COMM 316

Advanced Argumentation and Critical Thinking

This course is designed to extend students’ critical thinking, argumentation, and reasoning in the context of the communication environment. The goal is to expand understanding of their logical processes and their relation to both written and spoken communication. Students will develop the ability to analyze, criticize, and advocate for ideas; to reason inductively and deductively; and to reach well-supported factual or judgmental conclusions. Elementary inductive and deductive processes will be covered, including an understanding of the formal and informal fallacies of language and thought and the ability to distinguish matters of fact from issues of judgment or opinion. Significant emphasis will be on the sophistication of written skills surrounding argument and rhetoric. Students will write a minimum of 6,500 words.

Units: 3.0

Hours: 54 hours LEC