The CritLearn Project

The CritLearn Project is a course that aims to develop the capability to learn, by engaging in critical thinking and reflective practice. Put in another way, the objective is to equip the learner with the ability to solve "wicked problems". Having that in mind, this site is meant to supplement supervised contact by providing resources that help lay a foundation on critical thinking and reflection. Nevertheless, this site can stand alone, and can benefit anyone who is interested in critical learning.


CritLearn revolves around the following characteristics to facilitate learning:

Critical - As a process, it involves asking difficult, yet insightful questions.

Reflective - Throughout the process of solving problems, it is reflective practice that underpins all learning.

Interactive - The course is designed with a supervised, face-to-face component, as well as an online self-directed learning component.

Transformative - It is meant to change the learner's approach to learning, by emphasising the merging of convergent and divergent thinking.


CritLearn puts forward the idea that learners will practise the following:

Conceptualisation - Learners will continually engage in identifying and examining concepts, in order to have a deeper understanding of topics.

Reflection - Learners will constantly reflect on their experiences to encourage long-term learning.

Integration - By merging convergent and divergent thinking, learners will engage in holistic thinking.

Transferability - By being aware of the learning process, learners will take the ability to learn and apply it to various problem-solving scenarios.


Features:

The course contains Lessons that can be studied independent of one another. Each lesson is followed by a Learner's Point section, where learners can reflect on the lesson using some guide questions. The CritLearn Catalyst chapters are the most important chapters in this whole course. They contain the key processes and the industry-based problems that tie up the principles contained in the lessons. Through these chapters, a practical application of CritLearn is achieved.

Convergent and Divergent Thinking

  • 1

    Introduction to the CritLearn Process

    • How To Put The Components Together

    • CritLearn Process and Application
  • 2

    Reflective Practice and Experiential Learning

    • Lesson 1

    • The 3-Minute Kolb

    • How To Mind Map
  • 3

    Learner's Point 1

    • Reflection
  • 4

    CritLearn Catalyst

    • "Staff Problems"

    • Basic CritLearn learning model
  • 5

    Epistemology

    • Lesson 2

    • Epistemology: the value of knowledge

    • The Gettier Problem
  • 6

    Learner's Point 2

    • Reflection
  • 7

    CritLearn Catalyst

    • "Stock secrets"

    • CritLearn model for problem-solving
  • 8

    Reasoning

    • Lesson 3

    • How to argue: philosophical reasoning

    • How to argue: induction & abduction
  • 9

    Learner's Point 3

    • Reflection
  • 10

    CritLearn Catalyst

    • "Client concerns"

    • "Changing the climate"

    • CritLearn model for doing research
  • 11

    Ethics and Moral Reasoning

    • Lesson 4

    • Analysis Tool for Ethical Issues and Moral Dilemmas

    • Ethics Defined: Moral Reasoning

    • Introduction to Ethics
  • 12

    CritLearn Catalyst

    • "Crazy crew"

    • CritLearn model for moral reasoning

    • CritLearn model for leadership, planning, and management

About the instructor

Programme Leader and CritLearn Creator

Perseville Mendoza

I began my academic career in 2000 at the University of the Philippines, Diliman Campus, as Teaching Associate, and later as an Assistant Professor in Philosophy. It is also there where I earned my Master of Arts and Doctoral degrees. I later finished a Master of Professional Practice programme at the Otago Polytechnic, in Auckland, New Zealand, because I want to make a better version of myself professionally. I have several published articles that deal with philosophy and culture, but while I do relish writing, it also gives me great pleasure to see fellow students become better learners. That is why I came up with the CritLearn Project, because at the end of the day, we are all learners. I hope that through this site, we can all keep developing the capability to learn through critical thought and reflective practice.

What others have been saying about this course:

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