Back to Standard 5

Module 5.2

Demonstrate critical reasoning in the application of professional judgement

Module 5.2 will enhance students’ leadership skills through learning activities that focus on critical reasoning and the related application of professional judgment. Key topics include critical reasoning, professional and technical report writing, and interpreting complex information to arrive at defensible positions when required. This course makes use of a case study approach to contextualize these themes using a real world example of a forest management planning process for which forest resource modeling outcomes failed to achieve the maintenance of wildlife habitat according to the regulatory standards of the time, and focuses on how this challenged stakeholders to arrive at a compromise to balance conflicting resource values.

Specific objectives are to enable participants to: Evaluate documents and computer models that pertain to complex plans; Analyze a problem or issue that includes qualitative/quantitative data collection, evaluation, and analysis; Develop logical arguments and apply judgement in providing solutions in a formal written report; and Construct a logical argument through group participation and discussion.

Module Objectives

  • Evaluate documents and computer models that pertain to complex plans;
  • Analyze a problem or issue that includes qualitative/quantitative data collection, evaluation, and analysis;
  • Develop logical arguments and apply judgement in providing solutions in a formal written report; and
  • Construct a logical argument through group participation and discussion.

Module Schedule

This course involves a combination of recorded lectures, readings, assignments and participation in semi-synchronous online discussion forums and synchronous tutorials with instructors and other participants over an 8-week period.

See course content below to get started!

Course Content

Getting Started

  • Getting Started

    Welcome to Module 5.2

Week 1

  • Introductory Lecture

    Using knowledge elements 5.2.1 -5.1.4 as an organizational framework to introduce key concepts and related content – a case study approach 

  • Readings

    Making Decisions in a Complex and Dynamic World 1997, Defining Critical Thinking. Foundation for Critical Thinking, and A conceptual framework for adaptive forest management under climate change

Week 2

  • Core Lecture 1: Ethics and the Forest Professional

    OPFA preamble, OPFA Principle 1 Fidelity, OPFA Principle 2 Integrity, conflict of interest, OPFA principle 3 Credibility, OPFA Principle 4 Confidentiality, OPFA Principle 5 Diligence, OPFA Principle 6 Respect, OPFA Principle 7 Commitment to lifelong learning, certification case study

  • Core Lecture 2: Writing data papers

    Basic order, know your audience, titles (good & bad), Introduction section, Methods section, presenting complex statistics, Results section, Discussion, Acknowledgments, Literature cited, tables, figures, error bars, figure legends

  • Supplementary Lectures (not mandatory)

    Ontario’s Far North

  • Reading

    2009 Forest Management Plan Summary for the Dog River Matawin Forest and Report of an Independent Audit of Forest Management on the Dog River Matawin Forest for the Period 2005-2010

  • Discussion Forum 5.2a

    Applying a code of ethics

Week 3

  • Online tutorial

    The online tutorial will give students the opportunity to connect with their instructors and peers to discuss content to-date, answer questions and foster conversations surrounding course materials, and discuss upcoming assignments.

  • Assignment #1 Short essay

    Discuss how elements of critical thinking and analysis and Adaptive Forest Management were applied in the following paper

Week 4

  • Discussion Forum 5.2b

    Smith's typology  interaction processes for decision making

Week 5

  • Assignment #1 Submission

    Please submit Assignment #1

  • Assignment #2 Consultant report

    Using the Dog River Matawin Forest 2009 FMP summary and 2010 DRMF Independent Forest Audit report summary case study materials and related content presented in the introductory core lecture for Module 5.2 for reference, complete a consultant’s report

Week 6

  • Assignment #2 Proposal Submission

    Please submit your proposal for Assignment #2

Week 7

  • Online tutorial

    The online tutorial will give students the opportunity to connect with their instructors and peers to discuss content to-date, answer questions and foster conversations surrounding course materials, and discuss upcoming assignments.

Week 8

  • Assignment #2 Submission