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

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.

Oct 5th 2026
5-12 Weeks
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.

Oct 5th 2026
5-12 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.

Oct 5th 2026
4 Weeks
Finance For Everyone: Value (Coursera) Coursera
McMaster University

Finance For Everyone: Value (Coursera)

In Value, you will explore the most powerful generator of value in the world – ideas. Ideas are the engines of productivity, both in the private and public sectors. You will learn about the universal frameworks that determine how ideas and money interact, leading to the allocation of financial resources. We will identify components of cash flow for any project, business or venture as the most essential ingredients of value. We also assess the investment techniques used to give life to some ideas while killing others.

Oct 5th 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.

Oct 5th 2026
4 Weeks
Population Health: Alternative Payment Models (Coursera) Coursera
Leiden University

Population Health: Alternative Payment Models (Coursera)

The way we currently pay our care providers lead to suboptimal outcomes and unnecessary spending. Consequently, we fail to maximize the value of our health care services. We need to change provider payment models in order to keep health care systems financial sustainability. Doing nothing is not an option. But the question is, how do we do it?

Oct 5th 2026
4 Weeks
Innovation for Impact (i4i) The Carlson-Polizzotto Method of Value Creation (Coursera) Coursera
Northeastern University

Innovation for Impact (i4i) The Carlson-Polizzotto Method of Value Creation (Coursera)

Welcome! Partnering with Tech industry giants Curtis Carlson and Len Polizzotto, Northeastern University brings you “Value Creation: The Carlson-Polizzotto Method” a short-form course experience like no other. Building careers by solving for the value proposition - Curt and Len are responsible for driving the integration of the software technology behind Apple’s voice command intelligent assistant and creating the standard for high definition television - now known to billions today as Siri and HDTV.

Oct 5th 2026
1 Week
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.

Oct 5th 2026
4 Weeks
Business Implications of AI: Full course (Coursera) Coursera
EIT Digital

Business Implications of AI: Full 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.

Oct 5th 2026
4 Weeks
Probability and Statistics: To p or not to p? (Coursera) Coursera
University of London

Probability and Statistics: To p or not to p? (Coursera)

We live in an uncertain and complex world, yet we continually have to make decisions in the present with uncertain future outcomes. Indeed, we should be on the look-out for "black swans" - low-probability high-impact events. To study, or not to study? To invest, or not to invest? To marry, or not to marry?

Oct 5th 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.

Oct 5th 2026
4 Weeks