Unit Synopsis
This unit introduces the principles and practices of critical thinking and effective decision-making in contemporary business and organisational contexts. You will explore how reasoning, reflection, and evidence-based analysis underpin sound managerial judgment and problem-solving. The unit develops your ability to construct and evaluate arguments, apply decision-making frameworks, and critically assess the influence of cognitive biases and rational thinking on decision quality. You will examine the integration of digital transformation, artificial intelligence (AI), and data-driven insights in managerial decision making, and assess both the opportunities and limitations of these technologies. The unit also foregrounds ethical reasoning, cultural awareness, and Indigenous perspectives on decision making, encouraging inclusive and values-based approaches to complex business problems. By engaging in individual and group activities, you will strengthen your skills in analytical reasoning, persuasive communication, and collaborative problem solving. You will also reflect on emerging trends shaping the future of decision making, including cognitive computing and human–AI collaboration, to prepare for leadership in an increasingly digital and interconnected world.
Details
| Level | Postgraduate |
|---|---|
| Unit Level | 8 |
| Credit Points | 6 |
| Student Contribution Band | SCA Band 4 |
| Fraction of Full-Time Student Load | 0.125 |
| Pre-requisites or Co-requisites |
There are no pre-requisites for the unit.
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework). |
| Class Timetable | View Unit Timetable |
| Residential School | No Residential School |
Unit Availabilities from Term 2 - 2026
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Postgraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Assessment Tasks
| Assessment Task | Weighting |
|---|---|
| 1. Practical and Written Assessment | 30% |
| 2. Presentation and Written Assessment | 30% |
| 3. Written Assessment | 40% |
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%).
Past Exams
All University policies are available on the Policy web site, however you may wish to directly view the following policies below.
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of policies are available on the Policy web site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Source: In Class
Students demonstrated strong engagement with case studies but occasionally struggled to apply critical thinking frameworks consistently across different scenarios.
Provide a structured checklist or decision-making framework that students can use during exercises to build consistency and confidence in application.
The assessment information and Moodle content were reviewed and updated. Weekly workshops incorporated case discussions and exercises on diagnostic tools to assess competencies and critical thinking skills.
Source: In Class
Some students expressed difficulty linking theoretical models of decision-making with real-world managerial contexts.
Incorporate more industry-based examples, guest speakers, or short simulations to demonstrate how critical thinking frameworks are applied in practice.
More industry-based examples, contemporary decision-making models and competency and skills assessment tools were used.
Source: In Class
Written assessments revealed that students could identify issues well but occasionally lacked depth in evaluating alternative solutions.
Provide exemplars of high-quality responses and emphasize evaluation criteria during assessment briefings to strengthen analytical depth.
Provided quality feedback with detailed section-wise observations and critical comments. Examples of high-quality decisions based on critical thinking and analysis were used during the workshops. Weekly learning activities were designed to support students in conceptualising decision-making concepts and models.
Source: Unit coordinator's observation
Students prefer a prescribe text.
It is difficult to find a textbook that covers the topics of this unit. A compilation of articles and some book chapters could be prepared as readings. This could be delivered through the CQU bookshop.
In Progress
Source: SUTE
Students valued case study based learning and practical knowledge enhancement through workshop activities.
Continue incorporating practical activities including the application of diagnostic tools and decision-making frameworks.
In Progress
Source: SUTE
Students liked constructive assessment feedback as it helped them understand their limitations in critical thinking and the competencies they are required to gain.
Continue strengthening assessment feedback. Provide clear and constructive and actional strategy to support students. Revise the marking criteria and marking rubric.
In Progress
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- Critically evaluate the principles and processes of critical thinking and reasoning as foundations for effective managerial and organisational decision-making.
- Apply and critique creative, digital, data-driven, and AI-supported decision-making tools and frameworks to address complex and uncertain business problems.
- Evaluate and integrate ethical, cultural, and Indigenous perspectives to promote inclusive, values-based, and responsible decision-making in contemporary organisations.
- Persuasively communicate complex ideas, evidence, and decision recommendations to specialist and non-specialist audiences using critical reasoning and data-informed insights.
- Reflect on emerging trends shaping the future of managerial decision-making, including digital transformation, cognitive computing, and human-AI collaboration.
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1 - Practical and Written Assessment | • | • | |||
| 2 - Presentation and Written Assessment | • | • | • | • | |
| 3 - Written Assessment | • | • | • | • | |
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1 - Knowledge | • | • | • | • | |
| 2 - Communication | • | ||||
| 3 - Cognitive, technical and creative skills | • | • | • | • | • |
| 4 - Research | • | • | |||
| 5 - Self-management | • | ||||
| 6 - Ethical and Professional Responsibility | • | • | • | • | |
| 7 - Leadership | • | ||||
| 8 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | • | ||||
| Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | |