Training critical thinking through active learning TENERIFE (Spain)

You can find more information at www.tenerifecourses.com and by email at tenerifecourses@gmail.com

Active and participatory methodologies for training critical thinking, analytical strength and the skill to discern reliable information.

In the digital age, information is just a click away. We can find the answers to a lot of questions and learn about virtually any subject; the era of the democratization of knowledge. But, how can we tell apart reliable information from falsehood?

It’s becoming more and more important for our students to acquire the learning tools that will allow them to know if a source is valid, tools that will help them distinguish the most common fallacies and argumentative tricks.

Instead of telling them “this is true” or “this is false”, in this course we will teach through a series of active and participatory activities that allow to understand through experience how knowledge is built in order to know how to recognize tricks easily.

Objectives:
Acquire active methodological tools that encourage the participation, cooperation and motivation of learners.
Reflect on the importance of educating in critical thinking and taking an autonomous approach when searching for information.
Teach methodological tools to train critical thinking.
Know the main fallacies/argumentative tricks and how to distinguish them.
Generate critical debate around information overload and how that shapes our society.
Understand the scientific method and how it is implemented in Social and Natural Sciences.

Training activities:

Day 1
Course introduction
Group dynamic: Getting to know each other
Reflection exercise: What is knowledge?
Group activity: Biases and fallacies/argumentative tricks
Group experiment: Improve your intelligence
Hands-on activity: Analysis of newspaper articles

Day 2
Group dynamic: Breaking the ice
Practical activity: The Scientific Method
Group experiment: Find the right assertion
Group activity: Hunters by the method
Individual activity: Detection of prejudice
Hands-on activity: Data analysis

Day 3
Group dynamic: Energizer for encouraging collective learning
Group experiment: Experiments and demonstrations
Group dynamic: Generating an open attitude in the group and raising energy
Reflection and group discussion: Identify and compare different methodologies

Day 4
Group dynamic: Energizer for fostering collective learning
Rejection and discussion: What can other disciplines learn from Science?
Group activity: Numbers that lie
Hands-on activity: The rigor of Social Sciences

Day 5
Group dynamic: Energizer for encouraging team building
Reflection in small groups: Critical Thinking in the age of the Internet
Final hands-on activity: Blind data collection
Open discussion on possible future collaborations and planning follow up activities
Summary of key learning points
Final course evaluation and feedback
Validation of learning outcomes and handling certificates
Cultural activity or guided visit (optional)