ONLINE COURSES IN CRITICAL THINKING
How to think for yourself and make yourself heard
Our live, online course that teaches students how to communicate effectively, be analytical, argue convincingly, develop fresh perspectives, and find creative solutions.
Courses include:
- 16 hours teaching by Oxford and Cambridge graduates in tutor groups of 6 students
- 2 hours of social activities
- Graduation and certificate
- Individual feedback
Perfect for students who:
- are aged 12-16
- want to develop their critical thinking skills
- are curious and like a challenge
- are preparing for school interviews or looking ahead to university
- would like to develop confidence in debating, public speaking and presenting
- will enjoy meeting new friends
We teach students how to go beyond the obvious answers and develop the kind of thought-through perspectives that help them to stand out and thrive in school and beyond.
Timings & pricing
Courses run throughout the year in different timing formats to suit a variety of timetables and needs.
Each course includes social sessions for students to get to know each other better. There is graduation session at the end where our tutors will present students with their graduation certificates and give individual feedback.
Courses cost £640 per student.
Scholarships are available for students from low-income families who would like to learn with us, please email us to find out more.
Term-Time Weekend courses
5 September - 24 October
Saturdays 10am - noon plus socials and graduation
OR Saturdays 2 - 4pm plus socials and graduation
6 September - 25 October
Sundays 10am - noon plus socials and graduation
OR Sundays 2 - 4pm plus socials and graduation
Homeschooling options
8 week courses beginning on:
Wednesday 2 September
Thursday 3 September
Friday 4 September
Monday 2 November
Tuesday 3 November
10am - noon plus socials and graduation
(All times are UK times)
How it works
Lessons are delivered in small groups of 6 students to ensure a high level of personal interaction between tutors and students. All teaching and learning will take place in English.
Lessons are taught via secure video link. Students will simply need a reliable internet connection and a quiet space in which to work. Headphones or a headset are helpful but not essential.
"Eesa really enjoyed the workshop on Saturday; he has been giving us snippets of it throughout the weekend. He particularly liked the fact that there were children from around the world taking part."
Parent of Eesa, 13
“I enjoyed connecting with people from different countries and being able to have conversations and get to know them.”
Jess, 12
“It was great to meet people who had the same and also opposing views to me. It was very well run.”
Jemma, 16
Morning
Today’s theme is ‘Artificial Intelligence and the Global Workforce’. We’ll start by exploring our perceptions of A.I. What language do we use to describe it? What does it make us think of? What are the different ways it can, will and could be used?
After a short break, we’ll go broader and ask how increasingly sophisticated AI might affect us in positive and negative ways? Students will be asked to consider what, if any, careers are A.I. proof and which are likely to be negatively affected by or become redundant as a result of technological advances in this area. Splitting into groups, they will come up with ideas for future-proofing ‘at-risk’ careers and ensuring that AI works for us rather than the reverse.
The final session of the morning, will be given over to a debate with the motion ‘The use of A.I. in warfare will make future warfare more humane. The class will be divided into two groups and each one given a perspective to defend.
How lessons are taught
The module’s theme is explored from the perspective of both communication and critical thinking, and also includes a practical element. For example, within the First Impressions module, we start by exploring the impact of a first impression and the role of appearance, content (what you say) and tone (how you speak) and start to look at how first impressions can be crafted strategically. The critical thinking section includes analysis of how we interpret other people’s behaviour and communication, and understand the difference between what they say and what they mean.
The module will end with a practical session giving students the opportunity to practice and receive feedback on their own and each other’s introductions.
Running throughout the modules will be a core emphasis on learning how to give and receive constructive criticism, develop an independent perspective and questioning mindset, take a creative approach to problem-solving, and communicate a sense of personal identity.
Who will be teaching?
All teachers are graduates from Oxford or Cambridge University. A rigorous recruitment process ensures that they are enthusiastic, dedicated, and enjoy fostering understanding of complex issues in a way that makes them engaging and personally relevant to students.
They will be teaching a detailed curriculum based on rigorous up-to-date research, allowing them to keep content consistent while bringing their own personal character and flair to the lessons.
Why is this
course needed?
We are seeing widespread growth in the use of online education, accelerated in recent months by the spread of Covid-19. This presents many wonderful opportunities but, some things are hard to replicate in the virtual world. There is an increasing reliance on automated platforms or algorithm-based learning and students are having less personal interaction. Automated platforms (such as language and Maths apps) are excellent tools for tracking progress; their ability to build speed and improve accuracy makes them an invaluable part of an overall curriculum. But, they are all essentially based on the same model, which involves delivering information and testing students’ ability to reproduce that information.
Platforms of this kind don't enable students to develop the skills that, for example, will differentiate them from artificial intelligence. And, as the future becomes more automated, it is important that those educational tools are balanced with more holistic learning that teaches children and young people how to communicate effectively and persuasively, and to filter the vast amount of information that they need to process every day in the real world and use it to best effect. In short, it is more important than ever that children and young people are not just taught facts, but taught how to think and communicate.