Critical thinking in an age of fake news and false information (IEEL002)

Critical thinking is vital in age of bad science, counter knowledge and the spread of fake news. It is also a much valued skill for future employment. This module is students who would like to learn more about the process of thinking and how we can distinguish the plausible (could be true) from the implausible (probably not true) and the ridiculous.

How and why does fake news spread? What is counter knowledge? How can we tell a good theory from a bad? Why are conspiracy theories so attractive? What is “bullshit”? Why is there so much of it? The knowledge and skills developed through this module will be valued around the globe, and are also transferrable to many disciplines.

Module leader: Dr Phil Leeke

Phil has worked all over the world as a lecturer/instructor. In the Middle East he worked at Zayed University, where he helped to establish many of the early programmes in English language. He has also worked at the universities of Manchester, Newcastle, Birmingham and Stirling. At Stirling he was the Director of Language programmes.

Aims

To build students’ confidence in understanding, discussing and communicating complex ideas, both in written and spoken language
To develop skills in research, collaborative learning and in preparing and delivering a group presentation
To introduce students to the concept of critical thinking and some of the main reasons why we are so poor at thinking and often make poor decisions. Students will be reflect on the process of thinking as well as think about some of the most important issues facing the world today.

Content

The following topics will be considered on the module:

Fake news
Frankfurt’s concept of bullshit
Counter knowledge and conspiracy theory
Political discourse analysis
The Pinker Gray debate
Ethos pathos logos
Narrative and argument.

Structure

The module will be delivered over a three-week period in six two-hour sessions (four hours per week, total 12 hours contact time). The final block will be an assessment session.

Each session will take the form of an interactive seminar, mini lecture or workshop. The students will demonstrate a knowledge of the complexity involved in thinking critically and an awareness of the increasingly difficulty in finding reliable sources of information in an Information Obese environment. Students will have ample opportunities to demonstrate an increased mastery of critical thinking skills through the many tasks completed throughout the course.

In addition, it is expected that students will spend 38 study hours outside of the classroom contact hours on activities including assigned reading, optional reading of areas of personal interest, homework tasks, web research and preparation for assessment. The ‘flipped classroom’ approach will be used, requiring students to prepare in advance for the sessions, and so students should be aware that in order to fully benefit from the face-to-face classroom sessions, they will need to have done the preparation work assigned beforehand.

The indicative schedule is as follows:

Session one: Introduction to the module critical thinking

The course will begin with some general information about the module, including the aims and assessment. Then it moves on to consider the importance of critical thinking historically. Socrates famously said ‘the unexamined life is not worth living’ – but was he right? What might happen if we don’t think?

Session two: Bias and representation: why we are not Bayesian updaters

This session asks why thinking is difficult and looks at the many factors that stop us from thinking effectively. Students will be introduced to the language of critical thinking including confirmation bias, false equivalence, fallacious comparison, non sequitur and claim and counterclaim. We will also look at Aristotle’s Ethos, Pathos, Logos and how it can be used in persuasive and sometimes manipulative communication. Students will have the opportunity to practise analysing claims and counterclaims and saying why they find them plausible or not.

Session three: Fake news, conspiracy theory, counter knowledge and bullshit

Some people think that ‘Everything is connected’ but is it? This session examines the growth of such concepts and how we can guard against them. Why is it important to be able to falsify a theory in the sense demanded by Karl Popper? Students will critically examine different websites and think about how they can be evaluated.

Session four: Political discourse and its discontents: the abuse of rhetoric

Many politicians use phrases like ‘It’s a fact that…’ However, are they always truthful? How do people use rhetoric to persuade people? In this session students will examine a politician’s speech and the techniques it uses to persuade people of its validity. Insights and concepts from critical discourse analysis will be examined.

Session five: It’s going to get worse. Isn’t it?

In critical thinking arguments are important, but they are usually part of larger narratives. One such narrative is the idea of progress. The philosopher John Grey does not believe that humanity has made significant ethical progress. The psychologist Steven Pinker believes that we have. Pinker thinks we are becoming less violent. This is important for conflict management past and present. Where do students stand on this vital issue? In this session students will practise analysing two radically incommensurable points of view. Can there ever be a middle ground?

Session six

In this final session, the students will talk about what they have learnt in the previous sessions and discuss their ideas and thoughts on the subject. Students’ questions that need to be clarified will be answered in this reflection session.

Teaching methods

The teaching approach will include the following:

Taught sessions
Flipped classroom – preparation work
Small group working
Group discussions
Presentations
Online learning
Workshops.

Assessment

Assessment will be by written essay/reflection of 1000-1200 words (worth 100% of the overall mark).

Standard University policies apply with regard to late submission of assessments

Learning outcomes

On completion of this module, students will be able to:

Better understand and communicate complex ideas in written language
Research a topic and work collaboratively in this research to produce a written essay/reflection
Demonstrate a much greater awareness of the importance of critical thinking and the difficulty of finding reliable sources of information.

Skills

Key skills that will be developed:

Collaboration and teamwork, through group discussions, activities and tasks in class, and collaborative research
Communication, developed orally in group discussions, activities and tasks in class, and in writing by production of assessed assignment
Critical thinking, through thinking tasks in class.

Books, ebooks and websites

The University Library website provides access to many relevant books and electronic books, as well as academic journals and databases.