Real-world problem-solving Dealing with complexity Anna Hiley anna.hiley@manchester.ac.uk Jacquie Wilson j.a.wilson@manchester.ac.uk ‘A multi-disciplinary team’

What do today’s problems have in common? Problem of Bio-fuels? Problem of climate change? Source of photographs; www.nextnature.net something-interesting.co.uk

What do today’s problems have in common? Problems of population growth and poverty? Source of illustrations: www.geographyallthe way.com www.stir.org.au

Problem context The complex challenges and “wicked” problems today’s society faces require a creative approach to problem identification and problem-solving within multi-disciplinary environments

Student context Students in general Find the concept of ‘more than one answer’ to be alien Have difficulty in coping with open-ended and ‘wicked’ problems Do not think they can be creative Are task or solution focussed Do not understand the problem-solving process

Our belief All individuals have the potential to develop creative problem-solving skills In some disciplines the term used for this process is “design” Source of cartoon; harpers.org

What approach should students develop? To become process-oriented rather than solution-oriented. “Thinking from concept level was totally new to me, as I am one of these people who used to dive in and start coming up with elaborate ideas to solve the problem, instead of first trying to determine what the task and indeed the problem actually was.” (Student Report Dec. 2002)

The aim of the current unit A programme unit that is applicable across a wide range of disciplines to promote the evolution of creative problem-solving skills, especially for those open-ended, ‘wicked’ problems. 10 credit unit offered through MEC in both Semester 1 and 2 (MSEC23011 and 23012)

The programme unit The approach used is based on guiding students through a series of activities, each of which is devised to raise awareness of particular elements of the creative problem-solving process. Each session includes: an interactive presentation on a topic; a related activity through which learning by exploration takes place; feedback.

What learning outcomes are we aiming for? Students should be able to: define problems, requirements and criteria; analyse and interpret information; create, evaluate and assess solution-options; exercise original thinking; apply non-judgemental critical-evaluation skills; make reasoned decisions.

Student’s expectations? “My first experiences (of this process) gave me a bit of a shock…..Never before had I realised the whole range of steps that needed to be undertaken just to write a design brief let alone get a complete design down on paper.” (Student Report Dec. 2002)

Example of student work

The elements of the process What is meant by open-ended problem-solving The concepts of ‘tame’ and ‘wicked’ problems The importance of context Determining parameters and limits How problems are defined the importance of problem definition in the process of finding solution options

Example of student work

The elements of the process Requirements, constraints and criteria How these factors affect the problem-solving process The factors involved in decision-making and evaluation Choosing between solution options The importance of reflective practice The benefit of hindsight and its role in the creative open-ended problem-solving process.

Example of student work

(Student Report Dec. 2002) The student response Indicates that high level transferable creative problem-solving skills can be developed. “In conclusion, skills learned… are not module specific…. Rather they provide a framework that one can consult, and which is applicable to countless situations encountered.” (Student Report Dec. 2002)

Surprising the students “I found that two people can interpret the same question in two totally different ways, both come up with a design and neither of them be wrong.” (Student Report Dec. 2002) “After completing this module I have discovered that I had so many abilities that only (can) be seen when explored. I wish that I had discovered these abilities earlier.” (Student Report Dec.2002)

In conclusion Our approach potentially reaches beyond those traditionally thought of as ‘problem-solvers’ or ‘designers’ and brings creativity to a whole realm of subjects and to the resolution of a raft of complex or ‘wicked’ problems. The end