Content

To flourish at university, you’ll need to be a clear thinker. Once a counsellor this skill becomes even more important as clients often present complex issues in a “round-about” way. This unit will help you gather the right information, analyse it effectively, and develop a “best-outcome” strategy. Ultimately, we want your decision-making to be evidence-based, legally defensible, and targeted to your clients’ needs. By doing this you will have the greatest positive impact on the lives of others.

Unit code: CO1003Z

Unit status: Approved (Minor revision)

Points: 18.0

Unit level: Undergraduate Level 1

Unit discipline: Counselling

Proposing College: School of Professional Practice - Counselling

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Learning outcomes

1.

Succinctly state the key aspects of a problem.

2.

Identify and name logical fallacies, heuristics, and cognitive errors/biases used by others and themselves which may otherwise derail effective problem-solving.

3.

Identify the circumstances under which good/bad decisions are made, apply a variety of problem-solving strategies, and learn to manage contextual factors (e.g., stress) to effect good decision-making.

4.

Justify a course of action through the logical presentation of evidence.

Pedagogy

Andragogy focusing on problem-based learning.

Indicative Bibliography

  1. Aristotle. (4th c. BC). The eudemian ethics. Oxford.
  2. Berne, E. (2010). Games people play. Penguin.
  3. Huff, D. (1993). How to lie with statistics. Norton.
  4. Kahneman, D. (2011). Thinking, fast and slow. Penguin.
  5. Kahneman, D., Gilovich, T., & Griffin, D. (Eds.). (2002). Heuristics and biases: The psychology of intuitive judgement. Cambridge University Press.
  6. Lang, T., & Lang, M. (1986). Corrupting the young and other stories of a family therapist. Rene Gordon Pty Ltd.
  7. Northorp, E. (2014). Riddles in mathematics: A book of paradoxes. Dover Publications.
  8. Polya, G. (2015). How to solve it. Princeton University Press.
  9. Russell, B. (1997). The problems of philosophy. Oxford University Press.
  10. Yalom, I. (1989). Love’s executioner and other tales of psychotherapy. Penguin.

Assessment

Type Description Word count Weight (%)
Skeleton Argument

For 5 different module “Activities” across the unit provide either: (1) a response of approx. 100 words to the question posed; or (2) a response of approx. 100 words to another student’s post. Each response will be marked as satisfactory or unsatisfactory.

500 5.0
Personal Reflection

For 5 different module “Reflection questions” across the unit provide either: (1) a response of approx. 100 words to the question posed; or (2) a response of approx. 100 words to another student’s post. Each response will be marked as satisfactory or unsatisfactory.

500 5.0
Investigation

View about 15 minutes of a political debate of your choice (e.g., Parliament Question Time, Youtube campus debate, etc.). List all logical fallacies, heuristics, and cognitive errors/biases used. What now do you make of the veracity of the arguments being put forward?

Now list the logical fallacies, heuristics, and cognitive errors/biases you are prone to using. What are some simple steps you can take to stop falling into these bad traps?

500 20.0
Skill Demonstration

During your intensive you will be provided with three logic problems to solve. Do so without using technology. Clearly show your solution method.

1000 20.0
Skill Demonstration

You will be given a complex and ambiguous clinical problem. You will be required to: (1) state the central problem clearly; (2) analyse the problem effectively; (3) identify contextual factors which may impede good decision making; and (4) name an effective implementation strategy. You will be required to justify your reasoning.

1000 30.0
Investigation

Choose a well-known example of disastrous decision making (e.g., USS Vincennes). What were the circumstances which led to this outcome? What is the relevance of this example and your findings to counselling?

500 20.0
Approvals

Unit approved for the University of Divinity by Prof Albert Haddad on 13 Oct, 2023

Unit record last updated: 2023-10-13 13:56:18 +1100