Section outline

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    Introduction

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    EUPeace is the European University for Peace, Justice, and Inclusive Societies. It is only too obvious that these values are fragile and heavily contested in Europe and all over the world. Our mission is to help future generations of citizens and policy-makers and provide them with the skills, knowledge, and experience to cultivate Peace, Justice, and Inclusive Societies. In order to achieve this, EUPeace focuses on a fruitful societal dialogue, reflecting the third mission of universities to engage with and contribute to society. By offering flexible and elective Soft Skill micro-courses on a wide range of top-ics, from critical thinking and intercultural awareness to problem-solving and mediation, EUPeace in-vests in capacities that transcend disciplinary boundaries. These Soft Skill courses for students, staff, and beyond, are designed to strengthen the competences needed for inclusive, ethical, and peace-oriented community engagement.

    • Welcome Page
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      Welcome to our little course on self-reflection and critical thinking.

    • About the course designers Page
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      This course was designed by Katja Franz and Michael Groll from Marburg University.

    • Course content and learning pathway Page
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      Please check out this part to learn more about the course content and the pathway leading you through your learning experience.

    • Syllabus URL
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    Self-Reflection

    In this section of this course you will learn about Self-Reflection and how it can help you critically understanding yourself and your surroundings better.

    Critical reflection is more than just thinking about your experiences. It challenges us to look more closely at the values, habits, and preconceptions that govern our thinking and our actions. What perspectives are we missing? Which societal, cultural, or structural conditions define certain situations without us noticing?

    By reflecting – and thinking – critically, we learn to understand what we do and why we do it – and what consequences our actions might have - for us and for others. This form of Self-Reflection sharpens our mind for noticing the balance of power, blind spots, and injustices. It helps us to act more responsibly, make informed decisions and to understand complex situations by analysing them from different points of view.

    This section teaches you, step by step, the skill to not only describe your experiences, but to analyse their deeper connections, and to draw profound conclusions. Critical Self-Reflection is a fundamental building block for acting professionally, informed and ethically responsibly in your studies, your career, and in society.

    You will learn about some basic principles and techniques, and this section will also ask you questions that will guide you through your journey of Self-Reflection.

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    Critical Thinking

    In this section of this course, you will learn about Critical Thinking and how to use it for a more holistic evaluation of the increasingly complex world around you. 

    This course gives you a few examples and teaches you the Critical Thinking process, which will help you develop your own Critical Thinking skills.

    In the interactive part of this section, you read and analyse a sample text using the first step of the Critical Thinking process. You will paraphrase and explicate parts of the sample text to gain a deeper understanding of how to hone your Critical Thinking skills.

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    Course conclusion

    Congratulations on completing this micro-course on Self-Reflection and Critical Thinking.

    You got introduced to these two important soft skills and learned some basic techniques - from self-reflection diaries to the critical thinking process. Incorporating some of these new techniques into your daily life will strengthen your critical awareness and help you act more responsibly in your community engagement.

    Once you have successfully completed all compulsory components, you will be able to download your attendance certificate directly from this section. To continue your learning journey, you are encouraged to explore further readings and additional resources provided, as well as to enrol in other courses from the EUPeace soft skills offer. You may also consider engaging with broader EUPeace initiatives, such as the European Track, the Virtual Exchange and Engagement Programmes (VEEPs), or the teacher training courses, with links provided to the relevant sections of the EUPeace website for easy access.