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FSEM 1111-11: THINKING
Fall, 2015
Tuesday and Thursday -- 10:00 - 11:50
Room 45 in Frontier Hall
Description: The course helps students: (1) better understand how to think well, (2) better
understand how and why we often don’t think well, and (3) improve thinking skills
through extensive practice with instruction and feedback. The course addresses a wide
range of topics in which thinking is relevant including argumentation, theory testing, and
problem solving. Students come to understand their personal strengths and weaknesses
in thinking and work to improve both.
Instructor:
Chip Reichardt - Professor of Psychology
Office: Room 344 in Frontier Hall
Office Phone: 303-871-3783 (which forwards to my cell phone when I am not in my
office)
Cell Phone: 720-341-2240
Email: Charles.Reichardt@du.edu
The best way to contact me is by email. Please don’t leave messages for me on Canvas
– use email instead.
Course Web Site: The syllabus is given on the course web site:
http://mysite.du.edu/~creichar
Then go to “FSEM 1111 - Thinking”
Username: Think
Password: [will be given in class]
Course Dropbox: Many materials for the class are available at the course Dropbox. To access
the course Dropbox, click on:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/x1ld714jfp9d65j/AADjQvcGybKpe0AiiIvvrEsXa?dl=0
Which files to read and when you are supposed to read them are listed below.
Assignments: Assignments are due each day of class. Each assignment (except the one you
complete during the first day of class) is to be turned in as a Word file on Canvas with
your NAME included BOTH as part of the title of the file and in the upper left hand
corner of the assignment itself. The assignments should be uploaded before the start of
class on the day each assignment is due. (But if you miss that deadline, it is better to
turn in your assignment late than not at all. Of course, you might get less credit the later
you submit your assignments. But late is always better than never.) Each assignment
contains multiple parts. Put the answers to ALL parts of the assignment for a given day
into a SINGLE Word file. Please note that the quality of your writing on the assignments
counts heavily towards your grade.
Each assignment is available on Dropbox. For example, consider the
assignment:
Explanations: ESP
To find this assignment, click on the course Dropbox link at:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/x1ld714jfp9d65j/AADjQvcGybKpe0AiiIvvrEs
Xa?dl=0
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then find the Word file named “Explanations.“ Open that file and find the entry
labeled “ESP.”
Please keep electronic copies of your assignments in case canvas doesn’t well
retain the copies you upload. (Canvas seems to have trouble at times uploading a new
copy of a file if you uploaded a previous copy.)
Class Participation: You need to participate actively in class which includes asking questions,
making comments, and joining in discussions. I will sometimes call on people in class to
make comments but you are expected to volunteer comments and questions without
being called on. That is, you are responsible for making sure that your class participation
is adequate in both quality and quantity. Come see me if you feel uncomfortable talking
in class because we will need to figure out how to cope with your discomfort. You won’t
get an A in the class unless you are actively engaged in the class and demonstrate this
by class participation. That is, performing well on the assignments is not enough to earn
an A. Because class participation is an essential component of the course, it is important
that you come to class and that you are prepared both intellectually and physically
(which includes being sufficiently rested) to participate actively. Make sure you are
prepared to discuss all of the readings and assignments in class.
Journal: You need to create a journal in which you will answer questions in class. A spiral
notebook works well for a journal. Or you can write entries for your journal in a file on
your computer and then print out the file at the end of the course. Other options are also
possible (including loose leaf pages stapled together), but you need to turn in a hard
copy of your journal at the end of the quarter. Please write your name on the front cover
of your journal. I will recycle these journals unless you arrange, before the end of the
next quarter, to retrieve them from me.
Final Exam: The final exam is scheduled by DU and I am not allowed to change it.
Grades: Grades will be assigned based on the daily assignments, participation in class, writing
in your journals, final exam, and quality of failure (see the file “Teaching to Fail” in the
course Dropbox). Although each assignment has more than one part, the grade on each
assignment will be based mostly (if not exclusively) on the essays (labeled ESSAY
DRAFT and ESSAY REVISION in the list of assignments given below). The grade on an
ESSAY DRAFT will count for only half as much as the grade on an ESSAY REVISION.
I provide feedback on the ESSAY DRAFTs and ESSAY REVISIONs using
TechSmith Relay. In essence, TechSmith Relay provides a video much like a YouTube
video. The TechSmith Relay video will display a copy of your paper with my comments
in audio. I’ll send you an email with a link to each TechSmith Relay video. (Those emails
will have nothing listed for the “Subject” of the email.) Your grades on the first ESSAY
DRAFT and ESSAY REVISION will NOT count toward your final grade (because I want
you to get an idea of the types of writing I’m looking for), but you should still try your best
on the first ESSAY DRAFT and ESSAY REVISION because you will get the best sense
of what I’m looking for only if you put in your best effort.
The final grades will be determined by the following weighting of the five
components:
Assignments
60%
Class participation 20%
Journal
5%
Final Exam
10%
Quality of Failure
5% (see the file “Teaching to Fail” in the course Dropbox)
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Writing Center: In working on your assignments, you are invited to take advantage of the
Writing and Research Center’s services -- getting feedback benefits writers at all skill
levels. The Center offers one-on-one consultations that address everything from
brainstorming and developing ideas to crafting strong sentences and documenting
sources. For more information, visit www.du.edu/writing/wrc.htm or call 303-871-7431 or
stop by the Writing & Research Center in the Anderson Academic Commons. The last
time I checked, their hours were Monday-Thursday 9 am - 6 pm, Tuesday or Wednesday
evenings until 8 pm, Fridays 10 am - 2 pm, and Sundays 4 pm – 8 pm (but call ahead of
time to be sure).
University Disability Services: If you have a disability or medical issue protected under the
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and
need to request accommodations, please visit the Disability Services Program website at
www.du.edu/disability/dsp. You may also call (303) 871-2372, or visit us in person on the
4th floor of Ruffatto Hall; 1999 E. Evans Ave., Denver, CO. Information is also available
online at: http://www.du.edu/studentlife/disability-services/index.html
If you are registered with the University Disability Services, please come see me
as soon as possible to discuss any course accommodations that may be necessary.
DU Honor Code
You are expected to abide by the DU honor code. See:
http://www.du.edu/studentlife/studentconduct/media/documents/scpoliciesandpro
cedures20142015.pdf
Also see:
http://www.du.edu/studentlife/studentconduct/honorcode.html
All work submitted in this course must be your own and produced exclusively for this
course. The use of sources (ideas, quotations, paraphrases) must be properly
acknowledged and documented. For the consequences of violating the Academic
Misconduct policy, refer to the University of Denver Honor Code
www.du.edu/honorcode. Violations of the Honor Code and Academic Misconduct will be
taken seriously and are grounds for failure of the course and potentially dismissal from
the University.
Religious Accommodation Policy
For DU’s policy about accommodations for religious holidays, please see:
http://www.du.edu/studentlife/religiouslife/about-us/policy.html
Advising Deadlines
Academic, registration, and billing calendars can be found at:
http://www.du.edu/registrar/calendar/ and
http://www.du.edu/registrar/media/documents/regdates2015-2016.pdf
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READINGS AND ASSIGNMENTS
ACCESSING the READINGS and ASSIGNMENTS
1. Canvas: Most readings are available on the course's Canvas web site. To access the
readings on Canvas:
A. Login to the course on Canvas: https://du.instructure.com/login
B. Click on "Modules" on the left-hand side of your course shell.
C. Scroll down to, and click on "Ares Course Reserves."
2. The following two books are available at the DU bookstore:
Kida [Kida, T. (2006). Don't believe everything you think: The six basic mistakes
we make in thinking. Prometheus Books: Amherst, NY.] and
Graff & Birkenstein [Graff, G. & Birkenstein, C. (2006). They say / I say: The
moves that matter in academic writing. Norton: NY.]
3. Other readings have links to web sites where the readings can be found.
4. The (underlined) assignments are available at:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/x1ld714jfp9d65j/AADjQvcGybKpe0AiiIvvrEsXa?dl=0
SCHEDULE (subject to change as the course proceeds)
1. September 15 (Tuesday) - INTRODUCTION
Assignment 1: Information Sheet
2. September 17 (Thursday) – WRITING AND OBSERVATIONS
Readings: Reading Questions
Seelig, T. (2009).What I wish I knew when I was 20: A crash course on making
your place in the world. New York: Harper One. Chapter 1: Buy one, get
two free.
Kida, T. (2006). Don’t believe everything you think: The six basic mistakes we
make in thinking. Prometheus Books: Amherst, NY. (Introduction)
Burger, E. (2012) Teaching to Fail. Inside Higher Ed – (in the course Dropbox)
Reichardt – Academic Writing (in the course Dropbox)
Assignment 2:
Argument Critiques: Nevada
Problem Solving: Two Pills
3. September 22 (Tuesday) – ASKING AND ANSWERING QUESTIONS
Readings: Reading Questions
Corodilos, N. (Fall, 209). Making the liberal arts degree pay off. Phi Beta Kappa:
The Key Reporter, 10.
Kida, T. (2006). Don’t believe everything you think: The six basic mistakes we
make in thinking. Prometheus Books: Amherst, NY. (Chapter 1)
Graff, G. & Birkenstein, C. (2006). They say / I say: The moves that matter in
academic writing. Norton: NY. (Introduction and pages 133-135)
Assignment 3:
Argument Critiques: Pesticides - Part 1 ONLY . . . OUTLINE
Interview Assignment
Problem Solving: Bridge Escape
4. September 24 (Thursday) – ARGUMENTATION: LOGIC
Readings: Reading Questions
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Spence, G. (1995). How to Argue and Win Every Time. NY: St. Martins. Chapter
8: Structuring the Winning Argument, (pages 113-134).
Graff, G. & Birkenstein, C. (2006). They say / I say: The moves that matter in
academic writing. Norton: NY. (Chapter 1)
Assignment 4:
Argument Critiques: Pesticides - Part 2 . . . ESSAY DRAFT
Problem Solving: Brush Fire
5. September 29 (Tuesday) – ARGUMENTATION: COUNTER EXAMPLES
Readings: Reading Questions
Sandel, M. J. (2009). Justice: What's the right thing to do? NY: Farrar, Straus and
Giroux. (Chapter 1: Doing the Right Thing)
Kida, T. (2006). Don’t believe everything you think: The six basic mistakes we
make in thinking. Prometheus Books: Amherst, NY. (Chapter 4)
Graff, G. & Birkenstein, C. (2006). They say / I say: The moves that matter in
academic writing. Norton: NY. (Chapter 2)
Reichardt – Characteristics of Arguments (in the course Dropbox)
Assignment 5:
Argument Critiques: Pesticides - Part 1 AGAIN
Problem Solving: Hidden Lamp
New Yorker Cartoons Assignment: Part 1
6. October 1 (Thursday) – ARGUMENTATION: FALLACIES
Readings: Reading Questions
Sagan, C. (1995). The demon-haunted world: Science as a candle in the dark.
New York: Random House. Chapter 12: The Fine Art of Baloney
Detection.
Graff, G. & Birkenstein, C. (2006). They say / I say: The moves that matter in
academic writing. Norton: NY. (Chapter 3)
Assignment 6:
Argument Critiques: Pesticides - Part 3 . . . ESSAY REVISION
Problem Solving: Burning Ropes
7. October 6 (Tuesday) – EXPLANATIONS 1
Readings: Reading Questions
Polygamy
http://www2.idebate.org/debatabase/debates/moral-religious/housewould-legalize-polygamy
or
http://debatewise.org/debates/3512-polygamous-marriage-should-berecognised/
Hall, H. (2006). Teaching pigs to sing: An experiment in bringing critical thinking
to the masses. Skeptical Inquirer, 30, 36-39.
Kida, T. (2006). Don’t believe everything you think: The six basic mistakes we
make in thinking. Prometheus Books: Amherst, NY. (Chapter 5)
Graff, G. & Birkenstein, C. (2006). They say / I say: The moves that matter in
academic writing. Norton: NY. (Chapter 4)
Assignment 7:
New Yorker Cartoons Assignment: Part 2
Problem Solving: Chess Games
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8. October 8 (Thursday) – EXPLANATIONS 2
Readings: Reading Questions
Tavris, C. & Aronson, E. (2007). Mistakes were made (but not by me). NY:
Harcourt. (Chapter 5: Law and disorder, pp. 127-157).
Graff, G. & Birkenstein, C. (2006). They say / I say: The moves that matter in
academic writing. Norton: NY. (Chapter 5)
Assignment 8:
Argument Critiques Topic 1 - Part 1 . . . ESSAY DRAFT
Analytical Problems: Three Hats
9. October 13 (Tuesday) – INTERPRETING DATA
Readings: Reading Questions
Stolen Valor Act - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_v._Alvarez
Graff, G. & Birkenstein, C. (2006). They say / I say: The moves that matter in
academic writing. Norton: NY. (Chapter 6)
Kida, T. (2006). Don’t believe everything you think: The six basic mistakes we
make in thinking. Prometheus Books: Amherst, NY. (Chapter 11)
Assignment 9:
New Yorker Cartoons Assignment: Part 2
Analytical Problems: Five Hats
10. October 15 (Thursday) - MEASUREMENT
Readings: Reading Questions
Lave and March, An Introduction to Models in the Social Sciences, How to
Theorize: http://www.analytictech.com/mb313/howto.htm
Kida, T. (2006). Don’t believe everything you think: The six basic mistakes we
make in thinking. Prometheus Books: Amherst, NY. (Chapter 6)
Graff, G. & Birkenstein, C. (2006). They say / I say: The moves that matter in
academic writing. Norton: NY. (Chapter 7)
Assignment 10:
Argument Critiques: Topic 1 - Part 2 . . . ESSAY REVISION
Explanations: ESP
11. October 20 (Tuesday) - CORRELATIONS
Readings: Reading Questions
Vegetarianism - http://vegetarian.procon.org/
Goldacre, B. (2010). Bad science: Quacks, hacks, and big pharma flacks. NY:
Faber and Faber. (Chapter 4: Homeopathy, pages 30-64).
Assignment 11:
New Yorker Cartoons Assignment: Part 2
Problem Solving: Crossing a River
12. October 22 (Thursday) – CAUSE AND EFFECT
Readings: Reading Questions
Kida, T. (2006). Don’t believe everything you think: The six basic mistakes we
make in thinking. Prometheus Books: Amherst, NY. (Chapter 7)
Graff, G. & Birkenstein, C. (2006). They say / I say: The moves that matter in
academic writing. Norton: NY. (Chapter 8)
Assignment 12:
Argument Critiques: Topic 2 - Part 1 . . . ESSAY DRAFT
Explanations: Simpson's Paradox
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13. October 27 (Tuesday) – THREATS TO VALIDITY 1
Readings: Reading Questions
Levitt, S. D. & Dubner, S. J. (2005). Freakonomics: A rogue economist explores
the hidden side of everything. NY: William Morrow. (Chapter 4: Where
have all the criminals gone, pages 117-144).
Assignment 13:
New Yorker Cartoons Assignment: Part 2
Advertisement Assignment
Explanations: Left-Handed
14. October 29 (Thursday) – THREATS TO VALIDITY 2
Readings: Reading Questions
Kida, T. (2006). Don’t believe everything you think: The six basic mistakes we
make in thinking. Prometheus Books: Amherst, NY. (Chapter 8)
Graff, G. & Birkenstein, C. (2006). They say / I say: The moves that matter in
academic writing. Norton: NY. (Chapter 9)
Assignment 14:
Argument Critiques: Topic 2 - Part 2 . . . ESSAY REVISION
Explanations: Australian Films
15. November 3 (Tuesday) - DESIGN OF INVESTIGATIONS
Readings: Reading Questions
Lee v. Weisman (on Dropbox)
Kida, T. (2006). Don’t believe everything you think: The six basic mistakes we
make in thinking. Prometheus Books: Amherst, NY. (Chapter 9)
Assignment 15:
New Yorker Cartoons Assignment: Part 2
Explanations: Spending Money on Education
16. November 5 (Thursday) - ASCRIBING MEANING
Readings: Reading Questions
Hirsch:
http://www.poets.org/poetsorg/text/how-read-poem-0
http://www.poets.org/poetsorg/text/red-wheelbarrow
Cialdini, R. and Martin, S.: Secrets from the Science of Persuasion
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFdCzN7RYbw&list=UU8IMseLCZx2B
Ze3thxHXnog&index=1&feature=plcp
Kida, T. (2006). Don’t believe everything you think: The six basic mistakes we
make in thinking. Prometheus Books: Amherst, NY. (Chapter 10)
Assignment 16:
Topic 3: Your choice from among the following . . . ESSAY DRAFT
A. Argument Critiques: Part 1
B. Argument Issues: Part 1
C. Supreme Court Opinions: Part 1
WhoDunIts: All in the Family
Problem Solving: Three Bowls
17. November 10 (Tuesday) - ANALYSIS
Readings: Reading Questions
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Board of Education v. Earls (on Dropbox)
Rosenhan, D. L., (1973). On being sane in insane places. Science, 179, 250258.
Kida, T. (2006). Don’t believe everything you think: The six basic mistakes we
make in thinking. Prometheus Books: Amherst, NY. (Chapter 12)
Assignment 17:
New Yorker Cartoons Assignment: Part 2
WhoDunIts: An Alarming Jewel Heist
Analytical Problems: Tunnel
18. November 12 (Thursday) - SYNTHESIS
Readings: Reading Questions
Spitzer, R. L. (1975). On pseudoscience in science, logic in remission, and
psychiatric diagnosis: A critique of Rosenhan's "On Being Sane in Insane
Places." Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 84, 442-452.
Gilovich, T. (1991). How we know what isn't so The fallibility of human reason in
everyday life. New York: Free Press. (Chapter 10: Belief in ESP)
Assignment 18:
Topic 3: Based on your previous choice . . . ESSAY REVISION
A. Argument Critiques: Part 2
B. Argument Issues: Part 2
C. Supreme Court Opinions: Part 2
WhoDunIts: The Commercial Break Break-In
Problem Solving: Flat Tire
19. November 17 (Tuesday) - CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING AND PROBLEM FINDING
Readings: Reading Questions
Getzels, J. W. (1982). The problem of the problem. In R. M. Hogarth (Ed.),
Question framing and response consistency, New Directions for
Methodology of Social and Behavioral Science, San Francisco: JosseyBass.
Kilbourne, J. (1999). Can't buy my love: How advertising changes the way we
think and feel. Simon & Shuster. NY. Chapter 1: Buy this 24-year-old and
get all his friends absolutely free, pages 33-56.
Assignment 19:
Thinking Assignment
New Yorker Cartoons Assignment: Part 2
WhoDunIts: The Poker from Nowhere
Problem Solving: Age and Stamina
20. November 19 (Thursday) - REVIEW
Readings: Reading Questions
Kida, T. (2006). Don’t believe everything you think: The six basic mistakes we
make in thinking. Prometheus Books: Amherst, NY. (Epilogue)
Graff, G. & Birkenstein, C. (2006). They say / I say: The moves that matter in
academic writing. Norton: NY. (Chapter 10)
21. November 21 (SATURDAY) - FINAL EXAM (12:00-1:50)
LECTURE NOTES
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Ask Philosophers about Proof
Definition of an Effect
Ethics
Justifying Beliefs
Logic
Proof
Warranting a Belief about Nature
ARGUMENTS
Assassination
Background Checks
Baseball Injuries
Drink Alcohol
Excelsior Company
Mejia
Milford City River
Military
Nevada
No Tax Pledge
Pesticides
Stem Cells
Teaching Religion
Link to the 1972-2014 GSS Data Set: http://sda.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/hsda?harcsda+gss14
http://sda.berkeley.edu/sdaweb/analysis/?dataset=gss14