Creative Problem Solving
What if there was a simple way to teach the core 21st century competencies of creative and critical thinking, collaboration and communication skills in one free supra curriculum education programme?
The Hexis21 Creative Problem Solving course offers a solution for schools interested in providing opportunities to address this essential requirement.
Teaching creative problem solving through design thinking
Session 1
The objective of this video is to introduce the concept of design thinking & explore the limitations of making assumptions on creative problem solving.
The video begins by discussing the mindset of a creative thinker, the role of storytelling in problem solving, and how making assumptions can limit our thinking skills. A case study is explored that relates to a car manufacturer trying to improve its sales of electric cars. The video explains the process of getting to the heart or root cause of the problem that needs to be solved and the way that guiding questions can be formed to provide a clear pathway through the problem.
The workbooks below are also available as physical resources for students to work on in school or at home. They are relevant to the entire course. General reflection worksheets can be downloaded here. Click on the images below to purchase from Amazon.
Session 2
The objective of this video is to use creative problem solving and critical thinking skills to tackle a real-world issue.
The video presents students with an opportunity to engage in creative problem solving by addressing the issue of injuries experienced by elderly people while walking their dogs. The video should be paused so that students have the opportunity to consult the information sources and worksheets. The first pause is at 0.38 in the video where students are encouraged to access a range of data to gain an empathetic understanding of the problem. The video can then be re-started after the countdown to move students on to the next phase of the design thinking process. The video should be paused for the second time at 2.34 so that students can use the Empathy Map. The video should again be paused at 4.03 so that students can use the 5Whys technique to think critically about the issue and form guiding questions to provide their direction. There is another countdown (20 seconds) to indicate that the video is about to move on to the How Might We task.
Worksheets and information sheets for download or online editing.
Session 3
The objective of this video is to generate ideas to solve a real world issue using the 'Idea Box'.
The video invites students to begin the ideation or idea generation process. The concept of the Idea Box is introduced and demonstrated using a case study. Students are then encouraged to create their own Idea Box to generate ideas for their solution to the issue relating to elderly people becoming injured while walking their dogs. They need to achieve a fine balance between feasibility, viability and desirability. The video should be paused at 3.16 so that student can work in groups to work on their idea box. A countdown brings the class back together and readies them for the next phase of the design thinking process which involves prototyping their MVP. Students then sketch their solutions labelling the key features in terms of how they tackle the problem. Models can be made using paper clay and/or construction paper. It may be possible for students to access your school's art and design or technology facilities in order to build a prototype. The Reflection Journal can be completed at the end of the lesson or set as homework. The second video relates to the extension task and includes a wide range of fun and creative thinking exercises.
Worksheets and information sheets for download or online editing.
Worksheets and information sheets for download (Prompt sheet, Blank Idea Box 1, Blank Idea Box 2) or online editing.
Session 4
The objective of this video is to gain feedback on students' solutions so that iteration can take place.
The video outlines the testing phase of the design thinking process. This will involve students constructing meaningful questions to gain feedback on their solution. The work of McTighe & Wiggins is referenced in this video. Their book, Essential Questions can be found here. They will evaluate the feedback in order to iterate their solutions. The video should be paused at 2.57 for this work to take place. The next phase requires students to create a storyboard to show and understand the journey of their target market using their solution. The Reflection Journal can be completed at the end of the lesson or set as homework.
Worksheets for online editing or download (Testing the solution, Feedback Capture Grid and blank storyboard)
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Sessions 5 & 6
The objective of this video is to create a presentation of the process and solution that each group has determined to be their minimum viable product.
The video encourages students to look back through their Reflection Journal to help them communicate their thought processes and what they have learned during the process about themselves and how to solve problems. Students will then spend time constructing their presentation to identify how they used the design thinking process to come up with their solution. They can use the worksheets, sketches, models and any other aspect of their experiences in this process. Each group will present in front of each other and pose questions to the presenters to gain clarity.
Worksheets and presentation templates for online editing or download (Presentation template 1, Presentation template 2, Observation Sheet 1, Observation Sheet 2)
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