Group Members

Muhammad Ahmad BBHM-F16-132

Submitted To
Miss Maryum Razzaq

Subject Name
Critical thinking and problem solving
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More than 70 schools, nonprofit organizations, and corporations offer or plan to offer courses on
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Course Started From:

Course End Date:

University name who offered this course:

Lecturer Name:
Mike Johansson

Unit 1#
CREATIVITY’S ROLE IN CRITICAL THINKING
AND PROBLEM SOLVING

1.1 Curiosity:
In this edX course, critical thinking and problem solving. You might be
wondering why a quote about curiosity from Albert Einstein is on the screen
right now. It's because curiosity is at the core of creative thinking. And it's
creative thinking combined with critical thinking that gives all of us the best
chance at becoming super problem solvers. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
You're here to learn about critical thinking and problem solving. But have
you ever wondered why some people seem to be naturals at these skills?
Well, if you have, congratulations. You have already been practicing
curiosity. If not, I'm here to help. You see, people who are good at problem
solving usually bring two key skills to the table, critical thinking and
creative thinking. The first, critical thinking, that we'll address in future
videos, is more analytical. It's the part of your brain questioning and
analyzing based on what it knows. It asks straightforward questions such as,
what, and why, or how. The second part, creative thinking, is more about the
brain connecting bits of information in your brain in new and interesting
ways, and then asking questions such as, what if, or why not. These bits of
information-- we'll call them dots for now-- are the things we've seen or
learned over time. It therefore, stands to reason that the more dots we have,
the more likely it is we can come up with creative solutions. As Steve Jobs,
the founder of Apple, famously said, we cannot connect the dots looking
forward, we can only connect them looking back. But you know, in a sense,
he was wrong. Our creative brain can connect them looking forward. That is
creative thinking. But where do the dots come from? I'm glad you asked.
They're the things we have learned and seen along life's journey. Those who
have more dots, generally, are those who have remained curious, those who
are always asking or wondering about the world around them. So how do
you stay curious to build up your bank of dots of information? There is no
one way for every body, no one size fits all. But there are a few things that
have worked for many. Take a look at the infographic that's part of this
week's offerings. There you'll see tips, such as, always challenge what you
see and hear, and, ask people, not Google. The tip, always challenge what
you see and hear, might both be the easiest and the hardest curiosity tip. It's
very easy to accept what you're seeing or have seen as a way things have
been or should be. But the truly curious brain always seeks more
information. Why does the moon rise and set in different places and at
different times every night? How is text displayed on a computer screen, for
example. And when it comes to, ask people, not Google, that's a great way to
really understand what you're learning. Sure, you can look up anything
online. But really, how much will you remember? But if you can talk to
someone who knows what you're looking for and they explain it to you, it's
much more likely you remember what you've learned, and much more likely
to make connections to other things you know. It's the human context of this
learning that really helps. Can I suggest that you commit to doing a few of
these curiosity activities today? No time like the present, right? I'd also
suggest that you post your own ways of staying curious in this unit's
discussion forum.
1.2 Creativity:
Today, we'll examine creativity and it's importance if your ultimate
goal is innovative critical thinking and problem solving. So what is so
magical about creativity? Well, honestly, nothing. Oh, I know it can seem
magical. But really it isn't, and here's why. Creativity is in all of us, although
it may be hidden away in some dark corner some of us have not visited in a
very long time. But before we explore ways to get our creative major back,
let's consider creativity itself. What is it? There are a myriad of definitions
out there. But one I particularly like is this, "The ability to transcend
traditional ideas, rules, and patterns, and to create meaningful new ideas."
Because when it comes down to it, creating something new is the goal,
right? And not just something new but something of value to you or your
organization. What is creative thinking? The great thinker on the subject,
Edward de Bono, says it best. Creative thinking is a skill. It's not just a
matter of individual talent. It's not just a matter of sitting by the river and
playing Baroque music and hoping you get inspired. That's very weak stuff.
So what is not the weak stuff that de Bono speaks of? Where do the good--
or even great-- creative ideas come from? For a thought or two on that, let's
listen to one of the world's highly creative people, John Cleese of Monty
Python fame. Now, people often say to me, where do you get your ideas
from? And I say, I get them from a Mr. Ken Levin shore who lives in
Swindon. He sends them to me every Monday morning on a postcard. And I
say, I once asked Ken where he gets his ideas from. And he gets them from a
lady called Mildred Spong who lives on the Isle of Wight. He once asked
Mildred Spong where she got her ideas from, and she refused to say. So the
point is, we don't know. This is terribly important. We don't know where we
get our ideas from. What we do know is we do not get them from our
laptops. But don't despair. There are a lot of ways we humans can encourage
creative thinking. For example, de Bono famously said, a simple way to get
motivated and spark creativity is just to stop and look. Because creative
thinking is something we are all quite capable of. We just need to understand
what particular approaches work for us. I will be sharing several ways to
spark creativity. And I can only encourage you to try all or most of them
because not all will work for everyone. That's because the act of creative
thinking is a divergent type of thinking. It's our brains going off in different
directions. It would do us no good as a species if we all thought alike. It's the
same divergent thinking that ultimately improves our critical thinking. I'm
hoping you're starting to see how curiosity, creative thinking, and critical
thinking are like the spokes on a wheel that lead us to the best practices in
problem solving. But there I go again, getting way ahead of myself. Let's
start with why creative thinking is important to us all, whether in our work
lives or even our personal lives. A recent 2014 study by Adobe and Forrester
Consulting found that 82% of companies believe there is a strong connection
between creativity and business results. It found that companies that actively
foster creative thinking outperform their rivals in revenue growth, market
share, and competitive leadership, according to that report. Perhaps the most
surprising finding was this. Despite the perceived benefits of creativity, 61%
of companies do not see their companies as creative. So how do you change
this in your organization or-- for that matter-- in your own life? And the next
video will offer some ideas on how to get your creative thinking mojo back.
But first, a quick key-points recap. Creativity is in all of us. It just needs
encouraging. Creative thinking is a divergent type of thinking. And almost
all companies believe there's a strong connection between creativity and
business success.