Thinking like a Judge 

Critical Thinking & Metacognition Elective

Why do intelligent people sometimes do ridiculous things? Despite evidence that intelligence predicts positive life outcomes, the relationship between intelligence and good thinking is less clear. Recent research interestingly suggests that critical thinking is more important than intelligence.  Lucky for you, critical thinking is a skill that can be learnt and improved so that we can make a better future for ourselves and everyone (Butler, Pentony & Bong, 2017).

In this program you will investigate how purposeful thinking, which emphasises evidence and reasoning, is essential in the modern zeitgeist. We will investigate how humans acquire knowledge, how it is processed and stored and how memory works. You will unpack common errors in thinking, critical thinking routines and barriers to critical thinking, such as biases and cognitive fallacies. You will learn the art of arguing with relevance, the dangers of logical fallacies and apply this understanding to sharpen your skills in evaluating claims of truth.  You will gain practical but higher-order research skills that will enhance your ability to evaluate the credibility of sources.

Piqued your interest, but still not quite sure? Do you think these statements are true or false?

The easiest way to persuade someone is by using logical arguments. 

Brainstorming in groups produces better ideas than brainstorming individually.

A confident eyewitness is more likely to be accurate.

If you answered TRUE for any of the above, this might be the HP&G Elective for you (because they are all false!). 

For those students who enjoy collaborative learning, a key option for this elective is involvement in the annual da Vinci Decathlon which takes place in May each year. The da Vinci Decathlon is a competition against other schools in the fields of: art and poetry; cartography; creative production; engineering; English; Science; Mathematics; ideation; legacy; and code breaking.

For those students who enjoy working independently, this elective also offers the opportunity to produce an Independent Learning Project in an area of your choice.