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Mindware: Critical Thinking for the Information Age

Approx. 13 hours to complete

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Course Summary

The Mindware course is designed to help learners improve their critical thinking skills and become better problem solvers. It covers various topics such as cognitive biases, logical fallacies, and decision-making strategies.

Key Learning Points

Learn how to identify and avoid cognitive biases
Understand logical fallacies and how to avoid them
Develop effective decision-making strategies

Learning Outcomes

Identify and avoid cognitive biases
Analyze and evaluate arguments using logical fallacies
Apply effective decision-making strategies in real-world situations

Prerequisites or good to have knowledge before taking this course

Basic knowledge of critical thinking
Interest in problem-solving and decision-making

Course Difficulty Level

Intermediate

Course Format

Self-paced
Online

Similar Courses

Critical Thinking for Business
Logical and Critical Thinking

Related Education Paths

Notable People in This Field

Daniel Kahneman
Nassim Nicholas Taleb

Related Books

Description

Most professions these days require more than general intelligence. They require in addition the ability to collect, analyze and think about data. Personal life is enriched when these same skills are applied to problems in everyday life involving judgment and choice. This course presents basic concepts from statistics, probability, scientific methodology, cognitive psychology and cost-benefit theory and shows how they can be applied to everything from picking one product over another to critiquing media accounts of scientific research. Concepts are defined briefly and breezily and then applied to many examples drawn from business, the media and everyday life.

What kinds of things will you learn? Why it’s usually a mistake to interview people for a job. Why it’s highly unlikely that, if your first meal in a new restaurant is excellent, you will find the next meal to be as good. Why economists regularly walk out of movies and leave restaurant food uneaten. Why getting your picture on the cover of Sports Illustrated usually means your next season is going to be a disappointment. Why you might not have a disease even though you’ve tested positive for it. Why you’re never going to know how coffee affects you unless you conduct an experiment in which you flip a coin to determine whether you will have coffee on a given day. Why it might be a mistake to use an office in a building you own as opposed to having your office in someone else’s building. Why you should never keep a stock that’s going down in hopes that it will go back up and prevent you from losing any of your initial investment. Why it is that a great deal of health information presented in the media is misinformation.

Outline

Introduction
Course Introduction
Welcome Message and Course Principles from Professor Nisbett
Help us learn more about you!

Lesson 1: Statistics
Variables - Normal Distribution
Introduction to Correlation
Interactive Activity
Lesson 1 Quiz

Lesson 2: The Law of Large Numbers
The Law of Large Numbers: Part 1
The Law of Large Numbers: Part 2
Interactive Activity
Pre-lecture Reflection Prompt
Pre-lecture Quiz
Lesson 2 Quiz
Post-lecture Reflection Prompt

Lesson 3: Correlation
Correlations
The Draw-a-Person Test
Illusory Correlation
Confounded Variables; Statistical Significance
Pre-lecture Activity
Interactive Activity
Correlation Exercises
Lesson 3 Quiz

Lesson 4: Experiments
The Superiority of Experiments over Correlations
A/B Testing
Experimental Design and Natural Experiments
Pre-lecture Activity
Lesson 4 Quiz

Lesson 5: Prediction
Regression to the Mean
Base Rate
Pre-lecture Question
Lesson 5 Quiz

Lesson 6: Cognitive Biases
The Illusion of Objectivity
Heuristics
Fundamental Attribution Error; Confirmation Bias
Pre-lecture Quiz
Lesson 6 Quiz

Lesson 7: Choosing and Deciding
Cost-Benefit Analysis
Sunk Costs
Loss Aversion
Pre-lecture Activity
Lesson 7 Quiz

Lesson 8: Logic and Dialectical Reasoning
Logical Reasoning
Dialectical Reasoning
Pre-lecture Quiz
Lesson 8 Quiz

Conclusion
Concluding Thoughts
Post-course Survey
Keep Learning with Michigan Online!

Summary of User Reviews

The Mindware course has received positive reviews from learners. The course explores how to think critically and improve decision-making skills. One aspect that many users found valuable is the practical approach to teaching critical thinking skills. However, some users have mentioned the following pros and cons:

Pros from User Reviews

Practical approach to teaching critical thinking skills
Engaging and knowledgeable instructor
Clear and concise lessons
Useful exercises and quizzes
Great for developing problem-solving skills

Cons from User Reviews

Some sections may be too basic for advanced learners
May not be suitable for those looking for a theoretical approach
Course material may be repetitive in some sections
Some users found the course to be too short
Limited interaction with other learners

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