We are overwhelmed with instant information in all sensory formats and we must be able to discriminate between facts and fallacies while recognizing our own underlying biases. In this course, the student is introduced to the basic tenets of critical thinking and illustrated real-world examples and case studies. Such topics include common conspiracies, climate change, cell phones, emerging technologies, marketing and advertisement, international relations, political and partisan hyperbole.
Course Learning Objectives & Outcomes:
At the end of the course, you will be able to:
- Understand the role of critical thinking in all aspects of our lives and how it parallels the scientific method.
- Identify of their own biases
- Learn to think critically, recognize and question outlandish claims, hype, and absolute falsehoods.
- To distinguish credible sources of information from disinformation.
- Make informed and reasoned decisions, analyze, read and write arguments.
- Examine and analyze ways language and logic are used to persuade.
- Distinguish facts from values, inductive from deductive reasoning, emotional responses from reasoned judgments, and the role of inference
About the instructor: David Davidian joined AUA in 2015. He received a BS degree in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Massachusetts and worked at the Connecticut Yankee Atomic Power Plant as a Reactor Engineer. David went on to graduate studies at the University of Massachusetts for Systems Engineering and Control Systems. David worked for eleven years at NEC Electronics initially as a Diagnostics Programmer, later in HW and SW design, Technical Marketing, and eventually Engineering Manager. David subsequently worked for the Armenian Minister of Communications in 1992 and proposed an information infrastructure program for Armenia. Two years later, he introduced the same for Artsakh.
He spent eleven years at Sun Microsystems as a Field Applications Engineer, then as a Principal Engineer in Technical Intelligence Analysis. From 2006 to 2011, he worked at IBM Federal as a Technical Intelligence Analyst and IBM Federal’s Systems Architect for the US Air Force. David spent two years as a Systems Architect at Oracle Corporation before he and his family moved to Armenia in 2014. David also holds the position as the first person to use the internet in support of Armenian issues.
David Davidian is a lecturer in AUA’s Akian College of Science and Engineering, teaching computer and General Education courses. He has three US Patents in his name: Feed Forward Neural Network, Integer Divide Using Shift and Subtract, and Memory with Phase Locked Loop Input.
Enrollment: To enroll in AUA Extension courses, please go through the following steps (see below for the Armenian version):
- Visit im.aua.am.
- Create an account by clicking New User Registration.
- If you are not a new user and already have an AUA account (having previously taken the AUA e-Math Test or applied to AUA), you should log into the account that you had created at that time.
- If you just registered as a new user, you will get an email asking to activate your account.
- Now, for registering to take a course, go to the Open Education tab, choose Extension, then Extension Applications, and apply for the course(s) you choose.
- After you register online, your application will be reviewed and you will receive an email acknowledging your application.
- Closer to the course start date, you will receive another email confirming your enrollment, requesting that you make payment before the course start date. The fee can be paid online via credit card or through the EasyPay terminal (located at the entrance to AUA). Alternatively, you may pay the fee via bank transfer to the American University of Armenia Fund, account 001-006402-001, HSBC Bank Armenia, indicating your full name (as in the registration) and the course you are paying for.
- The completed application together with the record of payment completes your enrollment.