PROBLEM SOLVING

AND CREATIVITY
INTRODUCTION :
Problem solving and creativity go
hand. You need to be creative in
order to solve a problem. It is
unfortunate that these are not
adequate taught in the classroom.
Advance Organizer
Problem Solving/Creativity
Torrance’s Creative
Creativity Originality
Problem Solving
Framework (CPS)
Elaboration
Fluency Flexibility
Six Stages of CPS
TORRANCE FRAMEWORK FOR
CREATIVE THINKING
A common Framework for creative
thinking process is describe by
Torrance(1979).Each aspect is defined
below, along with ways to facilitate the
respective aspect by using key words
and application activities.
FLUENCY
•Definition
Fluency refers to the
production of a problem.
Fluency implies understanding,
not just remembering
information that is learned.
Key Words
Compare, covert, count,
define, describe, explain,
identify, label, list, match,
name, outline, paraphrase,
predict, summarize.
•Application activities

Trace a picture and label the

parts.
Outline an article you find on your
topic.
How many uses can you think of
for a clothes hanger.
List 15 Things That are
Commonly Red or Contain
Red.
Example: Apple, blood, brick,
caboose, cherry, Christmas
stocking, exit sign, fire alarm,
flag, heart, red nose reindeer,
rose, tomato, wagon.
Flexibility
Definition:
Flexibility refers to the
production of ideas that show a
variety of possibilities or realms of
thought. It involves the ability to see
things from different points of views,
to use many different approaches
or strategies.
Key Words
change, demonstrate,
distinguish, employ,
extrapolate, interpolate,
interpret, predict.
Application ideas
what would happen if … there were no
automobiles ?
How would a … dog look to a flea?
How ___________ like ___________?
How would you feel if … you were invisible
for a day?
How would you group the ideas about
“red” into categories?
Example: Fruit, safety features, vehicles.
once categories are identified,
fluency may be further demonstrated
by generating more ideas about the
idea red within categories. Even a
modest attempt could result in the
following list, recognizing that the
creative thinking process may shift the
mind in a spiral way between all four
aspects of creativity.
Red Fruit Red Safety Red
Features vehicles
Apple Exit Sign Caboose
Cherry Fire Alarm Fire Truck
Raspberry Stop Sign Tricycle
Tomato Tail Lights Wagon
Elaboration
Definition:
Elaboration is the process of
enhancing ideas by providing more details
additional detail and clarity improves
interest in and understanding of the topic.
Key words
Appraise, critique, determine, evaluate,
grade, judge, measure, select test.
Application Ideas
Tell your neighbor about your last family
trip using as may details as possible.
What can you add to ________ to
improve its quality or performance?
Describe all the possible characteristics
of the red quality in a wagon.
Example: Shade, finish, texture,
uniformity.
Originality
Definition:
Originality involves the production of
ideas that are unique or unusual. It involves
synthesis or putting information about a
topic back together in a new way.
Key words
Compose, create, design, generate,
integrate, modify, rearrange, reconstruct,
recognize, revise.
Application Ideas
Find an original use for __________ .
What would be the strangest way to get out
of bed?
Design a new ____________ that is better
than the one you have.
Write an unusual title for the ideas about
red.
Example: Revolutionary “Red”
Representation.
Creative Problem Solving – CPS
Creative Problem Solving
(CPS) is an intention process for
solving problems and discovering
opportunities. It espouses the use of
creativity in coming up with
solutions which are not only novel
but practical as well.
In the 1950’s Alex Osborn
described this process in his book,
Applied Imagination. Osborn
opened the process in the public
domain which meant anyone can
use it. Over the years countless
people have utilized the CPS in
various fields and endeavors.
Oborn’s Checklist, the origin of
Classical Brainstorming is the root of
creative problem solving (CPS).
There are a variety of general
structures; ‘define problem
generate possible solutions, select
and implement the best’ which can
be found extensively, in several
different academic tradition.
In is most extended and formalized
from it has the six stages shown
below, each with a divergent and
a convergent phase. However
more recent publications seem
more interested in focusing on
procedure and technique issues,
with less weight on the full
elaboration of this structure.
The following based on Van Gundy
(1988’s) description, is a very brief
skeleton of a very rich process,
showing it in full ‘6 x 2 stages’ from:
1. Stage 1 : Mess finding: Sensitise
yourself (scan, search) of issues
(concern, challenges, opportunities,
etc) that need to be tackled.
•Divergent techniques include
‘Wouldn’t It Be Nice If …’
(WIBNI) and Wouldn’t It Be
Awful If …’ (WIBAI) –
brainstorming to identify
desirable outcomes and
obstacles to be overcome.
•Convergent techniques include
the identification of hotspots
(Highlighting); expressed as a list of
IWWMs (‘In What Ways Might…’),
selection in terms of ownership
criteria (e.g. problem owner’s
motivation and ability to influence
it) and outlook criteria (e.g.
urgency, familiarity, stability).
2. Stage 2: Data finding : Gather
information about the problem.
• Divergent techniques include Five W’s
and H ( Who, Why, What, When, Where,
and How) and listing of wants sources
and data: List all your information
“wants” as a series of question; for each,
list possible sources of answers, then
follow these up and for each source, list
what you found.
•Convergent techniques again
include: identifying hotspots
(Highlighting); Mind-mapping to
sort and classify the information
gathered; and also restating the
problem in the light of your
richer understanding of it.
3. Stage 3: Problem finding:
convert a fuzzy statement of the
problem into a broad statement
more suitable for idea finding.
• Divergent techniques include
asking ’Why? Etc – the
repeatable question and Five
W’s and H .
•Convergent techniques again include
highlighting again, reformulation of
problem–statement to meet the criteria
that they contain only one problem and
no criteria, and selection of the most
promising statement (but NB that the
mental ‘stretching’ that the activity
gives to the participants can be as
important as the actual statements
chosen).
4.Stage 4: Idea finding: generate as
many ideas as possible.
•Divergence using any of a very
wide range of idea as possible
techniques. The general rules of
Classic Brainstorming (such as
deferring judgement) are likely to
underpin all of these.
•convergence can again involve
hotspot or mind-mapping, the
combining of different ideas, and
the shortlisting of the most
promising handful, perhaps with
some thought for the more obvious
evaluation criteria but not over-
restrictively.
5.Stage 5: solution finding: Generate
and select obvious evaluation criteria
(using an expansion/contraction cycle)
and develop (Which may include
combining) the short-listed ideas from
Idea Finding as much as you can in the
light of these criteria. Then opt for the
best of these improved ideas (e.g. using
comparison tables).
6.Stage 6: Acceptance finding: How
can the suggestion you have just
selected be made up to standard
and put into practice? Shun
negativity and continue to apply
deferred judgement – problem are
exposed to be solve, or not
dishearten progress.
 Action plan are better developed in
small groups of 2 – 3 rather than in a large
group (unless you particularly want
commitment by the whole group).
Particularly for ‘people’ problem it is often
worth developing several alternative
action plans. Possible techniques include -
Five W’s and H. Implementation Checklist,
Consensus Mapping, Potential-Problem
Analysis (PPA).
Other Model for Problem Solving
Bransford’s IDEAL Model
1.Identify the problem.
2.Define the problem through thinking about it
and sorting out the relevant information.
3.Explore solutions through looking at
alternatives, brainstorming, and checking out
different points of view.
4.Act on the strategies.
5.Look back and evaluate the effects of your
activity.