EDLT 483: Creative Thinking and Problem Solving
INTRODUCTION
Creative Thinking and Problem Solving (EDLT 483) is a 6 credit point unit offered in the BEd, GradDipEd, GradCertGiftTalentEd, MEd(Gifted & Talent), MEd(Hons) (Gifted & Talent), and BA awards.
This unit is intended to provide opportunities for you to explore the nature of thinking and cognition, especially 'problem solving', and how creativity and psychological factors associated with creative behaviour, can be linked to thinking in general, and in various domains of knowledge.
The following information is derived from the 2001 Unit Outline.
OUTCOMES
The broad objectives of this unit are to have you:
1. examine in detail the nature of thinking, problem solving and cognition, especially as these relate to identified groups of learners,
2. critically examine various definitions and theories of creativity and/or problem solving,
3. become familiar with some of the current research relating to creativity and/or problem solving,
4. explore the processes involved in creative thinking and/or problem solving, in both education and non-education settings.
5. evaluate a range of means of assessing creativity and creative production.
6. consider techniques and approaches that are claimed to develop creative thinking and/or problem solving.
7. identify conditions and factors that promote or inhibit creative thinking and performance.
8. become more aware of your own creative potential and your present problem finding and problem solving skills.
During this unit you will be sent the following material:
• Unit Guide
• Unit Notes
• Resource Material (including annotated bibliography and
reprinted articles)
RECOMMENDED READING
The recommended texts for this unit are:
• Runco, M.A. (ed.) 1994, Problem Finding, Problem Solving, and Creativity, Creativity Research. Ablex, Norwood, NJ.
OR
• Sternberg, R.J. (ed). 1999. Handbook of Creativity. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.
These books are essentially alternatives. They replace a book which we used for quite a while (Dacey, J. S. 1989. Fundamentals of Creative Thinking. USA, Lexington Books). The book by Dacey covers both creativity and problem solving and could still be a useful one to read if you can obtain a copy of it. I will describe in detail some sections of Dacey in the Unit Notes, which accompanies this Study Guide. There are quite a few books that could provide useful information depending on your particular interest, and some of these are listed below.
The following books provide alternative general background material:
• Briggs, J. 1988. Fire in the Crucible: The Alchemy of Creative Genius. New York, St Martin's Press.
• Davis, G.A. 1986. Creativity is Forever. Dubuque, Kendall/Hunt.
• Evans, P. and Deehan, G. 1990. The Keys to Creativity. London, Grafton Books.
• Hayes, J.R. 1989. The Complete Problem Solver (Second ed.) Hillsdale, New Jersey,Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
• Mayer, R.E. 1992. Thinking, Problem Solving, Cognition (Second ed). New York, W.H. Freeman and Company.
• Ochse, R. 1990. Before the Gates of Excellence: The Determinants of Creative Genius. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.
Note: If you have a particular interest which is not specifically mentioned, such as 'problem solving in a particular area' please contact me early in the semester, and I will do my best to supply you with a specific list of references which caters for your interest.
ASSESSMENT
You are required to submit two assignments. Each assignment is worth 50%. There are no restrictions on the combination of topics which you can choose - the first assignment is designed to let you demonstrate either or both the depth and breadth of your knowledge and skills base, while the second allows you to extend this base in an area of your choice. So, you can emphasise creativity and/or problem solving in Assignment #1, and then specialise applying this to a particular group of learners in Assignment #2.
Each assignment is to be 3500-5000 words in length, unless you choose to do the 'Publication option' [Topic L] for Assignment #2 (see below). I suggest you look carefully at the pattern of options you wish to undertake early in the semester.
Any application for extension must come, normally in writing, through our Faculty's Student Administration Section. Note that no extension can be granted beyond Friday 2 November 2001, although Special Extension of Time (S.E.T.) may be applied for (by writing to the Faculty's Student Administration section) if your circumstances warrant this. Documentary evidence of these circumstances is normally required for such applications to be successful.
There is no examination or residential school in this unit.
To pass the unit you must submit both assignments and achieve an overall average of Pass. Normally, you should achieve a Pass in both assignments, but an Unsatisfactory grade in one assignment may be compensated for by achieving a Credit or better in the other. No re-submission of unsatisfactory assignments is permitted. However, I am willing to read and comment on a draft copy of your second assignment if you have received an Unsatisfactory grade for Assignment #1.
In addition to the passing grade in this unit, you must also attend all specified lectures/workshops/tutorials. For the purposes of this unit, less than 75% attendance at these specified is defined as unsatisfactory, and the university can require a student to show cause why they should not be withdrawn from the unit and deemed to have failed.
There is no provision for the re-submission of any assignment which is deemed to be Unsatisfactory.
ASSIGNMENT 1
This assignment requires you to read widely and critically within the creativity and problem solving area. It can also allow you to commence an area of specialization, which can then be extended in-depth in Assignment #2.
The assignment will be graded on your ability to present a coherent, soundly based response, which clearly demonstrates that your ideas are supported by the literature. No doubt you will need to include critical discussion concerning the definitions of the terms you use if there is any doubt about meanings. For example, to talk about creativity without justifying what you mean by the term would be hazardous! You will also need to be consistent in your use of such terms once you have decided on a particular definition!
Choose ONE of the following
A. Interview at least three highly creative people about their schooling and their upbringing in general. [The people you choose may represent different domains of knowledge or may all be talented in the same domain.]
Try to establish their views on:
a. the way in which their schooling encouraged and hindered the development of their creativity,b. the influence of their parents and of other significant family members, and of other mentors, if appropriate,
c. the link between creativity and task commitment (motivation),
d. the nature of creativity and how creativity might be developed in young people, in and out of school,
e. another aspect of creativity of your own choosing.
Importantly, you must relate your findings to what others have written on these matters and discuss the implications for the identification and the education of the creatively talented.
B. Interview the parent/s and/or teacher/s of a highly creative gifted/talented child and of another gifted/talented child who is low in creativity (also observing the two children, if possible). Analyse their similarities and differences and discuss the implications of your findings for the education of such children.
C. Write an historical account of the study of human problem solving in general, and/or in a nominated field of study.
D. Discuss the relative importance of knowledge and strategies in successful problem solving.
E. Describe what you see as the attributes of a child who is gifted or talented in the area of problem solving. Use examples and refer to the literature on problem solving. [You may wish to interpret this question in relation to a particular child, or to children generally.]
F. Are highly creative children likely to be under-represented when identification of and provisions for the talented are implemented? Cite evidence from research and from your own experience to support your answer.
G. Reflect upon your own creativity and the factors which have nurtured or inhibited it. Relate your reflections to ideas in the literature on the nature of creativity, its prevalence in the general population and its links with education and schooling.
H. Reflect upon your own problem solving ability (general and/or in a particular domain) and the factors which have influenced it. Relate your reflections to ideas in the literature on the nature of problem solving.
I. Are 'real world' problems appropriate content for programs for gifted/talented children? Justify your response with reference to claims about 'differentiated curriculum' for the gifted/talented and to the general literature on problem solving.
J. [NOTE that some of you might consider this option to be attractive as providing a general survey of the area which allows you to obtain a more appropriate background if you are attempting Topic L for Assignment #2]
Choose a specific aspect of creativity and/or problem solving which you wish to develop further in Assignment #2 (any topic), and carefully demonstrate why you consider this aspect of creativity and/or problem solving is worthy of a more in-depth study.
If you choose this topic you will need to base your response on the research literature.
ASSIGNMENT 2
This assignment allows you to develop a more in-depth specialisation in the area. You will be able to delve more deeply into one or more aspects of problem solving and/or creativity, or be able to commence to apply your new knowledge and skills within a specific environment or to a specific group of learners.
Specialized groups of learners (such as gifted and talented, normal learners; those with learning problems), can be emphasised as can specific approaches or techniques.
The 'Publication Option' [Topic L] is available for those of you who consider that what you write could well be of interest to others. If you choose this option, carefully read the notes that are specific to this topic.
Choose ONE of the following
A. Discuss the links between motivation and problem solving and/or creativity. What are the implications for the schooling of such children?
B. Should developing children's metacognitive skills/knowledge be a major goal of schools? Which approaches, if any, attempt to do this now, and with what success?
C. How effective is strategy training in increasing a person's ability to solve problems?
D. How are novices and experts similar and
different in their efforts to find and solve problems? Consider
variables such as: training; the knowledge base; cognitive style;
the nature of the field of study; selection of strategies;
creativity.
How valuable is the information we get from experts in helping us
devise problem solving programs for novices?
E. Transfer is said to be the overall goal of education. Taking into account of what the literature tells us about the effectiveness or otherwise of various programs designed to promote cognitive transfer, is it feasible that a program could be designed to promote 'transfer of creativity'?
F. Write an imagined conversation between Joseph Renzulli and John Feldhusen (or someone else of your choice) on developing the problem solving abilities of gifted/talented students. Then comment on ideas raised in your hypothetical conversation, especially points of dispute or disagreement, and explain and justify your own position on these.
G. Consider the format of the article by Lesh and Zawojewski which is reproduced in the Resource Booklet, and write a similar guide for teachers in another content area and aimed at any level of learner. Obviously you will only be able to emphasise some aspects of problem solving in the content area you choose, but you must justify your chosen problems by using key ideas from the research literature. [Consider the product you will develop as a draft curriculum document that would need to be trialled and evaluated.]
H. In your reading you will have come across a large number of variables which are related to the learner which have been examined as possibly being linked to problem-finding and problem-solving ability. Which variables do you think would be the most likely to show such a link if you were to plan a research study designed to examine learner variables on problem-finding and problem-solving ability?
I. Consider any program designed to improve or develop one's creativity and/or problem solving skills, and by looking at the identified needs of a particular group of learners, show how the program could be used [or modified] in order to help the learners in this group.
J. Create, trial and evaluate a series of workcards and/or lessons designed to teach two or more of the following creativity techniques:
a. synectics
b. forced associations
c. visualisation
d. attribute listing
Relate your evaluation to the literature on the techniques and on creativity, and to that on talent development.
K. Evaluate (after trialling or observation, if you wish) one or more of the following programs:
a. Creative Problem Solving
b. Future Problem Solving
c. Tournament of Minds
d. de Bono's CoRT Thinking
e. Williams's Total Creativity Program
f. de Bono's Six Thinking Hats
g. the methods advocated by Fogarty, Perkins and Barrell (1992), designed to promote 'transfer' of learning. (Fogarty, R., Perkins, D., and Barell, J. 1992. The Mindful School: How to Teach for Transfer. Australia, Hawker Brownlow Education.)
In your evaluation you will need to include reference to research evidence on problem solving.
L. The 'Publication Option'. This option is included for those of you who consider that your work in this unit includes sufficient of your own 'original work' to make it of possible significance to others. It allows you to present your work in a form that could be submitted for publication to a journal such as: TalentEd, The Australasian Journal of Gifted Education or to some other specialist publication.
If you wish to take up this option you will be required to:
1. select this option early in the semester in order for you to submit a one page outline of your proposal. This must specify the name of the target Journal and a brief description of the proposed paper by about late August. Note that this is earlier than the due date for Assignment 1.2. submit an optional 'draft' paper at any time.
3a. submit your Assignment 2 in a form suitable for publication in the specified journal by the due date for Assignment 2. [This would mean that the paper would be: of an appropriate length, and in the style specified by the proposed journal],
OR3b. submit an Assignment 2 in the form specified above if you 'change your mind'. This means that it would be desirable to 'change your mind early' if you decide to follow this path.
Note that the normal word length for Assignment 2 will not necessarily apply if you choose this alternative, though this does not make the task any less demanding.
STUDENT LOAD
This unit is what is known as a "6-credit point unit". A "credit point" is a term used in this university to describe approximately 25 hours of "student work". Student work involves: attending formal sessions (lectures, workshops, seminars and school experience days); preparing and writing assignments; reading and making notes from your textbook; preparing for the test; and doing your own research in the Library or Curriculum Centre.
All together you should spend about 150 hours working on this unit over the semester. This means that if you work for 13 weeks (the total term weeks in the year), and do no work over the vacation you should expect to spend an average of 11 to 12 hours on this unit per week. If you work over the student vacations (which take up about 10 weeks of the year, and many students feel it is necessary to do this), you should spend between 8 and 9 hours per week on this unit.
The answer above simply points to the amount of work that you feel you need to undertake in order for you to become confident regarding your decision making about teaching and learning processes in your classroom. Of course, what you learn in this unit will be a basis for your future learning in the university and throughout your professional career.
For further enquiries of an academic nature, please contact:
Dr Peter Merrotsy
Ph: (02) 6773 3832
Email
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