Critical thinking: reasoned decision making (Coursera)

Critical thinking: reasoned decision making (Coursera)

Making decisions in today's world, a world increasing in complexity, with broad changes and uncertainty, creates the need of approaches that allow us to discern the real problems and the causes that create them. Identifying these problems, in most cases, requires challenging the assumptions on which we base our judgments, regarding the world and its realities. Critical thinking could be defined, as "that way of thinking - on any subject, content or problem - in which the thinker improves the quality of his thinking by seizing the inherent structures of the act of thinking and by subjecting them to intellectual standards".

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see Coursera's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

Critical thinking helps making decisions within a company, selecting the best action for the organization.
In this course of critical thinking the students will learn the tendencies, approximations and assumptions on which their reflections are based, and the conditions and the outcomes derived from their ways of thinking. This reflective thought is the active, careful and persistent examination of all beliefs in the light of the fundamentals that support them and their conclusions.
The reasoned decisions that the world requires, occur in many different areas, especially in business decisions, related to strategies, in the solution of problems in organizations, in the solution of social problems and in corporations’ social and ethical responsibility. In this online course the approaches will be oriented to analyze the critical thinking required in these areas.

What You Will Learn

  • Employ a methodology for the application of critical thinking
  • Analyze the standards of critical thinking practice
  • Apply critical thinking to groups

Course 2 of 3 in the Leadership and Critical Thinking Specialization

Syllabus

WEEK 1: Thinking for our times
WEEK 2: Evaluating our ways of thinking
WEEK 3: Elements and standards of critical thinking
WEEK 4: Articulating our decisions

Go to Class
MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

Corporate Sustainability. Understanding and Seizing the Strategic Opportunity (Coursera) Coursera
Università Bocconi

Corporate Sustainability. Understanding and Seizing the Strategic Opportunity (Coursera)

In this course, thought leaders in a wide variety of management and economics fields illustrate how to assess and seize the opportunities offered by these global emergencies. They will offer new ways to understand the purpose and the logic of success of the business enterprise in this new context, providing ideas and examples on how to manage the transition process to realize the value creation potential from corporate sustainability for all involved stakeholders.

Nov 30th 2026
5-12 Weeks
L'entrepreneuriat social: faire son business plan (Coursera) Coursera
ESSEC Business School

L'entrepreneuriat social: faire son business plan (Coursera)

Ce MOOC a pour vocation de vous aider à créer votre entreprise à but social ou environnemental en vous aidant à vous poser toutes les "bonnes questions" : besoin social, proposition de valeur, modèle économique, financement, statut juridique, mesure de l'impact social...Thierry Sibieude, professeur titulaire de la Chaire Innovation et Entrepreneuriat social et une vingtaine d'acteurs inspirants, entrepreneurs et intrapreneurs sociaux ou experts, vous apporteront leur éclairage inspirant

Nov 30th 2026
4 Weeks
Business Implications of AI: A Nano-course (Coursera) Coursera
EIT Digital

Business Implications of AI: A Nano-course (Coursera)

In this course you will learn what Artificial Intelligence is, from a leaders point of view. How shall we, as leaders, understand it from a corporate strategy point of view? What is it and how can it be used? What are the crucial strategic decisions we have to make, and how to make them? What consequences can we expect if we decide on doing AI-projects and what kind of competences do we need? Where shall we start, and what could be a good second as well as third step? What implications for the organization can we expect? These are the questions answered in this course.

Nov 30th 2026
4 Weeks
Critical Thinking Skills for University Success (Coursera) Coursera
The University of Sydney

Critical Thinking Skills for University Success (Coursera)

In this course, you will learn how to develop your Critical Thinking Skills to help you achieve success in your university studies. After completing this course, you will be able to: 1. Use critical thinking and argumentation in university contexts to improve academic results ; 2. Understand the importance and function of critical thinking in academic culture ; 3. Use a variety of thinking tools to improve critical thinking ; 4. Identify types of argument, and bias within arguments, in order to better evaluate the strength of arguments; 5. Use evidence to support claims in arguments ; 6. Apply critical thinking and argumentation to real world problems and issues

Nov 30th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Legal Tech & Startups (Coursera) Coursera
IE Business School

Legal Tech & Startups (Coursera)

LegalTech is the reaction to the disruption that technology is having across all sectors of the economy. Considering that the legal sector is one of the most resistant to change, due to its conservative nature, we can see just how different the future will be. In this course, IE professor Marti Manent will guide you through the essential stages of this disruption in technology, giving you the key tools and ideas to consider when starting your online business.

Nov 30th 2026
4 Weeks
Introducción a la Estrategia (Coursera) Coursera
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México

Introducción a la Estrategia (Coursera)

En este curso, conocerás la importancia de la estrategia en cualquier tipo de organización; diferenciarás los modelos conductuales que se aplican en diferentes países, quiénes son sus principales actores y los intereses que tienen en una empresa. Partirás de la planeación estratégica para materializar tu idea de negocio, a través de la misión, visión, valores y objetivos. Identificarás la idea diferenciadora de tu empresa o idea de negocio, lo cual la hará única del resto. Leerás las señales internas y externas del entorno para poder reaccionar a tiempo ante los factores que afectan a tu empresa.

Nov 30th 2026
5-12 Weeks
The hidden value - Lean in manufacturing and services (Coursera) Coursera
École des Ponts ParisTech,Boston Consulting Group - BCG

The hidden value - Lean in manufacturing and services (Coursera)

Lean is a powerful methodology that enables managers and employees to shift their mindset and helps companies to keep their business sustainable by creating competitive advantage. Today, in an increasingly complex and dynamic world, where companies struggle to maintain competitive advantage, Lean is more important than ever. This course combines the experience of many senior experts and practitioners from the Boston Consulting Group and École des Ponts, and brings perspectives on Lean in manufacturing and services. It offers strong topic foundation as well as deep practical insights into the art of continuous improvement.

Nov 30th 2026
4 Weeks
Developing Innovative Ideas for New Companies: The First Step in Entrepreneurship (Coursera) Coursera
University of Maryland, College Park

Developing Innovative Ideas for New Companies: The First Step in Entrepreneurship (Coursera)

This course assists aspiring and active entrepreneurs in developing great ideas into great companies. With strong economies presenting rich opportunities for new venture creation, and challenging economic times presenting the necessity for many to make their own job, the need to develop the skills to develop and act on innovative business opportunities is increasingly vital.

Nov 30th 2026
4 Weeks
Fundamentals of financial and management accounting (Coursera) Coursera
Politecnico di Milano

Fundamentals of financial and management accounting (Coursera)

This is an introductory course on financial and management accounting. The first part of this course will introduce the basic accounting principles and accounting terminology to understand how a company keeps control of financial events and provides information on how it is performing. These basic concepts will support the analysis of financial reports companies prepare. We will go through balance sheet, income statement, financial statement, learning how to read and analyze them.

Nov 30th 2026
5-12 Weeks