Universities throughout history have shaped the minds of university graduates and have provided them with knowledge, core skills and attributes during an age of cultural diversity and increasing internationalisation (Holowchak, 2009). Universities have been open to students in the West for eight centuries (Wallace, Schirato & Bright, 1999), however in recent decades, there is expectation that a university education prepares graduates for professional careers with generic skills and attributes (Levy & Treacey, 2015, p. 118); however I will be referring generic skills as core skills throughout this essay. But as will be discussed, I will explore why it is important universities provide graduates with core skills such as critical thinking and
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76) and not specific to work in one particular occupation or industry, although core skills are important for work, education and life generally, however it can be difficult to embed and teach graduate attributes because the definition of the term is still unclear (Levy & Treacey, 2015, p. 118). One particular important core skill is critical thinking that is the ability to think clearly and rationally that also includes the ability to engage in reflective and independent thinking, which graduates use in essay writings for instance when arguing points and providing evidence to support their ideas (Greetham, 2003). Therefore, universities today follow in the footsteps of Greek philosopher Socrates, who taught graduates the importance of developing critical thinking skills so that they can learn to identify the fallacies, the suppressed evidenced and the underdeveloped arguments that conceal more then what they reveal (Greetham, 2003). Universities are based on certain core principle values including an interest in knowledge, reason, openness, honesty, tolerance, scepticism, concern for truth and critique which students are expected to follow (Wallace et al., …show more content…
111). Ellerton (2014a) suggests that critical thinking is structured with four key areas (i) argumentation (ii) logic, (iii) psychology and (iv) the nature of science. Firstly, argumentation, Ellerton suggests is the most powerful framework for learning as it is the process of intellectual engagement with an issue and that arguments have premises involving what we take to be true for a purpose of the argument and conclusions that are arrived at by inferring from the premises (2014a). Secondly, Ellerton continues by stating that logic is the fundamental to rationality and comments that it is difficult to see how you could value critical thinking without embracing logic (2014a). Thirdly, psychology is another important component of a solid critical thinking course as it gives the realisation that thinking of something that happens to us and that we are not as in control with our decision making as we think we are (Ellerton, 2014a). Lastly, the nature of science is useful in equipping students with understanding of general tools of evaluation information that have become ubiquitous in our society, for instance, learning about what the differences are between hypotheses, theories and laws (Ellerton,
76) and not specific to work in one particular occupation or industry, although core skills are important for work, education and life generally, however it can be difficult to embed and teach graduate attributes because the definition of the term is still unclear (Levy & Treacey, 2015, p. 118). One particular important core skill is critical thinking that is the ability to think clearly and rationally that also includes the ability to engage in reflective and independent thinking, which graduates use in essay writings for instance when arguing points and providing evidence to support their ideas (Greetham, 2003). Therefore, universities today follow in the footsteps of Greek philosopher Socrates, who taught graduates the importance of developing critical thinking skills so that they can learn to identify the fallacies, the suppressed evidenced and the underdeveloped arguments that conceal more then what they reveal (Greetham, 2003). Universities are based on certain core principle values including an interest in knowledge, reason, openness, honesty, tolerance, scepticism, concern for truth and critique which students are expected to follow (Wallace et al., …show more content…
111). Ellerton (2014a) suggests that critical thinking is structured with four key areas (i) argumentation (ii) logic, (iii) psychology and (iv) the nature of science. Firstly, argumentation, Ellerton suggests is the most powerful framework for learning as it is the process of intellectual engagement with an issue and that arguments have premises involving what we take to be true for a purpose of the argument and conclusions that are arrived at by inferring from the premises (2014a). Secondly, Ellerton continues by stating that logic is the fundamental to rationality and comments that it is difficult to see how you could value critical thinking without embracing logic (2014a). Thirdly, psychology is another important component of a solid critical thinking course as it gives the realisation that thinking of something that happens to us and that we are not as in control with our decision making as we think we are (Ellerton, 2014a). Lastly, the nature of science is useful in equipping students with understanding of general tools of evaluation information that have become ubiquitous in our society, for instance, learning about what the differences are between hypotheses, theories and laws (Ellerton,