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⇱ Reasoning Across the Disciplines | Coursera


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Reasoning Across the Disciplines

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Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
4.4

73 reviews

Beginner level
No prior experience required
Flexible schedule
2 weeks at 10 hours a week
Learn at your own pace
98%
Most learners liked this course

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
4.4

73 reviews

Beginner level
No prior experience required
Flexible schedule
2 weeks at 10 hours a week
Learn at your own pace
98%
Most learners liked this course

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Assessments

11 assignments¹

AI Graded see disclaimer
Taught in English

There are 8 modules in this course

Critical reasoning skills are a key success factor for students entering their first year of college. They must be able to think logically and form arguments. This course, designed with incoming college freshmen in mind but open to anyone, provides an essential grounding in critical reasoning skills. Faculty from multiple disciplines at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill offer guidance on applying critical thinking skills in the context of specific disciplines. By developing these skills, students will learn more, enjoy their courses more, and experience greater academic success.

This course will help you understand what critical thinking skills are and why they're so important. You will also learn how critical thinking skills vary across disciplines, as well as see them applied across several fields, including, chemistry, history, psychology, law, English, and American Studies. You will develop your own critical thinking skills by working through scenarios or problems posed by scholars across these fields, and you will better understand how your college courses will differ from your earlier education.

This module provides an overview of the course. The first video explains the history of this course: While it was originally going to be geared toward incoming UNC students, we realized these skills are valuable to everyone, which is why we are offering it as a MOOC. The second video provides an overview of how the course is structured and why it was created.

What's included

2 videos

2 videosTotal 8 minutes
  • Rationale for the Course1 minute
  • Introduction to Reasoning Across the Disciplines7 minutes

In this module, you'll learn about critical thinking and chemistry from Thomas Freeman.

What's included

2 videos1 reading2 assignments1 peer review

2 videosTotal 13 minutes
  • The World at the Atomic Level5 minutes
  • How Energy Powers our Universe8 minutes
1 readingTotal 10 minutes
  • About the Contributor: Thomas Freeman10 minutes
2 assignmentsTotal 60 minutes
  • The World at the Atomic Level30 minutes
  • How Energy Powers our Universe30 minutes
1 peer reviewTotal 120 minutes
  • Think Like a Chemist Essay120 minutes

In this module, you'll learn about critical thinking and history from Kathleen DuVal.

What's included

3 videos2 readings1 assignment1 peer review

3 videosTotal 16 minutes
  • Turning the World Upside Down3 minutes
  • Understanding Columbus’s Impressions of the Tainos8 minutes
  • Understanding the Tainos’ Impressions of Columbus4 minutes
2 readingsTotal 20 minutes
  • A Letter from Christopher Columbus10 minutes
  • About the Contributor: Kathleen DuVal10 minutes
1 assignmentTotal 30 minutes
  • Columbus and World History30 minutes
1 peer reviewTotal 60 minutes
  • Think Like a Historian Essay60 minutes

In this module, you'll learn about critical thinking and psychology from Kurt Gray.

What's included

3 videos1 reading2 assignments1 peer review

3 videosTotal 21 minutes
  • Understanding How Others Think3 minutes
  • Thinking and Feeling9 minutes
  • Mind Perception and Moral Judgment8 minutes
1 readingTotal 10 minutes
  • About the Contributor: Kurt Gray10 minutes
2 assignmentsTotal 60 minutes
  • Practice Quiz: Thinking and Feeling30 minutes
  • Practice Quiz: Mind Perception and Moral Judgment30 minutes
1 peer reviewTotal 60 minutes
  • Think Like a Psychologist Essay60 minutes

In this module, you'll learn about critical thinking and the law from Donald Hornstein.

What's included

3 videos3 readings2 assignments1 peer review

3 videosTotal 51 minutes
  • Considering Free Will12 minutes
  • Understanding the Civil Law of Battery23 minutes
  • Liberty versus Property16 minutes
3 readingsTotal 30 minutes
  • Court Cases: Hackbart and O'Brien10 minutes
  • Court Cases: Mugler and Lucas10 minutes
  • About the Contributor: Donald Hornstein10 minutes
2 assignmentsTotal 60 minutes
  • Understanding the Civil Law of Battery30 minutes
  • Liberty versus Property30 minutes
1 peer reviewTotal 60 minutes
  • Think Like a Law Professor Essay60 minutes

In this module, you'll learn about critical thinking and literature from Heidi Kim.

What's included

3 videos3 readings2 assignments1 peer review

3 videosTotal 21 minutes
  • Context through Reading7 minutes
  • Close Reading8 minutes
  • The Art of Interpretation6 minutes
3 readingsTotal 30 minutes
  • Close Reading Example10 minutes
  • Additional Resources (Optional)10 minutes
  • About the Contributor: Heidi Kim10 minutes
2 assignmentsTotal 60 minutes
  • Close Reading Practice Quiz30 minutes
  • The Art of Interpretation Practice Quiz30 minutes
1 peer reviewTotal 60 minutes
  • Think Like a Literature Professor Essay60 minutes

In this module, you'll learn about critical thinking and American Studies from Sharon P. Holland. Warning: The video "Dogs & Fighting, Horses & Racing, and Race" contains graphic descriptions of dog fighting and may not be suitable for all audiences.

What's included

3 videos1 reading2 assignments1 peer review

3 videosTotal 19 minutes
  • How Language Shapes Attitudes4 minutes
  • Dogs & Fighting, Horses & Racing, and Race8 minutes
  • Understanding Relationships through Interdisciplinarity8 minutes
1 readingTotal 10 minutes
  • About the Contributor: Sharon P. Holland10 minutes
2 assignmentsTotal 60 minutes
  • Dogs & Fighting, Horses & Racing, and Race30 minutes
  • Understanding Relationships through Interdisciplinarity30 minutes
1 peer reviewTotal 60 minutes
  • Think Like an American Studies Scholar Essay60 minutes

What's included

1 video1 reading

1 videoTotal 10 minutes
  • Final Thoughts and Course Wrap-up10 minutes
1 readingTotal 10 minutes
  • About the Contributors10 minutes

Instructor

Instructor ratings
4.8 (28 ratings)
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
13 Courses388,548 learners

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Showing 3 of 73

SP
·

Reviewed on Apr 13, 2021

Amazing course, broadens the perspective and forces one to think in ways one never would have thought of independently

RB
·

Reviewed on Sep 29, 2020

An excellent course to bolster one's understanding of the fundamental social sciences, and logical reasoning.

SO
·

Reviewed on Aug 13, 2022

It is a very helpful course with real word application. I really learnt a lot and I had fun doing so too.

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¹ Some assignments in this course are AI-graded. For these assignments, your data will be used in accordance with Coursera's Privacy Notice.