van Gelder & Monk

This course covers what everybody should know about how reasoning is put together.

It is intended for anyone engaged in knowledge work, whether in government, professions, business or academia. Almost all such work involves reasoning, but few people have had much explicit training in the relevant concepts, principles and skills. Consequently, most have only a hazy grasp of how reasoning really works, even if they have very strong expertise in their own field. This holds them back in visible and (often) invisible ways.

Learning how reasoning is structured will strengthen your ability to:

1. Identify the reasoning in documents or presentations by others
2. Evaluate that reasoning, identifying strengths, weakness and assumptions
3. Make reasonable judgements and decisions based on a thorough and fair assessment of relevant arguments
4. Generate, organise and "stress test" your own reasoning
5. Make a clear and compelling case in written document or presentation.

Satisfaction Guarantee

We stand behind our courses with a 100%, no-questions-asked guarantee. If you enrol and aren't happy just let us know and we'll process a full refund immediately.

"This is great fun! I'm really enjoying it! Bite-size enough to progress in small bits of time I have available. And really enjoying the humor! Not to mention, I'm learning stuff too!"
- K., Policy Manager, Victorian Government

What the course covers

The structure of reasoning is a very large topic, which can become highly technical and arcane. This course syntheses the most essential and practical knowledge into a convenient package designed for people who use reasoning intensively in their work. Topics covered include:

1. The basic elements involved in all reasoning
2. How the elements combine to form complex reasoning patterns
3. Guidelines for uncovering unstated elements, including hidden assumptions
4. Tips for identifying critical gaps and weaknesses.
5. How to display complex reasoning in simple diagrams
6. How to use various software tools to lay out reasoning

Learning this material lays a foundation for advanced skills covered in other van Gelder & Monk courses.

Contacts

The content of this course was developed by Dr. Tim van Gelder, based on extensive experience teaching such material for over twenty years at university level and in training provided for many large organisations. Contact Tim to discuss theory, or applications of this material outside the course environment.

The course manager is Sujai Thomman. Contact Sujai with any problems, queries or suggestions. Alternatively, post your issue in the Discussion forum within the course.