Thinking Skills

09/06/2013

Creative Thinking

Rasha El Naggar

What is expected from this course?

Understand what are different thinking skills? Know different ways to think creatively. Know the basics of critical thinking.

09/06/2013

Creative Thinking

Rasha El Naggar

Creativity is a function of individual ability and environmental factors. Comment on this statement. Provide Examples.

09/06/2013

Creative Thinking

Rasha El Naggar

09/06/2013

Creative Thinking

Rasha El Naggar

What is creative thinking?

An ability: creativity is not the ability to create out of nothing, but the ability to generate new ideas by combining, changing, or reapplying existing ideas An Attitude: Creativity is also an attitude: the ability to accept change and newness, a willingness to play with ideas and possibilities, a flexibility of outlook, the habit of enjoying the good, while looking for ways to improve it. A process: Creative people work hard and continually to improve ideas and solutions, by making gradual alterations and refinements to their works. The creative person knows that there is always room for improvement

09/06/2013

Creative Thinking

Rasha El Naggar

What blocks Creativity?

Oh no, a problem! The uncreative people react to
the problem bigger than the problem itself. These people avoid or deny problems until it's too late, largely because these people have never learned the appropriate emotional, psychological, and practical responses. While, creative people view a problem as an opportunity. They welcome and even seek out problems, meeting them as challenges and opportunities to improve things.

09/06/2013

Creative Thinking

Rasha El Naggar

 It can't be done: This attitude is, in effect, surrendering before the battle. By assuming that something cannot be done or a problem cannot be solved, a person gives the problem a power or strength it didn't have before. And giving up before starting is, of course, self fulfilling.

09/06/2013

Creative Thinking

Rasha El Naggar

 But I'm not creative. Everyone is creative to some extent. Most people are capable of very high levels of creativity; just look at young children when they play and imagine. The problem is that this creativity has been suppressed by education. All you need to do is let it come back to the surface. You will soon discover that you are surprisingly creative. That's childish. In our effort to appear always mature and sophisticated, we often block the creative, playful attitudes that marked our younger years. What will people think? There is strong social pressure to conform and to be ordinary and not creative.
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The relationship between cultural and creative expression is complex. Cultural factors clearly have a profound influence on appropriate outlets for creative expression, on the nature of the subject matter and form of expression, and on the types of individuals engaged in, creative activity. There are many ways by which societies shape all aspects of creative expression, ranging from the availability of resources to the provision of rewards or punishments.
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Positive Attitudes for Creativity

1. Curiosity. Creative people want to know things--all kinds of things-- just to know them. Knowledge does not require a reason. The question, "Why do you want to know that?" seems strange to the creative person, who is likely to respond, "Because I don't know the answer." Knowledge is enjoyable and often useful in strange and unexpected ways. 2. Challenge. Curious people like to identify and challenge the assumptions behind ideas, proposals, problems, beliefs, and statements. Many assumptions, of course, turn out to be quite necessary and solid, but many others have been assumed unnecessarily, and in breaking out of those assumptions often comes a new idea, a new path, a new solution.
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 4. A belief that most problems can be solved. The creative thinker believes that something can always be done to eliminate or help alleviate almost every problem. Problems are solved by a commitment of time and energy, and where this commitment is present, few things are impossible. 5. Seeing the good in the bad. Creative thinkers, when faced with poor solutions, don't cast them away. Instead, they ask, "What's good about it?" because there may be something useful even in the worst ideas. And however little that good may be, it might be turned to good effect or made greater.
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6. Problems lead to improvements. The attitude of constructive discontent searches for problems and possible areas of improvement, but many times problems arrive on their own. But such unexpected and perhaps unwanted problems are not necessarily bad, because they often permit solutions that leave the world better than before the problem arose.

09/06/2013

Creative Thinking

Rasha El Naggar

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Problem Solving and Creative Thinking

Define

Generate
Decide
Implement

Evaluate
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Chapter 3: Gathering Information on The Problem

One of the difficult aspects of problem solving is understanding and defining the real problem. Thus to define the problem, one should gather information about the problem. Understanding and Defining a real problem requires: Collecting and analyzing information and data Talk with people who are familiar with the problem If possible, view the problem firsthand

09/06/2013

Creative Thinking

Rasha El Naggar

14

 Step 1: Collect and Analyze information and data The information should be properly organized, analyzed and presented so that it can serve as the basis for subsequent decision making. Make a simple sketch or drawing of the situation. Step 2: Talk with people who are familiar with the problem Step 3: View the problem Firsthand Step 4: Confirm All Key Findings: Verify the information you collected. Check and cross reference data, facts and figures. Distinguish between facts and opinion.

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Creative Thinking

Rasha El Naggar

15

Types of Data
Data could be primary or secondary. Primary data is the one collected by the researcher for the first time to understand the problem at hand. Primary data come from interviews, surveys, observation. Secondary Data; is collected already by other researchers for other problems, not necessarily the problem at hand. This could come from articles, books, publishes data and censuses.
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Evaluating Secondary Data

Purpose: The explicit or hidden agenda of the information source. Authority: the author, the publisher, the credibility of facts provided. Scope: Is information up to date? How much information is available? Audience: Who are the reader of this documents or journals (impact factor)? Format: How information is presented and the degree of ease locating specific information within the source.

Criteria to choose between primary data and secondary data

Time Effort Credibility The extent of being up to date to reflect recent variables. The appropriateness to the problem and information required.

09/06/2013

Creative Thinking

Rasha El Naggar

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Exercise: If you were responsible to study the the problem of unemployment what information is required and from where to obtain this information and why this information is needed?

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Creative Thinking

Rasha El Naggar

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Chapter 4: Problem definition

Four techniques could be used to define the real problem: 1. Finding out where the problem came from. 2. Using the present state /desired state and the dunker diagram to define the real problem 3. Using the statement-restatment technique 4. Kepner-Tregoe problem analysis

09/06/2013

Creative Thinking

Rasha El Naggar

20

Fist technique: Finding out where the problem come from

This technique depends on critical thinking through allowing questions in thinking. Critical thinking is the process we use to recognize underlying assumptions, examine arguments and assess ideas and statements. Socratic questions lies at the heart of critical thinking

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Creative Thinking

Rasha El Naggar

21

A sample of Socratic questions

Questions that clarify: Why do you say? How does this relate to our discussion? Questions that probe assumptions: What could we assume instead? How can we verify or disapprove that assumption? Questions that probe reasons and evidence: What would be an example? What evidence do you have to support your answer?
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 Questions that explore view points and perspectives What would be the alternative? What is a different way of looking at it? Questions that probe implications and consequences: What are the consequences of that assumption if it is not valid. Questions that revisit the original question?

09/06/2013

Creative Thinking

Rasha El Naggar

23

Exercise
Apply the Socratic questions to define the real problems of unemployment (if it is a real problem or a perceived one). Relate the questions to the data sources.

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Creative Thinking

Rasha El Naggar

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