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Course Outline

TPP107 Critical Thinking in Society

Course Coordinator:Janet Turley (jturley@usc.edu.au) School:School of Education and Tertiary Access

2026Semester 1

UniSC Sunshine Coast

UniSC Moreton Bay

 Blended learning Most of your course is on campus but you may be able to do some components of this course online.

Online

 Online You can do this course without coming onto campus, unless your program has specified a mandatory onsite requirement.

Please go to unisc.edu.au for up to date information on the
teaching sessions and campuses where this course is usually offered.

What is this course about?

Description

Critical thinking is vital for university students as it is the process by which we collect and evaluate evidence to reach rational, informed and ethical conclusions. Using the framework of the sociological imagination, students will investigate contentious issues in contemporary society. You will learn how to debate topics based on fact and logic and to develop respectful, cogent and informed arguments. You will learn how to think, not what to think, but to consider the daily decisions you make and how they shape the world.

How will this course be delivered?

Activity Hours Beginning Week Frequency
Blended learning
Learning materials – You are required to engage and interact with the learning materials and course readings before attending your weekly tutorial. See section 7 for directed study hours which includes self-directed learning and completion of assessable tasks. 1hr Week 1 12 times
Tutorial/Workshop 1 – You are required to actively participate in individual and group activities and discussions, guided by your tutor. Tutorials will be delivered face-to-face on campus 2hrs Week 1 13 times
Online
Learning materials – You are required to engage and interact with the learning materials and course readings before attending your weekly tutorial. See section 7 for directed study hours which includes self-directed learning and completion of assessable tasks. 1hr Week 1 12 times
Tutorial/Workshop 1 – You are required to actively participate in individual and group activities and discussions, guided by your tutor. Tutorials will be delivered online via Zoom 2hrs Week 1 13 times

Course Topics

  • The course approaches critical thinking at the scale of the individual and society.
  • Focuses on individual skills: critical thinking, academic research and source and argument analysis
  • Focuses on social issues: the influences of history, culture and social structures on social issues and individual experience, aka, sociological imagination

What level is this course?

100 Level (Introductory)

Engaging with discipline knowledge and skills at foundational level, broad application of knowledge and skills in familiar contexts and with support. Limited or no prerequisites. Normally, associated with the first full-time study year of an undergraduate program.

What is the unit value of this course?

12 units

How does this course contribute to my learning?

Course Learning Outcomes On successful completion of this course, you should be able to... Graduate Qualities Completing these tasks successfully will contribute to you becoming...
1 Apply the sociological imagination to social issues to identify historical, structural, cultural and critical influences on various social issues. Empowered
2 Use critical thinking skills to identify, evaluate, develop and present arguments from an ethical perspective. Creative and critical thinker
3 Distinguish between various sources of information, selecting appropriate authorities to support analysis. Empowered
4 Analyse, compare and synthesise information representing contested positions on social issues in academic written and spoken responses. Creative and critical thinker

Am I eligible to enrol in this course?

Refer to the UniSC Glossary of terms for definitions of “pre-requisites, co-requisites and anti-requisites”.

Pre-requisites

Must be enrolled in Program TP000

Co-requisites

Not applicable

Anti-requisites

Not applicable

Specific assumed prior knowledge and skills (where applicable)

Not applicable

Microcredential Information

Not applicable

How am I going to be assessed?

Grading Scale

Standard Grading (GRD)

High Distinction (HD), Distinction (DN), Credit (CR), Pass (PS), Fail (FL).

Details of early feedback on progress

Short, weekly quizzes relating to the corresponding week's learning materials (Task 1) will provide you with ongoing formative feedback on your conceptual understanding of contemporary social issues from week 2.

Assessment tasks

Delivery mode Task No. Assessment Product Individual or Group Weighting % What is the duration / length? When should I submit? Where should I submit it?
All 1 Quiz/zes Individual 20% 
15 minute weekly quizzes
 Refer to Format Online Test (Quiz)
All 2 Oral Individual 35% 
8 minutes
 Refer to Format In Class
All 3 Essay Individual 45% 
1000 words
 Week 13 Online Submission
All - Assessment Task 1:Online quiz
Goal: 
To consolidate your understanding of the concepts presented each week in the learning materials which focus on contemporary social issues and the application of critical thinking.
Product: Quiz/zes
Authorship Statement:
Format: 
Respond to online multiple-choice questions delivered via eight weekly quizzes in Canvas to demonstrate your understanding of concepts presented in the learning materials.

In semesters 1 & 2 the quizzes are submitted from weeks 2 to 9 and during session 8 the quizzes are submitted from weeks 1 to 3 and week 5.
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1 
Correct identification of the appropriate response
 2
Generic Skills: 
Problem solving, Organisation
All - Assessment Task 2:Presentation of research on a social issue
Goal: 
To present research that explores the factors affecting a contested Australian social issue and demonstrates evaluation and analysis of credible information.
Product: Oral
Authorship Statement:
Format: 
An individual in-class presentation that will be presented in weeks 10 or 11 in semesters 1 and 2 and in week 4 in session 8.
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1 
Explanation of the topic
 1
2 
Demonstration of an enquiry process that involves research, analysis, evaluation and synthesis of current information.
 2
3 
Distinguish between various sources of information, selecting appropriate authorities to support arguments.
 3
Generic Skills: 
Communication, Organisation, Applying technologies, Information literacy
All - Assessment Task 3:Analytical essay
Goal: 
To demonstrate your ability to analyse a topic, evaluate credible information and produce an analytical essay on a
contested Australian social issue.
Product: Essay
Authorship Statement:
Format: 
Follow the conventions of an analytical essay
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1 
Explanation of the selected topic.
 1
2 
Demonstration of an enquiry process that involves research, analysis, evaluation and synthesis of current information.
 4
3 
Selection, analysis and synthesis of academic and non-academic sources.
 3
4 
Use academic language, structure and appropriate referencing in accordance with task directions.
 2
Generic Skills: 
Communication, Organisation, Information literacy

Directed study hours

A 12-unit course will have total of 150 learning hours which will include directed study hours (including online if required), self-directed learning and completion of assessable tasks. Student workload is calculated at 12.5 learning hours per one unit.

What resources do I need to undertake this course?

Please note: Course information, including specific information of recommended readings, learning activities, resources, weekly readings, etc. are available on the course Canvas site– Please log in as soon as possible.

Prescribed text(s) or course reader

There are no required/recommended resources for this course.

Specific requirements

Not applicable

How are risks managed in this course?

Health and safety risks for this course have been assessed as low. It is your responsibility to review course material, search online, discuss with lecturers and peers and understand the health and safety risks associated with your specific course of study and to familiarise yourself with the University’s general health and safety principles by reviewing the online induction training for students, and following the instructions of the University staff.

What administrative information is relevant to this course?

Assessment: Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is the ethical standard of university participation. It ensures that students graduate as a result of proving they are competent in their discipline. This is integral in maintaining the value of academic qualifications. Each industry has expectations and standards of the skills and knowledge within that discipline and these are reflected in assessment.

Academic integrity means that you do not engage in any activity that is considered to be academic fraud; including plagiarism, collusion or outsourcing any part of any assessment item to any other person. You are expected to be honest and ethical by completing all work yourself and indicating in your work which ideas and information were developed by you and which were taken from others. You cannot provide your assessment work to others. You are also expected to provide evidence of wide and critical reading, usually by using appropriate academic references.

In order to minimise incidents of academic fraud, this course may require that some of its assessment tasks, when submitted to Canvas, are electronically checked through Turnitin. This software allows for text comparisons to be made between your submitted assessment item and all other work to which Turnitin has access.

Assessment: Additional Requirements

Eligibility for Supplementary Assessment Your eligibility for supplementary assessment in a course is dependent of the following conditions applying: The final mark is in the percentage range 47% to 49.4% The course is graded using the Standard Grading scale You have not failed an assessment task in the course due to academic misconduct

Assessment: Submission penalties

Late submission of assessment tasks may be penalised at the following maximum rate: - 5% (of the assessment task's identified value) per day for the first two days from the date identified as the due date for the assessment task. - 10% (of the assessment task's identified value) for the third day - 20% (of the assessment task's identified value) for the fourth day and subsequent days up to and including seven days from the date identified as the due date for the assessment task. - A result of zero is awarded for an assessment task submitted after seven days from the date identified as the due date for the assessment task. Weekdays and weekends are included in the calculation of days late. To request an extension you must contact your course coordinator to negotiate an outcome.

Links to relevant University policy and procedures

For more information on Academic Learning & Teaching categories including:

  • Assessment: Courses and Coursework Programs
  • Review of Assessment and Final Grades
  • Supplementary Assessment
  • Central Examinations
  • Deferred Examinations
  • Student Conduct
  • Students with a Disability

For more information, visit https://www.usc.edu.au/explore/policies-and-procedures#academic-learning-and-teaching

Student Charter

UniSC is committed to excellence in teaching, research and engagement in an environment that is inclusive, inspiring, safe and respectful. The Student Charter sets out what students can expect from the University, and what in turn is expected of students, to achieve these outcomes.

General Enquiries

  • In person:
    • UniSC Sunshine Coast - Student Central, Ground Floor, Building C, 90 Sippy Downs Drive, Sippy Downs
    • UniSC Moreton Bay - Service Centre, Ground Floor, Foundation Building, Gympie Road, Petrie
    • UniSC SouthBank - Student Central, Building A4 (SW1), 52 Merivale Street, South Brisbane
    • UniSC Gympie - Student Central, 71 Cartwright Road, Gympie
    • UniSC Fraser Coast - Student Central, Student Central, Building A, 161 Old Maryborough Rd, Hervey Bay
    • UniSC Caboolture - Student Central, Level 1 Building J, Cnr Manley and Tallon Street, Caboolture
  • Tel:+61 7 5430 2890
  • Email:studentcentral@usc.edu.au
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