

Logically, what color is the stone? (You cannot look at the stone!)

Imagine that you have a bag of stones in front of you. You cannot see what color the stones are, so you reach in and pull out a handful. In the handful, all the stones you pulled out are black.

Logically, what can you say about the stones in the bag? (You cannot look at the stones in the bag!)

What is one of the downsides to using deductive reasoning in a university context?

What are the two main types of reasoning that you find at university?

The Artape people have lived on the island of Staples for between 20,000 and 25,000 years. A number of archaeological sites have been radiocarbon dated to around 19,000 BC, although there is evidence of some tools being used by hunters as early as 23,000 BC. They are thought to have migrated across from Africa on land bridges that existed before the last ice age. Archaeological evidence, such as oral stories, rock pictures and some ancient fossils, suggests that there was trade between the main land and the smaller island across these land bridges, but this stopped when the seas rose around 12,000 years ago.*

*Fictional people & history

What kind of reasoning is evident here?

Keeping these two points in mind, what do a metro system, the human body and a large organization have in common?

What is one problem with the laundry list approach?

Professor Reimann says that systems thinking is connected to critical thinking in two ways. What are they?

What is the problem with the following ‘laundry list’ approach to the issue of homelessness?

Mental health issues >

Poverty > homelessness

Unemployment >

How can re-framing the following statement as a cycle (or a ‘feedback loop’) help create a better understanding of the issue?

Mental health issues, unemployment and poverty are all factors that lead to homelessness.

As well as the benefits mentioned in regards to the feedback loop above, why else would it be useful to see the issue of homelessness through a systems thinking perspective, looking at the issue as a web of interrelated components?

Have a look at the following argument based on an advertisement. What are the implicit (unspoken) premises?

There are many young, beautiful people on a beach having fun. They are drinking Cool Cola. You should buy Cool Cola.

Have a look at the following argument. What is the problem with the conclusion?

Cool Cola makes people happy. There are many young, beautiful people on a beach having fun. They are drinking Cool Cola.

The Artape people have lived on the island of Staples for between 20,000 and 31,000 years. A number of archaeological sites have been radiocarbon dated to around 20,000 BC. They are thought to have migrated across from Africa on land bridges that existed before the last ice age. Movement between the main land and Staples across these land bridges was quite common. Archaeological evidence, such as oral stories, rock pictures and some ancient fossils, suggests that the Staler people, the ancestors of the Artape, used the island for hunting from as far back as 31,000 BC. However, there is no evidence of settlement or continuous habitation of the island until around 25,000 BC, when evidence of temporary camps starts. It is not until 20,000 BC that we start to see evidence of permanent dwellings. All migration from the main land to Stapes stopped when the seas rose around 12,000 years ago. *

*Fictional peoples & History

What is the conclusion of this argument?

People lived on the island of Staples as far back as 19,000 BC. Man-made artifacts have been found at a number of archaeological sites. These man-made artifacts have been carbon dated to 19,000 BC. For example, a partial leg bone of a juvenile marsupial herbivore was discovered at one of the sites. This partial leg bone has been sharpened into a bone point. There is clear evidence of sharp stone tools being used to refine the bone, which were also found at the site. The fossil has no carnivore tooth marks on it and was found in a shelter on a steep escarpment unsuitable for climbing by this kind of marsupial herbivore. Only humans have the capability and dexterity to make and use these kinds of tools. This leg bone tool, therefore, was made by humans. This serves as evidence that humans lived on the island of Staples as far back as 19,000 BC. *

*Fictional historical account

What kind of formal reasoning is being used in this example?

Have a look at the following passage. What is wrong with the argument?

During the 2000s smart phone sales and ownership increased dramatically. At the same time, warfare in the Middle East escalated. It is clear that smart phones usage was a main contributor to the intensity of international warfare in the 2000s.

Have a look at the following passage. What is wrong with the counter-argument?

Argument: Sometimes when you are having trouble writing your assignment it is good to take a short break.

Counter-argument: Procrastinating instead of doing your work means nothing will ever get done.

What problems are there with the following ‘laundry list’ approach to the following issue:It suggests that each factor is of equal importance.

How can re-framing the following statement as a cycle (or a ‘feedback loop’) help create a better understanding of the issue?

Too many private cars, inadequate public transport and insufficient road networks are all factors that lead to congestion.

Which of the following sentences is a claim appropriate for academic argument?

Why should the 2^nd sentence be considered a claim rather than evidence?

(1) The government should reduce the amount of money given in welfare. (2) Homeless people don’t want to work, they just want to receive welfare payments.

According to Dr Benjamin Miller, what two qualities does a good claim have?

Is the following sentence a claim or evidence?

Homelessness is still a major issue in Australia because policy makers haven’t made a concerted effort to fund and commit to one particular project for an appropriate length of time.

Analyze the following paragraph. What is the origin of the evidence?

Homelessness is still a major issue in Australia because policy makers haven’t made a concerted effort to fund and commit to one particular project for an appropriate length of time. This is clear from research that has analyzed the history of homelessness programs in recent years. Parsell, Jones & Head draw on an extensive list of published articles and government reports analyzing homelessness programs in the UK, USA and Australia to conclude that “[a]ttracted by the successes in the UK and USA, Australian policy makers attempted a piecemeal transfer making it unlikely that the goal of permanently ending homelessness will be achieved” (Parsell, Jones & Head, 2012)

Reference:

Parsell, C., Jones, A. and Head, B. (2013). Policies and programs to end homelessness in Australia: Learning from international practice. International Journal of Social Welfare, 13, 10–23.

Analyse the following paragraph. What is the mode of the evidence?

Homelessness is still a major issue in Australia because policy makers haven’t made a concerted effort to fund and commit to one particular project for an appropriate length of time. This is clear from research that has analyzed the history of homelessness programs in recent years. Parsell, Jones & Head draw on an extensive list of published articles and government reports analyzing homelessness programs in the UK, USA and Australia to arrive at the conclusion that “attracted by the successes in the UK and USA, Australian policy makers attempted a piecemeal transfer making it unlikely that the goal of permanently ending homelessness will be achieved” (Parsell, Jones & Head, 2012).

Reference:

Parsell, C., Jones, A. and Head, B. (2013). Policies and programs to end homelessness in Australia: Learning from international practice. International Journal of Social Welfare, 13, 10–23.

Analyze the following paragraph. What is the purpose of the evidence?

Homelessness is still a major issue in Australia because policy makers haven’t made a concerted effort to fund and commit to one particular project for an appropriate length of time. This is clear from research that has analyzed the history of homelessness programs in recent years. Parsell, Jones & Head draw on an extensive list of published articles and government reports analyzing homelessness programs in the UK, USA and Australia to arrive at the conclusion that “attracted by the successes in the UK and USA, Australian policy makers attempted a piecemeal transfer making it unlikely that the goal of permanently ending homelessness will be achieved” (Parsell, Jones & Head, 2012).

Reference:

Parsell, C., Jones, A. and Head, B. (2013). Policies and programs to end homelessness in Australia: Learning from international practice. International Journal of Social Welfare, 13, 10–23.

Analyze the following paragraph. What is the source of the evidence?

Homelessness is still a major issue in Australia because policy makers haven’t made a concerted effort to fund and commit to one particular project for an appropriate length of time. This is clear from research that has analyzed the history of homelessness programs in recent years. Parsell, Jones & Head draw on an extensive list of published articles and government reports analyzing homelessness programs in the UK, USA and Australia to arrive at the conclusion that “attracted by the successes in the UK and USA, Australian policy makers attempted a piecemeal transfer making it unlikely that the goal of permanently ending homelessness will be achieved” (Parsell, Jones & Head, 2012).

Reference:

Parsell, C., Jones, A. and Head, B. (2013).Policies and programmes to end homelessness in Australia: Learning from international practice. International Journal of Social Welfare, 13, 10–23

What are biases and assumptions in terms of arguments?

Is the following statement true or false?

“Biases and assumptions are always negative and should be avoided at all costs”.

Is this text biased?

“Negotiations between Coleworth management and workers over wage claims broke down. A Coleworth spokesperson says that the union claims were excessive. Markets, concerned about a looming strike, sold off Coleworth stocks and they closed 20 cents lower at close of trading.”

(Alexander, 2015)

Consider the following sentence:

Bombs were dropped on the capital city Mogkadad.

What important information do you think has been hidden in this sentence?

From what you’ve learned so far, what are the different ways an author can hide bias?

Which of the following sentences means the same thing as “being homeless naturally leads to drug addiction”?

Watch the video in the link below. Count how many times the players wearing white pass the ball.

https://youtu.be/vJG698U2Mvo

Chabris & Simmons (1999) Selective Attention Test

How many times did the players wearing white pass the ball?

What is confirmation bias?

What is the difference between a bias and an assumption?

Consider the following statement.

We can see three types of homeless living on the streets of Albuquerque. There are those poor souls that are homeless due to bad luck; there are drunkards and drug addicts; and there are inveterate criminals.

What is the main kind of bias present?

What kind of bias is present in the following statement?

The key to solving homelessness is social housing.

Which of these is an appropriate claim in an argument for academic purposes?

The statement ‘It’s difficult to say exactly what constitutes ‘good art’’ is a claim. Which of the following can be considered evidence to support the claim?

Do you think a small sample size in a survey is really a problem, as long as you present the facts accurately?

Which of the following statements are NOT relevant premises?

(1) I need to get up at 7am.

(2) My alarm is set for 7am.

(3) My alarm is sounding now.

(4)Therefore, it is 7am.

What is needed to provide a better link between the premises and the conclusion of this argument?

What problem is there with the following evidence?

Homelessness is an increasingly worrying problem in the USA. According to Langdon and Kass (1985), “[homelessness] is a national crisis of ever-increasing proportions. Hundreds of thousands of persons across the country are so desperately poor that they lack even minimal shelter” (p.305). They state that there are more homeless people now than any time since the Great Depression.

Reference:

Langdon, J. K. & Kass, M.A. (1985). Homelessness in America: Looking for the Right to Shelter. Columbia Journal of Law and Social Problems, 19(3), 305-392.

What questions can you ask to determine if the evidence is relevant to the conclusion?

What problem is there with the following argument?

There are more homeless people now than at any time since the Great Depression. The Great Depression ended with the onset of World War II. Therefore, a similar momentous event is needed to end the current plight of homelessness.

Which of the following are tests to evaluate argument types in this lesson?

Which of the following statements best describes an argument from analogy?

What is a test of quantity for an argument from analogy?

Would oxygen be a ‘strong’ or ‘weak’ cause of a fire?

What do we look for in a test of opposition with causal arguments?

Which of the following statements best describes a generalization argument?

How do quasilogical arguments resemble logical arguments?

Which of the following statements best describes a co-existential argument?

Which of these tests is NOT used for a dissociation argument?

What is the structure of a Rogerian argument?

Consider the following statement.

“In the case of some areas of the internet that are heavily regulated, online trade has suffered from excess government regulation and control. It’s not hard to imagine the same thing happening if that kind of control was extended to all areas of the online economy.”

What type of argument is this?

Consider the following statement.

“There are many vulnerable children on the internet outside government protection, but vulnerable children need the government to protect them, so more government surveillance is needed.”

What type of argument is this?

Consider the following statement.

“A failure to act on threats made on social media sites by both the government and authorities has led to female users abandoning certain sites.”

What type of argument is this?

Consider the following argument.

Young people in lowly-paid jobs need to be given rental assistance from the government. They also need to get paid more by their employers. Perhaps employers could receive tax breaks from the government, which they could then pass on to young employees as higher wages.

Which of the following statements, about the claims and evidence in this argument, are true?

Consider the following argument.

Homelessness is often considered the preserve of the middle-aged, but it also falls heavily on young people. In the Springton area, for example, quite a few homeless people can be observed, particularly in the area bound by Holroyd and 4^th St.

What is the origin of the evidence?

Consider the following statement.

The laws were criticised as being ‘out of touch’ and ‘antiquated’.

How is bias displayed in this statement?

Consider the following statement.

The treatment of homeless people is a sad indictment on this government and its policies.

How is bias displayed in this statement?

Consider the following argument.

All pugs are dogs. Dogs are good pets. All dogs are mammals. Therefore, all pugs are mammals.

What questions can you ask to determine if the evidence is relevant to the conclusion in the following statement?

What problem is there with the following argument?

I have all my best ideas in the shower. I need to regularly have good ideas when I am at work. Therefore, I need to have numerous showers during the day in order to perform well at work.

Consider the following argument.

Social housing should be considered an opportunity to move past current market-based methods of organizing shelter for people, rather than as a burden for governments.

What type of argument is this?

Consider the following argument.

The current crisis with homelessness in Dartshire, our sister city in so many ways, is an important lesson to us here. The same problem could well occur here too if city hall doesn’t provide more options for those without accommodation in the near future.

What type of argument is this?

Is this a convergent or divergent argument?

“The 1995 flooding of Ligan river delta resulted in both widespread displacement of the area’s residents, and extensive damage to the ecology.”

Is this a convergent or divergent argument?

“The glorious casting, the amazing special effects, and Claire Spencer’s confident direction mean that First Fire is one of my films of the year!”

Have a look at another chain argument.

If I sleep in I will be late. If I am late I will be in trouble.

What would A = C look like?

Can you see how the premises link together in this chain argument?

If the cost of rental accommodation increases disproportionately to income, then less people will be able to afford private housing.

If less people can afford private housing, there will be more people who rely on public housing.

If there are more people who rely on public housing, the current public housing allocation will be insufficient to meet demand.

If the current public housing allocation cannot meet demand, there will be more people who cannot access public housing.

If there are more people who cannot access public housing then there will be more people who do not have fixed accommodation.

If there are more people who do not have fixed accommodation, there will be an increase in the number of people experiencing homelessness.

Are these two arguments the same?

Original: If the cost of rental accommodation increases disproportionately to income then less people will be able to afford private housing. If less people can afford private housing there will be more people who rely on public housing. If there are more people who rely on public housing the current public housing allocation will be insufficient to meet demand.

New: If the cost of rental accommodation increased disproportionately to income, then less people would be able to afford private housing. This then would lead to an increase in the amount of people who rely on public housing, and a concomitant lack of public housing to meet demand.

Does anything sound wrong with the argument chain?

What do you think of the statement, ‘If there is a rise in the cost of housing, it will lead to an increase in the amount of people experiencing homelessness”?

Read the following argument. Identify which sentences are part of the argument chain.

(1) A significant percentage of people experiencing homelessness are aged between 0-24 years of age. (2) One contributing factor for youth homelessness is a lack of exit planning after leaving statutory care, juvenile justice or medical facilities. (3) If there was increased funding for exit planning then youth at risk would have more opportunities for support. (4) If there were more opportunities for support then there would be a higher chance of intervention when at-risk youth face homelessness. (5) This would lead to a decrease in youth homelessness. (6) Therefore, funding for better exit planning would lead to a decrease in youth homelessness.

Read the following argument. Is sentence (5) an appropriate sentence for a chain argument?

(1) A significant percentage of people experiencing homelessness are aged between 0-24 years of age. (2) One contributing factor for youth homelessness is a lack of exit planning after leaving statutory care, juvenile justice or medical facilities. (3) If there was increased funding for exit planning then youth at risk would have more opportunities for support. (4) If there were more opportunities for support then there would be a higher chance of intervention when at-risk youth face homelessness. (5) This would lead to a decrease in youth homelessness. (6) Therefore, funding for better exit planning would lead to a decrease in youth homelessness.

Read the following statement. What is the purpose of the argument?

If there was increased funding for exit planning for youth leaving statutory care, juvenile justice or medical facilities then there would be a decrease in youth homelessness. There is not increased funding, so there will not be a decrease in youth homelessness.

Read the following statement. What is the problem with the conclusion?

If there was increased funding for exit planning for youth leaving statutory care, juvenile justice or medical facilities then there would be a decrease in youth homelessness. There is not increased funding, so there will not be a decrease in youth homelessness.

Read the following statement. What is wrong with the argument?

If there is no funding for exit planning for young people leaving juvenile justice then those at-risk youth will not have adequate support or stability. If they don’t have adequate support or stability they will not be able to focus on their studies. If those youth are unable to focus on their studies they will drop out of school. If they drop out of school they will not be able to gain employment or be engaged meaningfully. This would lead them to a life of petty crime and worse.

What is a Warrant?

Does acknowledging alternative arguments to your own strengthen or weaken your argument?

Consider the following argument.

Homeless people should be allowed to occupy unused buildings that are owned by others (commonly referred to as “squatting”), as there are an estimated 700 000 empty properties in England that could be used as shelter. Any right that owners may claim to property is superseded by the rights of homeless people to shelter, as the right to shelter is an inalienable human right. This right to shelter applies in almost all cases of unoccupied properties, but of course would not apply if the property was only unoccupied in the short term.

(Adapted from Vasudevan, A. (2011, November 3). The sinister logic behind criminalising squatting. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2011/nov/03/criminalising-squatting-law-trespass-homeless)

“Any right that owners may claim to property is superseded by the rights of homeless people to shelter” is which part of the Toulmin model of argumentation?

Consider the following argument.

Homeless people should be allowed to occupy unused buildings that are owned by others (commonly referred to as “squatting”), as there are an estimated 700 000 empty properties in England that could be used as shelter. Any right that owners may claim to property is superseded by the rights of homeless people to shelter, as the right to shelter is an inalienable human right. This right to shelter applies in almost all cases of unoccupied properties, but of course would not apply if the property was only unoccupied in the short term.

(Adapted from Vasudevan, A. (2011, November 3). The sinister logic behind criminalising squatting. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2011/nov/03/criminalising-squatting-law-trespass-homeless)

“This right to shelter applies in almost all cases of unoccupied properties” is which part of the Toulmin model of argumentation?

Consider the following argument.

Homeless people should be allowed to occupy unused buildings that are owned by others (commonly referred to as “squatting”), as there are an estimated 700 000 empty properties in England that could be used as shelter. Any right that owners may claim to property is superseded by the rights of homeless people to shelter, as the right to shelter is an inalienable human right. This right to shelter applies in almost all cases of unoccupied properties, but of course would not apply if the property was only unoccupied in the short term.

(Adapted from Vasudevan, A. (2011, November 3). The sinister logic behind criminalising squatting. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2011/nov/03/criminalising-squatting-law-trespass-homeless)

“The right to shelter is an inalienable human right” is which part of the Toulmin model of argumentation?

How is critique different from critical thinking?

Which of the following are characteristics JUST of critique?

A common focus of critique is on unjust ideologies. Which of the following views on unjust ideologies are features of critique, according to the lecture?

In which of the following faculties would you be more likely to find critique as a way of understanding and analyzing the world?

What do we mean when we say “reflective writing needs to be critical”?

You need to do research and reference theories and evidence in a piece of reflective writing.

Which of the following should you include in a reflection?

Consider the following reflection from a university course in Education. Note that this particular reflection had a word limit of 200-550 words, and students were instructed to reflect on the idea of being a critically reflective teacher.

Stephen Brookfield (1995), in his analysis of why critical reflection is important to teaching, suggests that “an uncritical stance towards our practice sets us up for a lifetime of frustration” (para. 2). He suggests this is because teachers can have a different view of their classrooms to what is actually going on: they are unaware. This contradiction fascinates me. While on my prac placements, I was particularly conscious of this – lessons that I thought to be fantastic or boring, when looked at through a critical eye, turned out to be the opposite, or at least more in the middle. It was frustrating, to say the least. What we had learnt in our education theory courses didn’t quite match up to real-life experience. Having my supervisor give me notes at the end really helped me in evaluating my teaching and planning the next lesson. This, coupled with my own observations of my students allowed me to more closely align what Brookfield would call the “meaning and significance” (para 2) I intended for the lesson to what the students took from it. While being observed sometimes felt a bit “big brother” and sometimes just embarrassing, I have no doubt that it made me a better teacher. These kinds of ‘learning processes’ throughout a teaching career are important because they force us to revaluate our practice; to, in effect, become aware.

Brookfield, S. (1995). Becoming a critically reflective teacher. San Francisco, LA: Jossey-Bass.

Now, consider just this section: “While on my prac placements, I was particularly conscious of this – lessons that I thought to be fantastic or boring, when looked at through a critical eye, turned out to be the opposite, or at least more in the middle. It was frustrating, to say the least.”

Which stage of Baker’s (1996) critical reflection is this an example of?

Consider the same reflection from a university course in Education. Note that this particular reflection had a word limit of 200-550 words, and students were instructed to reflect on the idea of being a critically reflective teacher.

Stephen Brookfield (1995), in his analysis of why critical reflection is important to teaching, suggests that “an uncritical stance towards our practice sets us up for a lifetime of frustration” (para 2). He suggests this is because teachers can have a different view of their classrooms to what is actually going on: they are unaware. This contradiction fascinates me. While on my prac placements, I was particularly conscious of this – lessons that I thought to be fantastic or boring, when looked at through a critical eye, turned out to be the opposite, or at least more in the middle. It was frustrating, to say the least. What we had learnt in our education theory courses didn’t quite match up to real-life experience. Having my supervisor give me notes at the end really helped me in evaluating my teaching and planning the next lesson. This, coupled with my own observations of my students allowed me to more closely align what Brookfield would call the “meaning and significance” (para 2) I intended for the lesson to what the students took from it. While being observed sometimes felt a bit “big brother” and sometimes just embarrassing, I have no doubt that it made me a better teacher. These kinds of ‘learning processes’ throughout a teaching career are important because they force us to revaluate our practice; to, in effect, become aware.

Brookfield, S. (1995). Becoming a critically reflective teacher. San Francisco, LA: Jossey-Bass.

Now, consider just this section: “While being observed sometimes felt a bit “big brother” and sometimes just embarrassing, I have no doubt that it made me a better teacher. These kinds of ‘learning processes’ throughout a teaching career are important because they force us to revaluate our practice; to, in effect, become aware.”

Which stage of Baker’s (1996) critical reflection is this an example of?

Read the following argument. Which sentences are part of the argument chain?

(1) Better data on homelessness would ultimately contribute to a decrease in homelessness. (2) There is currently a need for a client information system that would help provide assessment, referrals and information sharing across the multiple homelessness services. (3) Improved communication across the different services would ensure that the clients’ needs are being addressed. (4) Moreover, improved data would help identify which services are most in demand. (5) If the in-demand services were identified then it would mean greater resources could be allocated to those areas. (6) This would allow for greater outreach to homeless people with services that they need. (7) If this was successful then it would mean more people experiencing homelessness received the support that they needed.

Read the following argument. Which sentence is the conclusion?

(1) Better data on homelessness would ultimately contribute to a decrease in homelessness. (2) There is currently a need for a client information system that would help provide assessment, referrals and information sharing across the multiple homelessness services. (3) Improved communication across the different services would ensure that the clients’ needs are being addressed. (4) Moreover, improved data would help identify which services are most in demand. (5) If the in-demand services were identified then it would mean greater resources could be allocated to those areas. (6) This would allow for greater outreach to homeless people with services that they need. (7) If this outreach was successful then it would mean more people experiencing homelessness received the support that they needed.

For a piece of reflective writing, where should you begin?

Consider the following reflection from a university course in Education. Note that this particular reflection had a word limit of 200-550 words, and students were instructed to reflect on the idea of being a critically reflective teacher.

Stephen Brookfield (1995), in his analysis of why critical reflection is important to teaching, suggests that “an uncritical stance towards our practice sets us up for a lifetime of frustration” (para 2). He suggests this is because teachers can have a different view of their classrooms to what is actually going on: they are unaware. This contradiction fascinates me. While on my prac placements, I was particularly conscious of this – lessons that I thought to be fantastic or boring, when looked at through a critical eye, turned out to be the opposite, or at least more in the middle. It was frustrating, to say the least. What we had learnt in our education theory courses didn’t quite match up to real-life experience. Having my supervisor give me notes at the end really helped me in evaluating my teaching and planning the next lesson. This, coupled with my own observations of my students allowed me to more closely align what Brookfield would call the “meaning and significance” (para 2) I intended for the lesson to what the students took from it. While being observed sometimes felt a bit “big brother” and sometimes just embarrassing, I have no doubt that it made me a better teacher. These kinds of ‘learning processes’ throughout a teaching career are important because they force us to revaluate our practice; to, in effect, become aware.

Brookfield, S. (1995). Becoming a critically reflective teacher. San Francisco, LA: Jossey-Bass.

Which of the following sections of the text does the student talk about the significance of the event or experience?

Consider the following argument.

There are numerous examples of people struggling to remove squatters due to the inadequacy of the law. For example, Imran Lakhani, despite finding squatters on his property while working overseas, struggled for 6 months to remove the squatters in his house. Dale Morrison faced similar issues too when she and her family returned from holiday to find squatters in their house. These cases clearly demonstrate that laws against squatting on private property should be tightened. Of course, these changes would only apply to private property to retain people’s right to protest on public land.

Which of the following statements from this text is the Claim?

Consider the following argument.

There are numerous examples of people struggling to remove squatters due to the inadequacy of the law. For example, Imran Lakhani, despite finding squatters on his property while working overseas, struggled for 6 months to remove the squatters in his house. Dale Morrison faced similar issues too when she and her family returned from holiday to find squatters in their house. These cases clearly demonstrate that laws against squatting on private property should be tightened. Of course, these changes would only apply to private property to retain people’s right to protest on public land.

Which of the following statements from this text is the Warrant?

Consider the following fictional newspaper article.

Homeless man Mike Davis pulled himself back on his feet with some hard work in his new microbusiness, cleaning local restaurants and bars. While his microbusiness might have given him a newfound sense of dignity, along with a few dollars, Mike confessed to his case manager Susan Lee at New Choices Welfare that he still had a unfulfilled dream – to find his long-lost sister in the city of Bramingham. That’s when Susan, in conjunction with Flyaway Travel, worked to make Mike’s dream a reality …

A cultural studies theorist critiques the article in the following way.

Another example of the responsibilisation of homelessness can be seen in an article in the Southern Messenger (Diaz, 2011). A narrative of individual self-help, supported by the newspaper’s advertisers, is told, ignoring the broader systemic nature of homelessness.

Which feature of critique, outlined in lesson 5.3a, can be found in the theorist’s writing?

Consider the following fictional newspaper article.

Homeless man Mike Davis pulled himself back on his feet with some hard work in his new microbusiness, cleaning local restaurants and bars. While his microbusiness might have given him a newfound sense of dignity, along with a few dollars, Mike confessed to his case manager Susan Lee at New Choices Welfare that he still had a unfulfilled dream – to find his long-lost sister in the city of Bramingham. That’s when Susan, in conjunction with Flyaway Travel, worked to make Mike’s dream a reality …

A cultural studies theorist continues critiquing the article in the following way.

Narratives of individual responsibility, such as the Southern Messenger article, serve to redirect blame towards the homeless for their fate. This ideology then reinforces how the broader housing system, that prioritizes the exchange-value of houses on the market rather than their use-value as accommodation, creates a homeless underclass.

Which feature of critique, outlined in lesson 5.3a, can be found in the theorist’s writing?