PROBLEM SOLVING
AND CREATIVITY
OBJECTIVES
Explain the four criteria of creativity by Torrance
Practice creative thinking
Apply problem solving skills
EDWARD PAUL TORRANCE
Known as the “ Father of Creativity “ for his nearly 60 years of
research the became the framework for the field of gifted
education.
He was professor emeritus of educational psychology
He invented the benchmark method of quantifying creativity
The “Torrance test of creative thinking” helped shatter the theory
that IQ test alone were sufficient to gauge real intelligence. The
test solidified what heretofore was only conceptual—namely that
creative level can be scaled and then increased through practice.
EDWARD PAUL TORRANCE
TORRANCE FRAMEWORK
FOR CREATIVE THINKING
Fluency
Fluency refers to the production of a
great number of ideas or alternate
solution to a problem. Fluency implies
understanding, not just remembering
information that is learned.
Fluency
Key words:
Compare, convert, count, define,
describe, explain, identify, label, list, match,
name, outline, paraphrase, predict,
summarize.
Fluency
Application Activities
Trace a picture and label its parts
Outline an article you find in your topic
How many uses you can think of 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 reinder, rose,
tomato, wagon.
Flexibility
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 view, to use
many different approaches or strategies.
Flexibility
Key words:
Change, demonstrate, distinguish, employ,
extrapolate, interpolate, interpret, predict.
Flexibility
Application Ideas
What would happen next … if their is no
automobiles?
How would a dog look for a flea?
How is_______like_______?
What would you feel if… you were invisible
for a day?
• How would you group the ideas about “red” into categories?
Example: Fruits, Safety Features, Vehicles
Red Fruit Red Safety Features Red Vehicles
Apple Exit Sign caboose
Cherry Fire sign Fire truck
Rapsberry Stop Sign Tricycle
Tomato Tail Sign wagon
Elaboration
Definition
Elaboration is the proccess of enhancing
ideas by providing more details. Additional
and clarity improves interest in, and
understanding of, the topic.
Elaboration
Keyword:
Appraise, critique, determine, evaluate,
grade, Judge, measure, select, test.
Elaboration
Application Ideas
Tell your neighbor about your last family trip using
as many detail as possible.
What can you add to______improve quality its
quality and performance?
Describe all the possible characteristis of the red
quality in a wagon
Example: Shades, finish, texture, uniformity
Originality
Definition
Originality involves the production of ideas
that are unique and unsual. It involves
synthesis or putting information about a
topic back together in a new way.
Originality
Keyword:
Compose, create, design, generate,
integrate, modify, rearrange,
reconstruct, recognize, revise
Originality
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 unsual title for the ideas about “red”
Example: Revoluntionary “red” representation
CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING
it is an international process for solving problems
and discovering opportunities.
It espouses the use of creativity In 1950s alex
osborn described this process on his book,
Applied imagination.
He opened the process in the public domain
which meant anyone can used it.
Over the years countless people will utilized the
CPS in various field and endevours.
Osborn’s Checklist, the origin of the Classical
Brainstorming is the root of creative problem
solving (CPS). There are variety of general
structures:
define problem, generate possible solutions,
select and implement the best’ which can be
found extensively, in several different academic
tradition.
Two types of thinking
Divergent thinking, also referred to as lateral
thinking, is the process of creating multiple, unique
ideas or solutions related to a problem that you
are trying to solve.
Convergent thinking occurs when the solution to a
problem can be deduced by applying established rules and
logical reasoning.
The following, based on Van Gundy
( 1988’s ) description, is a very brief
skeleton of a very rich process, showing it
in its full 6x2 stages form:
Stage 1. Mess Finding
Sensitise yourself ( scan, search ) for
issues ( concerns, challenges,
opportunities, etc. ) that need to be
tackled.
Stage 1. Mess Finding
Divergent techniques include, ‘Woudn’t it be nice if…
( WINBI ), or wouldn’t it be awful if…( WIBAI ) –
brainstorming to identify desirable outcomes and obstacles
to overcome.
Convergent techniques include the identification of hotspot
( highlighting ), expressed in the list of IWWMs ( In what
ways might… ), and selection in terms of ownership
criteria ( e.g. Problem-owner’s motivation amd ability to
influence it) and outlook criteria ( e.g. urgency, familiarity
and stability).
Stage 2. Data Finding
Gather information about the problem
Stage 2. Data Finding
Divegent techniques include: five Ws and H ( Who, Why, What,
When, Where, How ) and listing of wants, sources or data: List
all your information ‘ wants ‘ as a series of questions; for each,
lists 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 to it.
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 questions and five W’s and H.
Convergent techniques include highlighting again,
reformulation of problem-statement to meet the
criteria that they contain only one problem or no
criteria.
Stage 4. Idea Finding
generate as many idea as possible
Divengence using any of the very wide range of
idea-generating techniques. The general rules of
classic brainstorming ( such as deffering
judgement) are likely to pin all of these.
Convergence can again involve hotspots or mind-
mapping, the combining of different ideas, and the
short listing of the most promising handful, perhaps
with some thought for the more obvious evaluation
criteria, but not over-restrictively.
Stage 5. Solution Finding
Generate and select obvious evaluation criteria
( using an expansion or contradiction cycle ) and
develop ( which may include combining ) the short
listed ideas from the 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 ).
Stage 6. Acceptance Finding
How can the suggestion you have just selected be
made up to standards and put into practice? Shun
negativity, and continue to apply deffered Judgement-
problems are exposed to be solved, not to dishearten
progress.
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 point’s of view
4. Act on the strategies
5. Look back and evaluate the effects of your activity.
