Template for
Critical Thinking and Complex Reasoning
Tagged Course
Learning Outcome 2. Critical Thinking and Complex Reasoning Skills
Students will demonstrate foundational competency in creating and evaluating reasoned arguments, and employing quantitative,
qualitative, and normative information in such arguments.
Department Code
Course Number
Course Name
A. If the course has a coordinator, please identify the person and provide appropriate contact information.
B. Describe specifically how at least 40% of the course work involves disciplinary writing.
C. Describe how the course requires critical thinking (interpretation, analysis, evaluation, inference, communication, and/or
metacognition).
D1. To qualify for a tag, a course should ideally meet learning outcomes 1a through 1e, as well as either 2ai-2aiv for quantitative
courses, or 2bi-2biv for qualitative courses, or 2ci-2civ for normative courses. Courses falling short of this ideal will be considered, as
will courses straddling these categories. Complete the table of how the course will address the specifics of each learning outcome:
Goal: Create reasoned arguments and evaluate the reasonableness of arguments.
Learning Outcome Description
1a State the nature of controversies
Explanation of Learning Outcome Description
Students will express disciplinarily appropriate
as propositions, including fact (i.e., propositions, such as statements or principles
what is), value (i.e., what should pertaining to facts, values or policies. Many courses
be), and policy (i.e., what steps can don’t explicitly deal with controversies, but do deal with
questions, problems, or cases that involve tradeoffs,
be taken) propositions.
1b Recognize and choose the
premises, purposes, audiences,
and contexts of propositions.
1c Recognize and choose the
appropriate logic to support
propositions, including symbolic,
deductive, and inductive logic.
choices, or decisions (e.g., optimization problems)
involving what is known, what the goal is, and how the
goal can be achieved. This learning outcome also
applies to such courses.
Students will choose how information is presented, and
will learn to recognize what is being assumed (the
premises), why it is being presented (purpose), and the
context in which the information is being presented.
Many courses requiring writing, particularly
argumentative or persuasive writing, will teach students
these skills.
Students will learn how to defend their conclusions,
answers, problem solutions, interpretations, findings,
etc. This learning outcome requires some understanding
of the difference between a well-supported (or reliable)
result, answer, solution, conclusion, interpretation,
analysis, etc., and one that is not well-supported (by
argument, calculation, evidence, logic, reason,
implications, etc.).
Describe how the course addresses
each outcome
1d Recognize and choose the
Students will develop information literacy skills.
appropriate information to
support propositions, including
the sources, authority, and biases
of information.
1e Recognize and be able to argue
both sides of a proposition, and
employ logic and information to
challenge opposing propositions.
Students will consider the point of view and reasoning of
someone critical of their analysis, argument, problem
solution, etc.
D2. Quantitative, qualitative, or normative? Complete one of the three tables below, specifying how the course will address the
specifics of the relevant learning outcome listed under either 2a (quantitative), or 2b (qualitative), or 2c (normative):
Goal: Employ the appropriate analysis and application of quantitative information.
Guidance in how to apply this language to your
Describe how the course addresses
Learning outcome description
tagged Critical Thinking course
each outcome
2ai Identify the value and
limitations of magnitude (i.e.,
how large) and multitude (i.e.,
how many) measures.
2aii Manipulate and express such
measures with arithmetic,
algebraic, geometric, and
statistical methods.
2aiii
Manipulate and express such
measures with graphs, charts,
and tables.
Students will practice analyzing or interpreting
quantitative data. Indicate the types of quantitative
data used and the types of analysis or interpretations
made.
Students will apply principles to manipulate or evaluate
quantitative expressions. Indicate the methods a student
would employ.
Students will represent data visually or interpret data
from a visual representation. Indicate types of visual
representations with which the students work.
2aiv
Manipulate and express such
Students will be required to execute multiple steps in
measures to solve practical and
sequence to reach a conclusion on the basis of
multistage problems.
quantitative data or expressions. Indicate at least one
example from the course.
Goal: Employ the appropriate analysis and application of qualitative information.
Guidance in how to apply this language to your
Learning outcome description
tagged Critical Thinking course
2bi Identify the value and limitations of
character (i.e., the nature of a thing)
and capacity (i.e., what a thing can
do) assessments.
2bii Interpret and express assessments
with a contrary structure, such as
truth versus falsehood or good
versus evil.
2biii Interpret and express assessments
with a relational structure, such as
the degree of beauty or the level of
success.
2biv Interpret and express assessments
with a unique structure, such as
cultural ethos or historical eras.
Students will develop skills in describing or evaluating
things (including concepts or theories) and their
functions.
Students will develop skills in presenting multiple sides
of a question open to debate.
Students will learn to compare things (including
concepts or theories) in ways appropriate to the
discipline of the course.
Students will learn to assess things (including concepts
or theories) in ways appropriate to the course.
Describe how the course addresses
each outcome
Goal: Employ the appropriate analysis and application of normative information.
Guidance in how to apply this language to
Learning outcome description
your tagged Critical Thinking course
2ci Identify the value and limitations of
prescriptive (i.e., how things should be)
and proscriptive (i.e., how things shouldn’t
be) claims.
2cii
Acknowledge and express claims
concerning personal behavior, such as
honesty and virtue.
Students will learn to evaluate the applicability of
prescriptive and proscriptive statements.
Students will learn to critically evaluate
statements made by themselves and others about
personal behavior, both positive and negative,
such as but not limited to personal ethics,
honesty, disobedience, virtue or discrimination.
2ciii
Students will learn to critically evaluate claims
Acknowledge and express claims
made by themselves and others concerning social
concerning social life, such as pluralism and
life such as but not limited to social norms,
justice.
pluralism, justice or equality.
2civ Acknowledge and express claims
concerning mental life, such as respect for Students will learn to critically evaluate the
evidence and openattitudes of themselves and others.
mindedness.
2cv Describe how such claims are used to make
ethical decisions.
Describe how the course addresses
each outcome
E. Learning Artifact(s). These student-produced artifacts will be used for formative assessment of the effectiveness of the General
Education program. Therefore, you should select a primary artifact that meets as many of the learning outcomes identified on the
template as possible, including critical thinking and written communication. You may identify secondary artifacts if necessary.
Examples of learning artifacts include: course portfolio, comprehensive exam, lab report, project, etc.
Artifact
Describe the artifact and identify which learning outcomes it addresses
Primary
Secondary (if
needed)
F. How will the artifacts be collected and archived? (Springboard submission, hard copies scanned, etc.)
G. Attach syllabus that identifies the student artifact(s) to be collected and a schedule/outline of the course reflecting instruction in
all the required learning outcomes.
H. Attach material given to students for learning artifact(s); for example, assignment or a blank copy of exam.