Persuasion Skills Course

Lesson 1 • Abductive Reasoning and Inference

Introduces inference to the best explanation as a third reasoning mode. Students apply it to practical problem-solving scenarios.

Lesson 2 • Deductive vs. Inductive Reasoning

Contrasts certainty-preserving deduction with probability-based induction. Students classify arguments and assess their strength accordingly.

Lesson 3 • Core Components of Argument Structure

Breaks down premises, conclusions, and inferential links. Students map these components in real texts to internalise structure.

Lesson 4 • Evaluating Argument Quality

Provides criteria for judging whether an argument succeeds. Students apply quality standards to sample arguments before advancing.

Lesson 1 • Propositional Logic Essentials

Covers logical connectives, truth tables, and basic inference rules. Provides the formal backbone for evaluating argument validity.

Lesson 2 • Fallacies: Recognition and Rebuttal

Catalogues formal and informal fallacies with real-world examples. Students practise naming, explaining, and countering each fallacy type.

Lesson 3 • Cognitive Biases Affecting Reasoning

Identifies biases that distort judgment and argument evaluation. Students develop habits to counteract bias in their own thinking.

Lesson 4 • Informal Logic and Argument Schemes

Introduces argument schemes as recurring patterns of everyday reasoning. Students match schemes to real arguments and probe their critical questions.

Lesson 1 • Framing and Message Design

Explains how framing shapes audience perception before a single argument is made. Students reframe identical content for different audiences.

Lesson 2 • Narrative Persuasion

Shows how storytelling bypasses resistance and builds identification. Students construct persuasive narratives using story structure principles.

Lesson 3 • The Rhetorical Situation

Analyses audience, purpose, context, and constraints as persuasion variables. Students adapt messages by mapping the rhetorical situation first.

Lesson 4 • Classical Rhetoric: Ethos, Pathos, Logos

Unpacks Aristotle's three modes of persuasion with contemporary examples. Students identify which mode dominates in sample texts.

Lesson 1 • Audience Segmentation Methods

Introduces demographic, psychographic, and behavioural segmentation tools. Students segment a sample audience and draw persuasion implications.

Lesson 2 • Real-Time Audience Feedback

Teaches students to read verbal and nonverbal cues and adjust mid-argument. Connects audience monitoring to adaptive delivery.

Lesson 3 • Values, Beliefs, and Attitudes

Distinguishes values, beliefs, and attitudes as persuasion targets at different depths. Students identify which layer to address for maximum impact.

Lesson 4 • Cross-Cultural Persuasion Dynamics

Examines how cultural dimensions affect argument reception and style preferences. Students adjust persuasive strategies for culturally diverse audiences.

Lesson 1 • Anticipating Counter-Evidence

Trains students to research opposing evidence before opponents raise it. Students build refutation strategies into their argument preparation.

Lesson 2 • Source Evaluation and Credibility

Provides criteria for assessing source reliability, bias, and currency. Students apply a credibility checklist to real sources.

Lesson 3 • Research Strategies for Arguers

Teaches efficient search techniques across databases, archives, and open sources. Students build a source portfolio for a chosen argument topic.

Lesson 4 • Types of Evidence in Argumentation

Catalogues statistical, testimonial, anecdotal, and expert evidence with their strengths. Students match evidence type to argument need.

Lesson 1 • Refutation and Rebuttal Strategies

Teaches systematic methods for dismantling opposing arguments. Students practise turn, minimise, and outweigh rebuttal techniques.

Lesson 2 • Organising Arguments for Impact

Compares organisational patterns—problem-solution, cause-effect, and comparative—for persuasive effect. Students select and justify a structure for their argument.

Lesson 3 • Toulmin Model in Practice

Applies Toulmin's claim-data-warrant framework to real argument construction. Students build and critique arguments using all six Toulmin elements.

Lesson 4 • Claim Development and Positioning

Guides students from vague topic to a precise, defensible claim. A strong claim anchors every subsequent structural decision.

Lesson 1 • Vocal Delivery and Paralanguage

Covers rate, pitch, volume, and pause as persuasive tools. Students record and self-critique vocal delivery against professional benchmarks.

Lesson 2 • Nonverbal Communication in Persuasion

Examines posture, gesture, eye contact, and proxemics as credibility signals. Students practise congruent verbal-nonverbal alignment.

Lesson 3 • Managing Anxiety and Building Presence

Provides cognitive and physical techniques for controlling performance anxiety. Students develop a personal pre-presentation routine.

Lesson 4 • Visual Aids and Slide Design

Teaches evidence-based principles for designing slides that support rather than distract. Students redesign a cluttered slide deck.

Lesson 1 • Dialectical Argumentation

Frames argumentation as a cooperative truth-seeking dialogue, not just combat. Students practise dialectical obligations: responding, conceding, and pressing.

Lesson 2 • Negotiation and Argumentation

Connects argument strategy to negotiation theory for mutual-gain outcomes. Students apply principled negotiation moves within argumentative exchanges.

Lesson 3 • Handling Sophisticated Objections

Prepares students for expert-level opposition using layered, technical objections. Students practise rapid analysis and structured response under pressure.

Lesson 4 • Ethical Dimensions of Persuasion

Examines the line between legitimate persuasion and manipulation. Students apply ethical frameworks to evaluate their own persuasive choices.