Communication Skills & Critical Thinking

In exploring major concepts, participants should be able to articulate and develop their ideas clearly and persuasively. In written and oral modes of communication, they should be able to identify critical issues and use appropriate evidence for developing ideas. Participants should be able to analyze, compare, and respect differing points of view; to challenge accepted or established positions; and to provide well-reasoned support for their own original ideas and arguments. They should know how to shape communications - written, oral, and visual - to diverse audiences and purposes.

When reading, participants should be able to identify main ideas, analyze and compare different interpretations, and make connections between texts and their own experiences. When writing, they should know how to use the composing process as a mode of learning, and should be able to generate unified, well-supported essays that are free of major grammatical and mechanical errors. The choice of language and syntax should express the individual participant's voice with originality and clarity.

With respect to critical thinking, participants should be able to generate original questions, connections, and interpretations. They should be able to integrate diverse sources of information, and evaluate knowledge claims on the basis of evidence and independent reasoning. They should be able to identify, analyze, and evaluate the premises underlying their own values and arguments.