DeVry Institute of Technology

18624 West Creek Drive

Tinley Park, IL  60477

(708) 633.8200

Syllabus

COLL-145   CRITICAL THINKING AND PROBLEM SOLVING

Fall 2000

Faculty Information:

Dr. Al Campbell, LMFT

E-mail: campbell@wolverton-mountain.com

Web Site: www.wolverton-mountain.com 

Phone: (219) 928.5598 or (219) 874.1338

Course Identification:

Credit hours: 1

Contact hours: 2

Days/hours course meets: Monday, 3:-4:50pm

Prerequisite: None

Co requisite: None

 Course Description:

This course is designed differently from many that you are used to because you will be asked to use critical thinking and problem solving strategies within the context of practical applications.  Assignments, readings, group-work, discussions, tests, and homework are designed to encourage you to think critically about your own thinking.  The emphasis in this class will be on practice not lecture.  The classroom experience will encourage thinking “outside the box.”  Strategies will be presented that will teach how to alleviate “fuzzy” thinking while learning ways to integrate focused, precise, and accurate thinking.  The identification, understanding, and analyzing of problems in order to find effective solutions will be emphasized. 

 Terminal Objectives

1.      To understand the part that critical thinking and problem solving strategies play in academic, personal, and professional success. 

2.      To be able to define, generate, organize, and practice alternative solutions to problems. 

3.      To use library research to determine if there are previously developed solutions to specific problems. 

4.      To explain and practice the fundamental skills and habits that characterize effective problem solving. 

5.      To understand the vocabulary and processes related to inference, reasoning, logic, assumptions, arguments, questioning, and evaluation.

6.      To develop team guidelines for ensuring effective teamwork. 

7.      To show the importance of being able to critically evaluate information and information resources for effective problem solving. 

Student Responsibilities

Students are required to attend all classes.  Group discussion is an integral part of this course; students will be asked to contribute and ask questions.  Most graded assignments will be done in class.

 30% Absence: DeVry’s Attendance Policy allows a Professor to withdraw a student from a course when a student has been absent 30% of the class hours of the course.  If I drop you from the class, you must then appeal to me to be reinstated.  If you are not reinstated, this can affect your eligibility for financial aid and will result in a “W” grade for the course.  (Don’t forget to use the automated attendance system, ATS, starting 10 minutes before the hour and closing 20 minutes after the hour.)

 Late assignments will be accepted with a one grade level reduction.

Text:

Hjorth, Linda, Johnson, Ben, Chafee, John, Ascione Lou.  Critical Thinking and Problem Solving. Houghton Mifflin. Boston. 2001.

Student Withdrawal Policy:

Students who wish to withdraw from this course must do so by Friday of Week #11.

Course Evaluation:

Class participation, Group presentation, and final are each weighted at 33.3% of the final grade.

Diversity:

Students, faculty, staff, and all other member of the DeVry community are expected to respect diversity which includes, but is not limited to age, disability, gender, marital status, national origin, race, religion, and sexual orientation.  Students engaging in discriminatory behavior will be subject to the consequences established in the Student’s Code of Conduct in the Student Handbook.  Student grievances involving charges of discrimination and sexual harassment should be taken to the Student Services Office.

Academic Integrity:

All students are expected to follow the standards of academic integrity and conduct as detailed in the Academic Integrity Policy found in the DeVry Student Handbook.  The Policy specifically prohibits dishonest acts, such as copying, plagiarism, and prohibited collaboration.  Please review the Policy so that you understand your rights and obligations.

Weekly Schedule

November   6, 2000                READ Chapter 1—Taking Charge of Your Education

November 13, 2000                READ Chapter 2—Thinking Critically about Study Strategies

November 20, 2000                                  Thanksgiving recess

November 27, 2000                READ Chapter 3—Problem Solving 

December   4, 2000                READ Chapter 4—The Concept of Inference

December 11, 2000                READ Chapter 5—Thinking Critically

December 18, 2000                READ Chapter 6—Perceiving

December 25, 2000                                            Holiday recess

January      1, 2001                                  Holiday recess

January      8, 2001                READ Chapter 7—Recognizing Skills

January    15, 2001                                  Martin Luther King Jr. Day

January    22, 2001                READ Chapter 8 and 9— Analyzing Skills/Research and Writing

January    29, 2001                Group Presentations Begin

February    5, 2001                Presentations Continue

February  12, 2001                Presentations Continue

February  19, 2001                Review for final exam

February  26, 2001                Final Exam