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What Is Creative Problem-Solving & Why Is It Important?

• 01 Feb 2022

One of the biggest hindrances to innovation is complacency—it can be more comfortable to do what you know than venture into the unknown. Business leaders can overcome this barrier by mobilizing creative team members and providing space to innovate.

There are several tools you can use to encourage creativity in the workplace. Creative problem-solving is one of them, which facilitates the development of innovative solutions to difficult problems.

Here’s an overview of creative problem-solving and why it’s important in business.

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What Is Creative Problem-Solving?

Research is necessary when solving a problem. But there are situations where a problem’s specific cause is difficult to pinpoint. This can occur when there’s not enough time to narrow down the problem’s source or there are differing opinions about its root cause.

In such cases, you can use creative problem-solving , which allows you to explore potential solutions regardless of whether a problem has been defined.

Creative problem-solving is less structured than other innovation processes and encourages exploring open-ended solutions. It also focuses on developing new perspectives and fostering creativity in the workplace . Its benefits include:

• Finding creative solutions to complex problems : User research can insufficiently illustrate a situation’s complexity. While other innovation processes rely on this information, creative problem-solving can yield solutions without it.
• Adapting to change : Business is constantly changing, and business leaders need to adapt. Creative problem-solving helps overcome unforeseen challenges and find solutions to unconventional problems.
• Fueling innovation and growth : In addition to solutions, creative problem-solving can spark innovative ideas that drive company growth. These ideas can lead to new product lines, services, or a modified operations structure that improves efficiency.

Creative problem-solving is traditionally based on the following key principles :

1. Balance Divergent and Convergent Thinking

Creative problem-solving uses two primary tools to find solutions: divergence and convergence. Divergence generates ideas in response to a problem, while convergence narrows them down to a shortlist. It balances these two practices and turns ideas into concrete solutions.

2. Reframe Problems as Questions

By framing problems as questions, you shift from focusing on obstacles to solutions. This provides the freedom to brainstorm potential ideas.

3. Defer Judgment of Ideas

When brainstorming, it can be natural to reject or accept ideas right away. Yet, immediate judgments interfere with the idea generation process. Even ideas that seem implausible can turn into outstanding innovations upon further exploration and development.

4. Focus on "Yes, And" Instead of "No, But"

Using negative words like "no" discourages creative thinking. Instead, use positive language to build and maintain an environment that fosters the development of creative and innovative ideas.

Creative Problem-Solving and Design Thinking

Whereas creative problem-solving facilitates developing innovative ideas through a less structured workflow, design thinking takes a far more organized approach.

Design thinking is a human-centered, solutions-based process that fosters the ideation and development of solutions. In the online course Design Thinking and Innovation , Harvard Business School Dean Srikant Datar leverages a four-phase framework to explain design thinking.

The four stages are:

• Clarify: The clarification stage allows you to empathize with the user and identify problems. Observations and insights are informed by thorough research. Findings are then reframed as problem statements or questions.
• Ideate: Ideation is the process of coming up with innovative ideas. The divergence of ideas involved with creative problem-solving is a major focus.
• Develop: In the development stage, ideas evolve into experiments and tests. Ideas converge and are explored through prototyping and open critique.
• Implement: Implementation involves continuing to test and experiment to refine the solution and encourage its adoption.

Creative problem-solving primarily operates in the ideate phase of design thinking but can be applied to others. This is because design thinking is an iterative process that moves between the stages as ideas are generated and pursued. This is normal and encouraged, as innovation requires exploring multiple ideas.

Creative Problem-Solving Tools

While there are many useful tools in the creative problem-solving process, here are three you should know:

Creating a Problem Story

One way to innovate is by creating a story about a problem to understand how it affects users and what solutions best fit their needs. Here are the steps you need to take to use this tool properly.

1. Identify a UDP

Create a problem story to identify the undesired phenomena (UDP). For example, consider a company that produces printers that overheat. In this case, the UDP is "our printers overheat."

2. Move Forward in Time

To move forward in time, ask: “Why is this a problem?” For example, minor damage could be one result of the machines overheating. In more extreme cases, printers may catch fire. Don't be afraid to create multiple problem stories if you think of more than one UDP.

3. Move Backward in Time

To move backward in time, ask: “What caused this UDP?” If you can't identify the root problem, think about what typically causes the UDP to occur. For the overheating printers, overuse could be a cause.

Following the three-step framework above helps illustrate a clear problem story:

• The printer is overused.
• The printer overheats.
• The printer breaks down.

You can extend the problem story in either direction if you think of additional cause-and-effect relationships.

4. Break the Chains

By this point, you’ll have multiple UDP storylines. Take two that are similar and focus on breaking the chains connecting them. This can be accomplished through inversion or neutralization.

• Inversion: Inversion changes the relationship between two UDPs so the cause is the same but the effect is the opposite. For example, if the UDP is "the more X happens, the more likely Y is to happen," inversion changes the equation to "the more X happens, the less likely Y is to happen." Using the printer example, inversion would consider: "What if the more a printer is used, the less likely it’s going to overheat?" Innovation requires an open mind. Just because a solution initially seems unlikely doesn't mean it can't be pursued further or spark additional ideas.
• Neutralization: Neutralization completely eliminates the cause-and-effect relationship between X and Y. This changes the above equation to "the more or less X happens has no effect on Y." In the case of the printers, neutralization would rephrase the relationship to "the more or less a printer is used has no effect on whether it overheats."

Even if creating a problem story doesn't provide a solution, it can offer useful context to users’ problems and additional ideas to be explored. Given that divergence is one of the fundamental practices of creative problem-solving, it’s a good idea to incorporate it into each tool you use.

Brainstorming

Brainstorming is a tool that can be highly effective when guided by the iterative qualities of the design thinking process. It involves openly discussing and debating ideas and topics in a group setting. This facilitates idea generation and exploration as different team members consider the same concept from multiple perspectives.

Hosting brainstorming sessions can result in problems, such as groupthink or social loafing. To combat this, leverage a three-step brainstorming method involving divergence and convergence :

• Have each group member come up with as many ideas as possible and write them down to ensure the brainstorming session is productive.
• Continue the divergence of ideas by collectively sharing and exploring each idea as a group. The goal is to create a setting where new ideas are inspired by open discussion.
• Begin the convergence of ideas by narrowing them down to a few explorable options. There’s no "right number of ideas." Don't be afraid to consider exploring all of them, as long as you have the resources to do so.

Alternate Worlds

The alternate worlds tool is an empathetic approach to creative problem-solving. It encourages you to consider how someone in another world would approach your situation.

For example, if you’re concerned that the printers you produce overheat and catch fire, consider how a different industry would approach the problem. How would an automotive expert solve it? How would a firefighter?

Be creative as you consider and research alternate worlds. The purpose is not to nail down a solution right away but to continue the ideation process through diverging and exploring ideas.

Continue Developing Your Skills

Whether you’re an entrepreneur, marketer, or business leader, learning the ropes of design thinking can be an effective way to build your skills and foster creativity and innovation in any setting.

If you're ready to develop your design thinking and creative problem-solving skills, explore Design Thinking and Innovation , one of our online entrepreneurship and innovation courses. If you aren't sure which course is the right fit, download our free course flowchart to determine which best aligns with your goals.

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Article • 10 min read

Creative Problem Solving

Finding innovative solutions to challenges.

By the Mind Tools Content Team

Imagine that you're vacuuming your house in a hurry because you've got friends coming over. Frustratingly, you're working hard but you're not getting very far. You kneel down, open up the vacuum cleaner, and pull out the bag. In a cloud of dust, you realize that it's full... again. Coughing, you empty it and wonder why vacuum cleaners with bags still exist!

James Dyson, inventor and founder of Dyson® vacuum cleaners, had exactly the same problem, and he used creative problem solving to find the answer. While many companies focused on developing a better vacuum cleaner filter, he realized that he had to think differently and find a more creative solution. So, he devised a revolutionary way to separate the dirt from the air, and invented the world's first bagless vacuum cleaner. [1]

Creative problem solving (CPS) is a way of solving problems or identifying opportunities when conventional thinking has failed. It encourages you to find fresh perspectives and come up with innovative solutions, so that you can formulate a plan to overcome obstacles and reach your goals.

In this article, we'll explore what CPS is, and we'll look at its key principles. We'll also provide a model that you can use to generate creative solutions.

About Creative Problem Solving

Alex Osborn, founder of the Creative Education Foundation, first developed creative problem solving in the 1940s, along with the term "brainstorming." And, together with Sid Parnes, he developed the Osborn-Parnes Creative Problem Solving Process. Despite its age, this model remains a valuable approach to problem solving. [2]

The early Osborn-Parnes model inspired a number of other tools. One of these is the 2011 CPS Learner's Model, also from the Creative Education Foundation, developed by Dr Gerard J. Puccio, Marie Mance, and co-workers. In this article, we'll use this modern four-step model to explore how you can use CPS to generate innovative, effective solutions.

Why Use Creative Problem Solving?

Dealing with obstacles and challenges is a regular part of working life, and overcoming them isn't always easy. To improve your products, services, communications, and interpersonal skills, and for you and your organization to excel, you need to encourage creative thinking and find innovative solutions that work.

CPS asks you to separate your "divergent" and "convergent" thinking as a way to do this. Divergent thinking is the process of generating lots of potential solutions and possibilities, otherwise known as brainstorming. And convergent thinking involves evaluating those options and choosing the most promising one. Often, we use a combination of the two to develop new ideas or solutions. However, using them simultaneously can result in unbalanced or biased decisions, and can stifle idea generation.

For more on divergent and convergent thinking, and for a useful diagram, see the book "Facilitator's Guide to Participatory Decision-Making." [3]

Core Principles of Creative Problem Solving

CPS has four core principles. Let's explore each one in more detail:

• Divergent and convergent thinking must be balanced. The key to creativity is learning how to identify and balance divergent and convergent thinking (done separately), and knowing when to practice each one.
• Ask problems as questions. When you rephrase problems and challenges as open-ended questions with multiple possibilities, it's easier to come up with solutions. Asking these types of questions generates lots of rich information, while asking closed questions tends to elicit short answers, such as confirmations or disagreements. Problem statements tend to generate limited responses, or none at all.
• Defer or suspend judgment. As Alex Osborn learned from his work on brainstorming, judging solutions early on tends to shut down idea generation. Instead, there's an appropriate and necessary time to judge ideas during the convergence stage.
• Focus on "Yes, and," rather than "No, but." Language matters when you're generating information and ideas. "Yes, and" encourages people to expand their thoughts, which is necessary during certain stages of CPS. Using the word "but" – preceded by "yes" or "no" – ends conversation, and often negates what's come before it.

How to Use the Tool

Let's explore how you can use each of the four steps of the CPS Learner's Model (shown in figure 1, below) to generate innovative ideas and solutions.

Figure 1 – CPS Learner's Model

Explore the Vision

Identify your goal, desire or challenge. This is a crucial first step because it's easy to assume, incorrectly, that you know what the problem is. However, you may have missed something or have failed to understand the issue fully, and defining your objective can provide clarity. Read our article, 5 Whys , for more on getting to the root of a problem quickly.

Gather Data

Once you've identified and understood the problem, you can collect information about it and develop a clear understanding of it. Make a note of details such as who and what is involved, all the relevant facts, and everyone's feelings and opinions.

Formulate Questions

When you've increased your awareness of the challenge or problem you've identified, ask questions that will generate solutions. Think about the obstacles you might face and the opportunities they could present.

Explore Ideas

Generate ideas that answer the challenge questions you identified in step 1. It can be tempting to consider solutions that you've tried before, as our minds tend to return to habitual thinking patterns that stop us from producing new ideas. However, this is a chance to use your creativity .

Brainstorming and Mind Maps are great ways to explore ideas during this divergent stage of CPS. And our articles, Encouraging Team Creativity , Problem Solving , Rolestorming , Hurson's Productive Thinking Model , and The Four-Step Innovation Process , can also help boost your creativity.

See our Brainstorming resources within our Creativity section for more on this.

Formulate Solutions

This is the convergent stage of CPS, where you begin to focus on evaluating all of your possible options and come up with solutions. Analyze whether potential solutions meet your needs and criteria, and decide whether you can implement them successfully. Next, consider how you can strengthen them and determine which ones are the best "fit." Our articles, Critical Thinking and ORAPAPA , are useful here.

4. Implement

Formulate a plan.

Once you've chosen the best solution, it's time to develop a plan of action. Start by identifying resources and actions that will allow you to implement your chosen solution. Next, communicate your plan and make sure that everyone involved understands and accepts it.

There have been many adaptations of CPS since its inception, because nobody owns the idea.

For example, Scott Isaksen and Donald Treffinger formed The Creative Problem Solving Group Inc . and the Center for Creative Learning , and their model has evolved over many versions. Blair Miller, Jonathan Vehar and Roger L. Firestien also created their own version, and Dr Gerard J. Puccio, Mary C. Murdock, and Marie Mance developed CPS: The Thinking Skills Model. [4] Tim Hurson created The Productive Thinking Model , and Paul Reali developed CPS: Competencies Model. [5]

Sid Parnes continued to adapt the CPS model by adding concepts such as imagery and visualization , and he founded the Creative Studies Project to teach CPS. For more information on the evolution and development of the CPS process, see Creative Problem Solving Version 6.1 by Donald J. Treffinger, Scott G. Isaksen, and K. Brian Dorval. [6]

Creative Problem Solving (CPS) Infographic

See our infographic on Creative Problem Solving .

Creative problem solving (CPS) is a way of using your creativity to develop new ideas and solutions to problems. The process is based on separating divergent and convergent thinking styles, so that you can focus your mind on creating at the first stage, and then evaluating at the second stage.

There have been many adaptations of the original Osborn-Parnes model, but they all involve a clear structure of identifying the problem, generating new ideas, evaluating the options, and then formulating a plan for successful implementation.

[1] Entrepreneur (2012). James Dyson on Using Failure to Drive Success [online]. Available here . [Accessed May 27, 2022.]

[2] Creative Education Foundation (2015). The CPS Process [online]. Available here . [Accessed May 26, 2022.]

[3] Kaner, S. et al. (2014). 'Facilitator′s Guide to Participatory Decision–Making,' San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

[4] Puccio, G., Mance, M., and Murdock, M. (2011). 'Creative Leadership: Skils That Drive Change' (2nd Ed.), Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

[5] OmniSkills (2013). Creative Problem Solving [online]. Available here . [Accessed May 26, 2022].

[6] Treffinger, G., Isaksen, S., and Dorval, B. (2010). Creative Problem Solving (CPS Version 6.1). Center for Creative Learning, Inc. & Creative Problem Solving Group, Inc. Available here .

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What is Innovative Thinking? [Creative Problem-Solving Skills]

Innovative thinking is a process that requires looking at problems and situations from a new perspective, often leading to unorthodox solutions and breakthrough ideas. It involves the ability to think outside of the box and combine previously unrelated concepts in a way that generates something novel and useful.

This type of thinking is not just about creativity; it’s about applying creativity systematically to solve problems and exploit opportunities in an original way.

At the core of innovative thinking is the readiness to challenge the status quo and the willingness to take calculated risks. It is imperative in the fast-paced and ever-changing business landscape, where companies must constantly adapt and evolve to stay competitive.

Innovative thinking can be learned and fostered within an organization, and it resides at the intersection of knowledge, imagination, and evaluation.

Key Takeaways

• Innovative thinking involves applying creative solutions in a systematic way.
• The ability to challenge existing norms is essential for innovative problem-solving.
• Innovative thinking can be cultivated and is crucial for competitiveness in business.

Defining Innovative Thinking

Innovative thinking encompasses a proactive approach to generating new ideas and solutions that challenge the status quo and offer unique value.

Core Principles of Innovation

• Relevance : Your ideas must serve a purpose and fit the needs or desires of a target audience.
• Feasibility : Solutions should be practical and realistically achievable within your resources.
• Originality : Aim for a level of uniqueness in your ideas, which distinguishes them from existing concepts.

By adhering to these principles when you approach a problem or a potential opportunity, you lay the groundwork for practical innovation.

Innovation vs. Creativity

• Creativity is characterized by the ability to perceive the world in fresh ways and identify hidden patterns. It is the process of developing original ideas that have value.
• Innovation , on the other hand, is the implementation of creative ideas to produce new value or improve something that already exists.

To clarify:

In essence, while creativity is crucial for innovation, not all creative ideas lead to innovation. You should aim to harness your creativity to fuel innovation that resonates and has impact.

The Necessity of Innovative Thinking in Business

Innovative thinking is not just a buzzword in the business lexicon—it is a fundamental requirement for your company’s sustained growth and competitive advantage.

Driving Business Strategy

Your business strategy sets you apart. By fostering innovative thinking, you create a robust foundation for developing unique value propositions that resonate with your target audience.

Organizations that prioritize innovation are often more adept at identifying and capitalizing on new opportunities. For example, a company’s growth trajectory can be significantly enhanced by pioneering a groundbreaking product or optimizing operations using cutting-edge technology.

A business strategy infused with innovation can pivot more effectively in response to evolving market demands .

• Identify emerging trends and integrate them into your business model.
• Encourage creative problem-solving at all organizational levels.

Responding to Competitors and Markets

You must observe your competitors closely and understand the markets you operate in to stay ahead.

Innovative thinking equips you with the tools to respond swiftly and effectively to rival strategies and shifting market conditions. It involves not just matching what others offer but redefining standards and setting the pace for market demands .

Companies that excel at innovation are often leaders in their field, steering the direction of the market rather than just following it.

• Benchmark against industry standards, and then aim higher with inventive solutions.
• Cultivate a deep understanding of customer needs to anticipate market changes better.

Building Blocks of Innovative Thought

Innovative thinking hinges on developing particular cognitive skills and cultivating a mindset geared towards novel solutions. It involves honing your capability to see beyond the conventional and embracing a practice of continuous learning .

Fostering a Creative Mindset

To create a fertile ground for innovation, you must nurture a creative mindset. This involves staying curious and open to new experiences.

Experimentation is key; by permitting yourself to try new approaches without the fear of failure, you enhance your creative faculties. Surrounding yourself with diverse perspectives and challenging your own assumptions will also enrich your creative thinking.

• Be Curious : Ask questions and seek to understand.
• Embrace Diversity : Variety in thought and experience fuels creativity.
• Challenge Assumptions : Test the validity of your preconceived notions.

Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills

Critical thinking is essential in dissecting problems and identifying their roots. It allows you to evaluate information objectively and make decisions based on evidence rather than assumption or bias.

Problem-solving, particularly creative problem solving , incorporates critical thinking with creativity to devise effective and innovative solutions. To excel in this area, you must be adept at both analyzing and synthesizing information.

• Analysis : Break down complex issues into manageable parts.
• Synthesis : Combine elements in novel ways to form original solutions.
• Evidence-Based Decisions : Let logic and data guide your conclusions.

Cultivating Innovative Skills

Innovative thinking thrives on your ability to stay curious, engage in continuous learning, and collaborate effectively . These skills can be harnessed and refined in various ways to transform your workplace into a hub of innovation.

Embracing Curiosity and Continuous Learning

You fuel innovative thinking by nurturing curiosity . Make it a habit to read widely across different fields to spark new ideas.

Embrace continuous learning by:

• Attending : Workshops, webinars, and lectures.
• Participating : In discussions that challenge your thinking.

This constant acquisition of knowledge lays the foundation for innovative solutions.

Implementing Design Thinking

Design thinking is a solution-oriented process that encourages you to understand problems deeply before attempting to solve them. Utilize these steps in your workplace:

• Empathize : With your users to grasp their needs.
• Define : The problem clearly.
• Ideate : By brainstorming multiple solutions.
• Prototype : Quickly and cost-effectively.
• Test : The solution and iterate based on feedback.

This approach fosters a mindset geared toward innovation.

Developing Communication and Collaboration

Your ability to communicate clearly and collaborate with others is paramount. Consider these strategies:

• Active Listening : Ensure you truly hear and understand your colleagues’ perspectives.
• Sharing Ideas : Use clear, direct language to put forth your suggestions.
• Team Projects : Engage in diverse groups to blend various skill sets.

Collaboration amplifies individual strengths and leads to more innovative outcomes.

Encouraging Adaptability and Flexibility

The workplace is ever-changing, and your success hinges on adaptability and flexibility . Enhance these skills by:

• Taking on New Challenges : Step out of your comfort zone regularly.
• Experimenting : With different ways to complete tasks.
• Learning from Failure : Embrace setbacks as opportunities to grow.

Adaptable individuals can pivot quickly in response to new information or circumstances, driving innovation forward.

Innovation in Practice

Innovation requires a deliberate approach that combines creative thinking with a willingness to push boundaries. By embracing specific methodologies, you enhance your ability to generate original and groundbreaking ideas.

Brainstorming and Ideation Techniques

Your arsenal for innovative thinking should include a variety of brainstorming and ideation techniques.

Methods such as mind mapping or the SCAMPER technique allow for the exploration of different perspectives and can lead to the development of novel solutions.

Mind mapping involves creating a visual diagram of your thoughts, which can help you identify connections that might not have been apparent initially.

The SCAMPER technique prompts you to ask questions based on seven strategies—Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to other uses, Eliminate, and Reverse—encouraging diverse thought patterns.

• Substitute: What elements within your current idea can you replace?
• Combine: Can you merge concepts for a more comprehensive solution?
• Adapt: How can you alter your idea to fit a new purpose or context?
• Modify: What enhancements can you make to improve your idea?
• Put to other uses: Are there unconventional applications for your idea?
• Eliminate: Can you simplify your idea by removing components?
• Reverse: What happens if you flip your idea or approach it backward?

Experimentation and Prototyping

Experimentation is the practical component of innovation where you transform your ideas into tangible prototypes. This is where you test your hypotheses to see what works and what doesn’t.

Prototyping can range from basic models to more complex versions, which allows for early detection of potential issues.

It’s important that you are methodical in your experimentation—track your results, make changes, and retest repeatedly. This continuous cycle sharpens your idea into a viable product or solution.

• Concept Prototype: A simple version to test the basic idea.
• Working Prototype: A functional model with working features.
• Refined Prototype: An advanced model that closely resembles the final product.

Risk-Taking and Learning from Failure

Innovation involves risk-taking and the understanding that failure is often part of the process. When you take risks, you pave the way for groundbreaking ideas that might disrupt the status quo.

It’s crucial to see failure not as a setback, but as a source of insight. Failures teach you what doesn’t work, enabling a process of elimination that brings you closer to a successful outcome.

• Embrace Failure: Acknowledge that failure provides learning opportunities.
• Calculated Risks: Make informed decisions to manage potential downsides.
• Iterative Learning: Apply lessons from failures to refine your approach.

The Role of Technology and Tools in Innovation

Technology and tools are the backbone of innovative thinking. As you navigate the world of innovation, it’s crucial to understand how these elements foster the creation of new solutions.

Technology serves as the springboard for the development of innovative solutions that can revolutionize industries. It provides you with the capabilities to transform ideas into tangible products and services .

• Tools : They facilitate the process of innovation by providing you with the means to explore and execute ideas.
• Important tools might include software for design, collaboration platforms for teamwork, and analytical instruments for data management.

When considering technology in the context of innovation:

• It heightens efficiency in various actions, from prototyping to market analysis.
• It allows for rapid testing and adaptation, which is essential in bringing new products to market swiftly.
• It can improve the reach of your services , making them more accessible to broader audiences.

Here is a comparison on how technology affects various aspects of the innovation process:

Embrace these innovations consciously and utilize them to navigate the complex landscape of bringing innovative solutions to life. As your proficiency with these tools grows, so does your potential to contribute to ever-evolving markets and societal needs.

Case Studies: Successes in Innovation

In this section, you will examine real-world examples of innovative thinking that have led to significant advancements in various industries, along with groundbreaking products and services that have changed the way customers and clients engage with the market.

Industry Revolutionaries

Apple Inc. – With the introduction of the iPhone in 2007, Apple transformed the telecommunications landscape. This innovation not only merged a phone and a music player but also paved the way for smartphones to become indispensable tools for millions of users worldwide, influencing customer behavior and expectations.

Tesla, Inc. – Tesla redefined the automotive industry with its electric vehicles (EVs), particularly the Model S, which challenged preconceptions about the viability of EVs. Their commitment to sustainability and bold approach to design, technology, and energy have positioned Tesla as a leader in the automotive revolution.

Innovative Products and Services

Amazon Web Services (AWS) – Launched in 2006, AWS took cloud computing to a new level, offering a suite of on-demand services to clients across the globe, thus catalyzing the shift to cloud-based infrastructure and playing a pivotal role in the IT services industry’s transformation.

Google Search – Revolutionizing the way information is accessed, Google Search became an essential service by providing fast, relevant, and comprehensive search results to users, simplifying data retrieval and profoundly impacting how knowledge is consumed.

Challenges and Barriers to Innovation

Innovative thinking is often met with challenges that can stifle progress. You’ll encounter organizational resistance and complex problems that can impede your ability to innovate.

Overcoming Organizational Resistance

Organizational culture can be a significant barrier to innovation. Resistance often arises due to a fear of change or a lack of understanding of the benefits that innovation can bring.

• Communicate the value of innovation clearly and frequently to all organizational levels.
• Engage employees in the innovation process, allowing them to contribute ideas and feel a sense of ownership.

Strategies to mitigate resistance involve providing education, fostering an inclusive culture, and rewarding innovative behaviors.

Navigating Complex Problems

Innovation requires you to navigate through complex problems that are often multi-faceted and ambiguous. To effectively tackle these problems:

• Break them down into smaller, more manageable components.
• Use bold iterative and agile methods to address these smaller elements, allowing for flexibility and adjustability.

Employing a systematic approach for problem-solving can enable you to manage complexity and move forward with innovative solutions.

Future of Innovation

In the realm of innovation, your ability to forecast emerging trends and implement practices for sustained growth is key.

Predicting Trends and Evolving Markets

In the future, you’ll find that predicting trends hinges on data analysis and market insights. You should be adept at interpreting complex data to discern potential market shifts.

Consider the application of artificial intelligence (AI) to assist in detecting patterns that forecast future trends. Utilizing AI, you can evaluate consumer behaviour and anticipate needs before they’re fully formed.

For markets to evolve, they must adapt to technological advancements and changing consumer expectations.

You’ll observe an emphasis on agility within companies to tailor their strategies to the dynamic market landscape.

This ability to pivot quickly enables you not only to match the pace of change but also to potentially lead the market through innovation.

Sustaining Long-Term Innovation

To ensure long-term growth , embedding innovation into your company’s culture is crucial.

This involves more than occasional creative initiatives; it’s about fostering an environment where innovation is a continuous, systemic phenomenon.

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Innovative thinking is essential in today’s rapidly evolving landscape. As you develop this skill, you’ll find yourself better equipped to tackle complex challenges and create value in unique and impactful ways.

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Engage regularly in activities that stretch your creative abilities, and take the time to reflect on experiences that could lead to insightful innovations.

The journey of innovation is continuous, and your potential to contribute to this dynamic field is limitless.

Allow your curiosity to guide you, and harness your innovative thinking to make a tangible difference in the world around you.

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• Published: 11 January 2023

The effectiveness of collaborative problem solving in promoting students’ critical thinking: A meta-analysis based on empirical literature

• Enwei Xu   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-6424-8169 1 ,
• Wei Wang 1 &
• Qingxia Wang 1  

Humanities and Social Sciences Communications volume  10 , Article number:  16 ( 2023 ) Cite this article

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Collaborative problem-solving has been widely embraced in the classroom instruction of critical thinking, which is regarded as the core of curriculum reform based on key competencies in the field of education as well as a key competence for learners in the 21st century. However, the effectiveness of collaborative problem-solving in promoting students’ critical thinking remains uncertain. This current research presents the major findings of a meta-analysis of 36 pieces of the literature revealed in worldwide educational periodicals during the 21st century to identify the effectiveness of collaborative problem-solving in promoting students’ critical thinking and to determine, based on evidence, whether and to what extent collaborative problem solving can result in a rise or decrease in critical thinking. The findings show that (1) collaborative problem solving is an effective teaching approach to foster students’ critical thinking, with a significant overall effect size (ES = 0.82, z  = 12.78, P  < 0.01, 95% CI [0.69, 0.95]); (2) in respect to the dimensions of critical thinking, collaborative problem solving can significantly and successfully enhance students’ attitudinal tendencies (ES = 1.17, z  = 7.62, P  < 0.01, 95% CI[0.87, 1.47]); nevertheless, it falls short in terms of improving students’ cognitive skills, having only an upper-middle impact (ES = 0.70, z  = 11.55, P  < 0.01, 95% CI[0.58, 0.82]); and (3) the teaching type (chi 2  = 7.20, P  < 0.05), intervention duration (chi 2  = 12.18, P  < 0.01), subject area (chi 2  = 13.36, P  < 0.05), group size (chi 2  = 8.77, P  < 0.05), and learning scaffold (chi 2  = 9.03, P  < 0.01) all have an impact on critical thinking, and they can be viewed as important moderating factors that affect how critical thinking develops. On the basis of these results, recommendations are made for further study and instruction to better support students’ critical thinking in the context of collaborative problem-solving.

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Introduction.

Although critical thinking has a long history in research, the concept of critical thinking, which is regarded as an essential competence for learners in the 21st century, has recently attracted more attention from researchers and teaching practitioners (National Research Council, 2012 ). Critical thinking should be the core of curriculum reform based on key competencies in the field of education (Peng and Deng, 2017 ) because students with critical thinking can not only understand the meaning of knowledge but also effectively solve practical problems in real life even after knowledge is forgotten (Kek and Huijser, 2011 ). The definition of critical thinking is not universal (Ennis, 1989 ; Castle, 2009 ; Niu et al., 2013 ). In general, the definition of critical thinking is a self-aware and self-regulated thought process (Facione, 1990 ; Niu et al., 2013 ). It refers to the cognitive skills needed to interpret, analyze, synthesize, reason, and evaluate information as well as the attitudinal tendency to apply these abilities (Halpern, 2001 ). The view that critical thinking can be taught and learned through curriculum teaching has been widely supported by many researchers (e.g., Kuncel, 2011 ; Leng and Lu, 2020 ), leading to educators’ efforts to foster it among students. In the field of teaching practice, there are three types of courses for teaching critical thinking (Ennis, 1989 ). The first is an independent curriculum in which critical thinking is taught and cultivated without involving the knowledge of specific disciplines; the second is an integrated curriculum in which critical thinking is integrated into the teaching of other disciplines as a clear teaching goal; and the third is a mixed curriculum in which critical thinking is taught in parallel to the teaching of other disciplines for mixed teaching training. Furthermore, numerous measuring tools have been developed by researchers and educators to measure critical thinking in the context of teaching practice. These include standardized measurement tools, such as WGCTA, CCTST, CCTT, and CCTDI, which have been verified by repeated experiments and are considered effective and reliable by international scholars (Facione and Facione, 1992 ). In short, descriptions of critical thinking, including its two dimensions of attitudinal tendency and cognitive skills, different types of teaching courses, and standardized measurement tools provide a complex normative framework for understanding, teaching, and evaluating critical thinking.

Cultivating critical thinking in curriculum teaching can start with a problem, and one of the most popular critical thinking instructional approaches is problem-based learning (Liu et al., 2020 ). Duch et al. ( 2001 ) noted that problem-based learning in group collaboration is progressive active learning, which can improve students’ critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Collaborative problem-solving is the organic integration of collaborative learning and problem-based learning, which takes learners as the center of the learning process and uses problems with poor structure in real-world situations as the starting point for the learning process (Liang et al., 2017 ). Students learn the knowledge needed to solve problems in a collaborative group, reach a consensus on problems in the field, and form solutions through social cooperation methods, such as dialogue, interpretation, questioning, debate, negotiation, and reflection, thus promoting the development of learners’ domain knowledge and critical thinking (Cindy, 2004 ; Liang et al., 2017 ).

Collaborative problem-solving has been widely used in the teaching practice of critical thinking, and several studies have attempted to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of the empirical literature on critical thinking from various perspectives. However, little attention has been paid to the impact of collaborative problem-solving on critical thinking. Therefore, the best approach for developing and enhancing critical thinking throughout collaborative problem-solving is to examine how to implement critical thinking instruction; however, this issue is still unexplored, which means that many teachers are incapable of better instructing critical thinking (Leng and Lu, 2020 ; Niu et al., 2013 ). For example, Huber ( 2016 ) provided the meta-analysis findings of 71 publications on gaining critical thinking over various time frames in college with the aim of determining whether critical thinking was truly teachable. These authors found that learners significantly improve their critical thinking while in college and that critical thinking differs with factors such as teaching strategies, intervention duration, subject area, and teaching type. The usefulness of collaborative problem-solving in fostering students’ critical thinking, however, was not determined by this study, nor did it reveal whether there existed significant variations among the different elements. A meta-analysis of 31 pieces of educational literature was conducted by Liu et al. ( 2020 ) to assess the impact of problem-solving on college students’ critical thinking. These authors found that problem-solving could promote the development of critical thinking among college students and proposed establishing a reasonable group structure for problem-solving in a follow-up study to improve students’ critical thinking. Additionally, previous empirical studies have reached inconclusive and even contradictory conclusions about whether and to what extent collaborative problem-solving increases or decreases critical thinking levels. As an illustration, Yang et al. ( 2008 ) carried out an experiment on the integrated curriculum teaching of college students based on a web bulletin board with the goal of fostering participants’ critical thinking in the context of collaborative problem-solving. These authors’ research revealed that through sharing, debating, examining, and reflecting on various experiences and ideas, collaborative problem-solving can considerably enhance students’ critical thinking in real-life problem situations. In contrast, collaborative problem-solving had a positive impact on learners’ interaction and could improve learning interest and motivation but could not significantly improve students’ critical thinking when compared to traditional classroom teaching, according to research by Naber and Wyatt ( 2014 ) and Sendag and Odabasi ( 2009 ) on undergraduate and high school students, respectively.

The above studies show that there is inconsistency regarding the effectiveness of collaborative problem-solving in promoting students’ critical thinking. Therefore, it is essential to conduct a thorough and trustworthy review to detect and decide whether and to what degree collaborative problem-solving can result in a rise or decrease in critical thinking. Meta-analysis is a quantitative analysis approach that is utilized to examine quantitative data from various separate studies that are all focused on the same research topic. This approach characterizes the effectiveness of its impact by averaging the effect sizes of numerous qualitative studies in an effort to reduce the uncertainty brought on by independent research and produce more conclusive findings (Lipsey and Wilson, 2001 ).

This paper used a meta-analytic approach and carried out a meta-analysis to examine the effectiveness of collaborative problem-solving in promoting students’ critical thinking in order to make a contribution to both research and practice. The following research questions were addressed by this meta-analysis:

What is the overall effect size of collaborative problem-solving in promoting students’ critical thinking and its impact on the two dimensions of critical thinking (i.e., attitudinal tendency and cognitive skills)?

How are the disparities between the study conclusions impacted by various moderating variables if the impacts of various experimental designs in the included studies are heterogeneous?

This research followed the strict procedures (e.g., database searching, identification, screening, eligibility, merging, duplicate removal, and analysis of included studies) of Cooper’s ( 2010 ) proposed meta-analysis approach for examining quantitative data from various separate studies that are all focused on the same research topic. The relevant empirical research that appeared in worldwide educational periodicals within the 21st century was subjected to this meta-analysis using Rev-Man 5.4. The consistency of the data extracted separately by two researchers was tested using Cohen’s kappa coefficient, and a publication bias test and a heterogeneity test were run on the sample data to ascertain the quality of this meta-analysis.

Data sources and search strategies

There were three stages to the data collection process for this meta-analysis, as shown in Fig. 1 , which shows the number of articles included and eliminated during the selection process based on the statement and study eligibility criteria.

This flowchart shows the number of records identified, included and excluded in the article.

First, the databases used to systematically search for relevant articles were the journal papers of the Web of Science Core Collection and the Chinese Core source journal, as well as the Chinese Social Science Citation Index (CSSCI) source journal papers included in CNKI. These databases were selected because they are credible platforms that are sources of scholarly and peer-reviewed information with advanced search tools and contain literature relevant to the subject of our topic from reliable researchers and experts. The search string with the Boolean operator used in the Web of Science was “TS = (((“critical thinking” or “ct” and “pretest” or “posttest”) or (“critical thinking” or “ct” and “control group” or “quasi experiment” or “experiment”)) and (“collaboration” or “collaborative learning” or “CSCL”) and (“problem solving” or “problem-based learning” or “PBL”))”. The research area was “Education Educational Research”, and the search period was “January 1, 2000, to December 30, 2021”. A total of 412 papers were obtained. The search string with the Boolean operator used in the CNKI was “SU = (‘critical thinking’*‘collaboration’ + ‘critical thinking’*‘collaborative learning’ + ‘critical thinking’*‘CSCL’ + ‘critical thinking’*‘problem solving’ + ‘critical thinking’*‘problem-based learning’ + ‘critical thinking’*‘PBL’ + ‘critical thinking’*‘problem oriented’) AND FT = (‘experiment’ + ‘quasi experiment’ + ‘pretest’ + ‘posttest’ + ‘empirical study’)” (translated into Chinese when searching). A total of 56 studies were found throughout the search period of “January 2000 to December 2021”. From the databases, all duplicates and retractions were eliminated before exporting the references into Endnote, a program for managing bibliographic references. In all, 466 studies were found.

Second, the studies that matched the inclusion and exclusion criteria for the meta-analysis were chosen by two researchers after they had reviewed the abstracts and titles of the gathered articles, yielding a total of 126 studies.

Third, two researchers thoroughly reviewed each included article’s whole text in accordance with the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Meanwhile, a snowball search was performed using the references and citations of the included articles to ensure complete coverage of the articles. Ultimately, 36 articles were kept.

Two researchers worked together to carry out this entire process, and a consensus rate of almost 94.7% was reached after discussion and negotiation to clarify any emerging differences.

Eligibility criteria

Since not all the retrieved studies matched the criteria for this meta-analysis, eligibility criteria for both inclusion and exclusion were developed as follows:

The publication language of the included studies was limited to English and Chinese, and the full text could be obtained. Articles that did not meet the publication language and articles not published between 2000 and 2021 were excluded.

The research design of the included studies must be empirical and quantitative studies that can assess the effect of collaborative problem-solving on the development of critical thinking. Articles that could not identify the causal mechanisms by which collaborative problem-solving affects critical thinking, such as review articles and theoretical articles, were excluded.

The research method of the included studies must feature a randomized control experiment or a quasi-experiment, or a natural experiment, which have a higher degree of internal validity with strong experimental designs and can all plausibly provide evidence that critical thinking and collaborative problem-solving are causally related. Articles with non-experimental research methods, such as purely correlational or observational studies, were excluded.

The participants of the included studies were only students in school, including K-12 students and college students. Articles in which the participants were non-school students, such as social workers or adult learners, were excluded.

The research results of the included studies must mention definite signs that may be utilized to gauge critical thinking’s impact (e.g., sample size, mean value, or standard deviation). Articles that lacked specific measurement indicators for critical thinking and could not calculate the effect size were excluded.

Data coding design

In order to perform a meta-analysis, it is necessary to collect the most important information from the articles, codify that information’s properties, and convert descriptive data into quantitative data. Therefore, this study designed a data coding template (see Table 1 ). Ultimately, 16 coding fields were retained.

The designed data-coding template consisted of three pieces of information. Basic information about the papers was included in the descriptive information: the publishing year, author, serial number, and title of the paper.

The variable information for the experimental design had three variables: the independent variable (instruction method), the dependent variable (critical thinking), and the moderating variable (learning stage, teaching type, intervention duration, learning scaffold, group size, measuring tool, and subject area). Depending on the topic of this study, the intervention strategy, as the independent variable, was coded into collaborative and non-collaborative problem-solving. The dependent variable, critical thinking, was coded as a cognitive skill and an attitudinal tendency. And seven moderating variables were created by grouping and combining the experimental design variables discovered within the 36 studies (see Table 1 ), where learning stages were encoded as higher education, high school, middle school, and primary school or lower; teaching types were encoded as mixed courses, integrated courses, and independent courses; intervention durations were encoded as 0–1 weeks, 1–4 weeks, 4–12 weeks, and more than 12 weeks; group sizes were encoded as 2–3 persons, 4–6 persons, 7–10 persons, and more than 10 persons; learning scaffolds were encoded as teacher-supported learning scaffold, technique-supported learning scaffold, and resource-supported learning scaffold; measuring tools were encoded as standardized measurement tools (e.g., WGCTA, CCTT, CCTST, and CCTDI) and self-adapting measurement tools (e.g., modified or made by researchers); and subject areas were encoded according to the specific subjects used in the 36 included studies.

The data information contained three metrics for measuring critical thinking: sample size, average value, and standard deviation. It is vital to remember that studies with various experimental designs frequently adopt various formulas to determine the effect size. And this paper used Morris’ proposed standardized mean difference (SMD) calculation formula ( 2008 , p. 369; see Supplementary Table S3 ).

Procedure for extracting and coding data

According to the data coding template (see Table 1 ), the 36 papers’ information was retrieved by two researchers, who then entered them into Excel (see Supplementary Table S1 ). The results of each study were extracted separately in the data extraction procedure if an article contained numerous studies on critical thinking, or if a study assessed different critical thinking dimensions. For instance, Tiwari et al. ( 2010 ) used four time points, which were viewed as numerous different studies, to examine the outcomes of critical thinking, and Chen ( 2013 ) included the two outcome variables of attitudinal tendency and cognitive skills, which were regarded as two studies. After discussion and negotiation during data extraction, the two researchers’ consistency test coefficients were roughly 93.27%. Supplementary Table S2 details the key characteristics of the 36 included articles with 79 effect quantities, including descriptive information (e.g., the publishing year, author, serial number, and title of the paper), variable information (e.g., independent variables, dependent variables, and moderating variables), and data information (e.g., mean values, standard deviations, and sample size). Following that, testing for publication bias and heterogeneity was done on the sample data using the Rev-Man 5.4 software, and then the test results were used to conduct a meta-analysis.

Publication bias test

When the sample of studies included in a meta-analysis does not accurately reflect the general status of research on the relevant subject, publication bias is said to be exhibited in this research. The reliability and accuracy of the meta-analysis may be impacted by publication bias. Due to this, the meta-analysis needs to check the sample data for publication bias (Stewart et al., 2006 ). A popular method to check for publication bias is the funnel plot; and it is unlikely that there will be publishing bias when the data are equally dispersed on either side of the average effect size and targeted within the higher region. The data are equally dispersed within the higher portion of the efficient zone, consistent with the funnel plot connected with this analysis (see Fig. 2 ), indicating that publication bias is unlikely in this situation.

This funnel plot shows the result of publication bias of 79 effect quantities across 36 studies.

Heterogeneity test

To select the appropriate effect models for the meta-analysis, one might use the results of a heterogeneity test on the data effect sizes. In a meta-analysis, it is common practice to gauge the degree of data heterogeneity using the I 2 value, and I 2  ≥ 50% is typically understood to denote medium-high heterogeneity, which calls for the adoption of a random effect model; if not, a fixed effect model ought to be applied (Lipsey and Wilson, 2001 ). The findings of the heterogeneity test in this paper (see Table 2 ) revealed that I 2 was 86% and displayed significant heterogeneity ( P  < 0.01). To ensure accuracy and reliability, the overall effect size ought to be calculated utilizing the random effect model.

The analysis of the overall effect size

This meta-analysis utilized a random effect model to examine 79 effect quantities from 36 studies after eliminating heterogeneity. In accordance with Cohen’s criterion (Cohen, 1992 ), it is abundantly clear from the analysis results, which are shown in the forest plot of the overall effect (see Fig. 3 ), that the cumulative impact size of cooperative problem-solving is 0.82, which is statistically significant ( z  = 12.78, P  < 0.01, 95% CI [0.69, 0.95]), and can encourage learners to practice critical thinking.

This forest plot shows the analysis result of the overall effect size across 36 studies.

In addition, this study examined two distinct dimensions of critical thinking to better understand the precise contributions that collaborative problem-solving makes to the growth of critical thinking. The findings (see Table 3 ) indicate that collaborative problem-solving improves cognitive skills (ES = 0.70) and attitudinal tendency (ES = 1.17), with significant intergroup differences (chi 2  = 7.95, P  < 0.01). Although collaborative problem-solving improves both dimensions of critical thinking, it is essential to point out that the improvements in students’ attitudinal tendency are much more pronounced and have a significant comprehensive effect (ES = 1.17, z  = 7.62, P  < 0.01, 95% CI [0.87, 1.47]), whereas gains in learners’ cognitive skill are slightly improved and are just above average. (ES = 0.70, z  = 11.55, P  < 0.01, 95% CI [0.58, 0.82]).

The analysis of moderator effect size

The whole forest plot’s 79 effect quantities underwent a two-tailed test, which revealed significant heterogeneity ( I 2  = 86%, z  = 12.78, P  < 0.01), indicating differences between various effect sizes that may have been influenced by moderating factors other than sampling error. Therefore, exploring possible moderating factors that might produce considerable heterogeneity was done using subgroup analysis, such as the learning stage, learning scaffold, teaching type, group size, duration of the intervention, measuring tool, and the subject area included in the 36 experimental designs, in order to further explore the key factors that influence critical thinking. The findings (see Table 4 ) indicate that various moderating factors have advantageous effects on critical thinking. In this situation, the subject area (chi 2  = 13.36, P  < 0.05), group size (chi 2  = 8.77, P  < 0.05), intervention duration (chi 2  = 12.18, P  < 0.01), learning scaffold (chi 2  = 9.03, P  < 0.01), and teaching type (chi 2  = 7.20, P  < 0.05) are all significant moderators that can be applied to support the cultivation of critical thinking. However, since the learning stage and the measuring tools did not significantly differ among intergroup (chi 2  = 3.15, P  = 0.21 > 0.05, and chi 2  = 0.08, P  = 0.78 > 0.05), we are unable to explain why these two factors are crucial in supporting the cultivation of critical thinking in the context of collaborative problem-solving. These are the precise outcomes, as follows:

Various learning stages influenced critical thinking positively, without significant intergroup differences (chi 2  = 3.15, P  = 0.21 > 0.05). High school was first on the list of effect sizes (ES = 1.36, P  < 0.01), then higher education (ES = 0.78, P  < 0.01), and middle school (ES = 0.73, P  < 0.01). These results show that, despite the learning stage’s beneficial influence on cultivating learners’ critical thinking, we are unable to explain why it is essential for cultivating critical thinking in the context of collaborative problem-solving.

Different teaching types had varying degrees of positive impact on critical thinking, with significant intergroup differences (chi 2  = 7.20, P  < 0.05). The effect size was ranked as follows: mixed courses (ES = 1.34, P  < 0.01), integrated courses (ES = 0.81, P  < 0.01), and independent courses (ES = 0.27, P  < 0.01). These results indicate that the most effective approach to cultivate critical thinking utilizing collaborative problem solving is through the teaching type of mixed courses.

Various intervention durations significantly improved critical thinking, and there were significant intergroup differences (chi 2  = 12.18, P  < 0.01). The effect sizes related to this variable showed a tendency to increase with longer intervention durations. The improvement in critical thinking reached a significant level (ES = 0.85, P  < 0.01) after more than 12 weeks of training. These findings indicate that the intervention duration and critical thinking’s impact are positively correlated, with a longer intervention duration having a greater effect.

Different learning scaffolds influenced critical thinking positively, with significant intergroup differences (chi 2  = 9.03, P  < 0.01). The resource-supported learning scaffold (ES = 0.69, P  < 0.01) acquired a medium-to-higher level of impact, the technique-supported learning scaffold (ES = 0.63, P  < 0.01) also attained a medium-to-higher level of impact, and the teacher-supported learning scaffold (ES = 0.92, P  < 0.01) displayed a high level of significant impact. These results show that the learning scaffold with teacher support has the greatest impact on cultivating critical thinking.

Various group sizes influenced critical thinking positively, and the intergroup differences were statistically significant (chi 2  = 8.77, P  < 0.05). Critical thinking showed a general declining trend with increasing group size. The overall effect size of 2–3 people in this situation was the biggest (ES = 0.99, P  < 0.01), and when the group size was greater than 7 people, the improvement in critical thinking was at the lower-middle level (ES < 0.5, P  < 0.01). These results show that the impact on critical thinking is positively connected with group size, and as group size grows, so does the overall impact.

Various measuring tools influenced critical thinking positively, with significant intergroup differences (chi 2  = 0.08, P  = 0.78 > 0.05). In this situation, the self-adapting measurement tools obtained an upper-medium level of effect (ES = 0.78), whereas the complete effect size of the standardized measurement tools was the largest, achieving a significant level of effect (ES = 0.84, P  < 0.01). These results show that, despite the beneficial influence of the measuring tool on cultivating critical thinking, we are unable to explain why it is crucial in fostering the growth of critical thinking by utilizing the approach of collaborative problem-solving.

Different subject areas had a greater impact on critical thinking, and the intergroup differences were statistically significant (chi 2  = 13.36, P  < 0.05). Mathematics had the greatest overall impact, achieving a significant level of effect (ES = 1.68, P  < 0.01), followed by science (ES = 1.25, P  < 0.01) and medical science (ES = 0.87, P  < 0.01), both of which also achieved a significant level of effect. Programming technology was the least effective (ES = 0.39, P  < 0.01), only having a medium-low degree of effect compared to education (ES = 0.72, P  < 0.01) and other fields (such as language, art, and social sciences) (ES = 0.58, P  < 0.01). These results suggest that scientific fields (e.g., mathematics, science) may be the most effective subject areas for cultivating critical thinking utilizing the approach of collaborative problem-solving.

The effectiveness of collaborative problem solving with regard to teaching critical thinking

According to this meta-analysis, using collaborative problem-solving as an intervention strategy in critical thinking teaching has a considerable amount of impact on cultivating learners’ critical thinking as a whole and has a favorable promotional effect on the two dimensions of critical thinking. According to certain studies, collaborative problem solving, the most frequently used critical thinking teaching strategy in curriculum instruction can considerably enhance students’ critical thinking (e.g., Liang et al., 2017 ; Liu et al., 2020 ; Cindy, 2004 ). This meta-analysis provides convergent data support for the above research views. Thus, the findings of this meta-analysis not only effectively address the first research query regarding the overall effect of cultivating critical thinking and its impact on the two dimensions of critical thinking (i.e., attitudinal tendency and cognitive skills) utilizing the approach of collaborative problem-solving, but also enhance our confidence in cultivating critical thinking by using collaborative problem-solving intervention approach in the context of classroom teaching.

Furthermore, the associated improvements in attitudinal tendency are much stronger, but the corresponding improvements in cognitive skill are only marginally better. According to certain studies, cognitive skill differs from the attitudinal tendency in classroom instruction; the cultivation and development of the former as a key ability is a process of gradual accumulation, while the latter as an attitude is affected by the context of the teaching situation (e.g., a novel and exciting teaching approach, challenging and rewarding tasks) (Halpern, 2001 ; Wei and Hong, 2022 ). Collaborative problem-solving as a teaching approach is exciting and interesting, as well as rewarding and challenging; because it takes the learners as the focus and examines problems with poor structure in real situations, and it can inspire students to fully realize their potential for problem-solving, which will significantly improve their attitudinal tendency toward solving problems (Liu et al., 2020 ). Similar to how collaborative problem-solving influences attitudinal tendency, attitudinal tendency impacts cognitive skill when attempting to solve a problem (Liu et al., 2020 ; Zhang et al., 2022 ), and stronger attitudinal tendencies are associated with improved learning achievement and cognitive ability in students (Sison, 2008 ; Zhang et al., 2022 ). It can be seen that the two specific dimensions of critical thinking as well as critical thinking as a whole are affected by collaborative problem-solving, and this study illuminates the nuanced links between cognitive skills and attitudinal tendencies with regard to these two dimensions of critical thinking. To fully develop students’ capacity for critical thinking, future empirical research should pay closer attention to cognitive skills.

The moderating effects of collaborative problem solving with regard to teaching critical thinking

In order to further explore the key factors that influence critical thinking, exploring possible moderating effects that might produce considerable heterogeneity was done using subgroup analysis. The findings show that the moderating factors, such as the teaching type, learning stage, group size, learning scaffold, duration of the intervention, measuring tool, and the subject area included in the 36 experimental designs, could all support the cultivation of collaborative problem-solving in critical thinking. Among them, the effect size differences between the learning stage and measuring tool are not significant, which does not explain why these two factors are crucial in supporting the cultivation of critical thinking utilizing the approach of collaborative problem-solving.

In terms of the learning stage, various learning stages influenced critical thinking positively without significant intergroup differences, indicating that we are unable to explain why it is crucial in fostering the growth of critical thinking.

Although high education accounts for 70.89% of all empirical studies performed by researchers, high school may be the appropriate learning stage to foster students’ critical thinking by utilizing the approach of collaborative problem-solving since it has the largest overall effect size. This phenomenon may be related to student’s cognitive development, which needs to be further studied in follow-up research.

With regard to teaching type, mixed course teaching may be the best teaching method to cultivate students’ critical thinking. Relevant studies have shown that in the actual teaching process if students are trained in thinking methods alone, the methods they learn are isolated and divorced from subject knowledge, which is not conducive to their transfer of thinking methods; therefore, if students’ thinking is trained only in subject teaching without systematic method training, it is challenging to apply to real-world circumstances (Ruggiero, 2012 ; Hu and Liu, 2015 ). Teaching critical thinking as mixed course teaching in parallel to other subject teachings can achieve the best effect on learners’ critical thinking, and explicit critical thinking instruction is more effective than less explicit critical thinking instruction (Bensley and Spero, 2014 ).

In terms of the intervention duration, with longer intervention times, the overall effect size shows an upward tendency. Thus, the intervention duration and critical thinking’s impact are positively correlated. Critical thinking, as a key competency for students in the 21st century, is difficult to get a meaningful improvement in a brief intervention duration. Instead, it could be developed over a lengthy period of time through consistent teaching and the progressive accumulation of knowledge (Halpern, 2001 ; Hu and Liu, 2015 ). Therefore, future empirical studies ought to take these restrictions into account throughout a longer period of critical thinking instruction.

With regard to group size, a group size of 2–3 persons has the highest effect size, and the comprehensive effect size decreases with increasing group size in general. This outcome is in line with some research findings; as an example, a group composed of two to four members is most appropriate for collaborative learning (Schellens and Valcke, 2006 ). However, the meta-analysis results also indicate that once the group size exceeds 7 people, small groups cannot produce better interaction and performance than large groups. This may be because the learning scaffolds of technique support, resource support, and teacher support improve the frequency and effectiveness of interaction among group members, and a collaborative group with more members may increase the diversity of views, which is helpful to cultivate critical thinking utilizing the approach of collaborative problem-solving.

With regard to the learning scaffold, the three different kinds of learning scaffolds can all enhance critical thinking. Among them, the teacher-supported learning scaffold has the largest overall effect size, demonstrating the interdependence of effective learning scaffolds and collaborative problem-solving. This outcome is in line with some research findings; as an example, a successful strategy is to encourage learners to collaborate, come up with solutions, and develop critical thinking skills by using learning scaffolds (Reiser, 2004 ; Xu et al., 2022 ); learning scaffolds can lower task complexity and unpleasant feelings while also enticing students to engage in learning activities (Wood et al., 2006 ); learning scaffolds are designed to assist students in using learning approaches more successfully to adapt the collaborative problem-solving process, and the teacher-supported learning scaffolds have the greatest influence on critical thinking in this process because they are more targeted, informative, and timely (Xu et al., 2022 ).

With respect to the measuring tool, despite the fact that standardized measurement tools (such as the WGCTA, CCTT, and CCTST) have been acknowledged as trustworthy and effective by worldwide experts, only 54.43% of the research included in this meta-analysis adopted them for assessment, and the results indicated no intergroup differences. These results suggest that not all teaching circumstances are appropriate for measuring critical thinking using standardized measurement tools. “The measuring tools for measuring thinking ability have limits in assessing learners in educational situations and should be adapted appropriately to accurately assess the changes in learners’ critical thinking.”, according to Simpson and Courtney ( 2002 , p. 91). As a result, in order to more fully and precisely gauge how learners’ critical thinking has evolved, we must properly modify standardized measuring tools based on collaborative problem-solving learning contexts.

With regard to the subject area, the comprehensive effect size of science departments (e.g., mathematics, science, medical science) is larger than that of language arts and social sciences. Some recent international education reforms have noted that critical thinking is a basic part of scientific literacy. Students with scientific literacy can prove the rationality of their judgment according to accurate evidence and reasonable standards when they face challenges or poorly structured problems (Kyndt et al., 2013 ), which makes critical thinking crucial for developing scientific understanding and applying this understanding to practical problem solving for problems related to science, technology, and society (Yore et al., 2007 ).

Suggestions for critical thinking teaching

Other than those stated in the discussion above, the following suggestions are offered for critical thinking instruction utilizing the approach of collaborative problem-solving.

First, teachers should put a special emphasis on the two core elements, which are collaboration and problem-solving, to design real problems based on collaborative situations. This meta-analysis provides evidence to support the view that collaborative problem-solving has a strong synergistic effect on promoting students’ critical thinking. Asking questions about real situations and allowing learners to take part in critical discussions on real problems during class instruction are key ways to teach critical thinking rather than simply reading speculative articles without practice (Mulnix, 2012 ). Furthermore, the improvement of students’ critical thinking is realized through cognitive conflict with other learners in the problem situation (Yang et al., 2008 ). Consequently, it is essential for teachers to put a special emphasis on the two core elements, which are collaboration and problem-solving, and design real problems and encourage students to discuss, negotiate, and argue based on collaborative problem-solving situations.

Second, teachers should design and implement mixed courses to cultivate learners’ critical thinking, utilizing the approach of collaborative problem-solving. Critical thinking can be taught through curriculum instruction (Kuncel, 2011 ; Leng and Lu, 2020 ), with the goal of cultivating learners’ critical thinking for flexible transfer and application in real problem-solving situations. This meta-analysis shows that mixed course teaching has a highly substantial impact on the cultivation and promotion of learners’ critical thinking. Therefore, teachers should design and implement mixed course teaching with real collaborative problem-solving situations in combination with the knowledge content of specific disciplines in conventional teaching, teach methods and strategies of critical thinking based on poorly structured problems to help students master critical thinking, and provide practical activities in which students can interact with each other to develop knowledge construction and critical thinking utilizing the approach of collaborative problem-solving.

Third, teachers should be more trained in critical thinking, particularly preservice teachers, and they also should be conscious of the ways in which teachers’ support for learning scaffolds can promote critical thinking. The learning scaffold supported by teachers had the greatest impact on learners’ critical thinking, in addition to being more directive, targeted, and timely (Wood et al., 2006 ). Critical thinking can only be effectively taught when teachers recognize the significance of critical thinking for students’ growth and use the proper approaches while designing instructional activities (Forawi, 2016 ). Therefore, with the intention of enabling teachers to create learning scaffolds to cultivate learners’ critical thinking utilizing the approach of collaborative problem solving, it is essential to concentrate on the teacher-supported learning scaffolds and enhance the instruction for teaching critical thinking to teachers, especially preservice teachers.

Implications and limitations

There are certain limitations in this meta-analysis, but future research can correct them. First, the search languages were restricted to English and Chinese, so it is possible that pertinent studies that were written in other languages were overlooked, resulting in an inadequate number of articles for review. Second, these data provided by the included studies are partially missing, such as whether teachers were trained in the theory and practice of critical thinking, the average age and gender of learners, and the differences in critical thinking among learners of various ages and genders. Third, as is typical for review articles, more studies were released while this meta-analysis was being done; therefore, it had a time limit. With the development of relevant research, future studies focusing on these issues are highly relevant and needed.

Conclusions

The subject of the magnitude of collaborative problem-solving’s impact on fostering students’ critical thinking, which received scant attention from other studies, was successfully addressed by this study. The question of the effectiveness of collaborative problem-solving in promoting students’ critical thinking was addressed in this study, which addressed a topic that had gotten little attention in earlier research. The following conclusions can be made:

Regarding the results obtained, collaborative problem solving is an effective teaching approach to foster learners’ critical thinking, with a significant overall effect size (ES = 0.82, z  = 12.78, P  < 0.01, 95% CI [0.69, 0.95]). With respect to the dimensions of critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving can significantly and effectively improve students’ attitudinal tendency, and the comprehensive effect is significant (ES = 1.17, z  = 7.62, P  < 0.01, 95% CI [0.87, 1.47]); nevertheless, it falls short in terms of improving students’ cognitive skills, having only an upper-middle impact (ES = 0.70, z  = 11.55, P  < 0.01, 95% CI [0.58, 0.82]).

As demonstrated by both the results and the discussion, there are varying degrees of beneficial effects on students’ critical thinking from all seven moderating factors, which were found across 36 studies. In this context, the teaching type (chi 2  = 7.20, P  < 0.05), intervention duration (chi 2  = 12.18, P  < 0.01), subject area (chi 2  = 13.36, P  < 0.05), group size (chi 2  = 8.77, P  < 0.05), and learning scaffold (chi 2  = 9.03, P  < 0.01) all have a positive impact on critical thinking, and they can be viewed as important moderating factors that affect how critical thinking develops. Since the learning stage (chi 2  = 3.15, P  = 0.21 > 0.05) and measuring tools (chi 2  = 0.08, P  = 0.78 > 0.05) did not demonstrate any significant intergroup differences, we are unable to explain why these two factors are crucial in supporting the cultivation of critical thinking in the context of collaborative problem-solving.

Data availability

All data generated or analyzed during this study are included within the article and its supplementary information files, and the supplementary information files are available in the Dataverse repository: https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/IPFJO6 .

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the graduate scientific research and innovation project of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region named “Research on in-depth learning of high school information technology courses for the cultivation of computing thinking” (No. XJ2022G190) and the independent innovation fund project for doctoral students of the College of Educational Science of Xinjiang Normal University named “Research on project-based teaching of high school information technology courses from the perspective of discipline core literacy” (No. XJNUJKYA2003).

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Xu, E., Wang, W. & Wang, Q. The effectiveness of collaborative problem solving in promoting students’ critical thinking: A meta-analysis based on empirical literature. Humanit Soc Sci Commun 10 , 16 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-023-01508-1

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Education insights

Exploring the 4 C’s of 21st Century Learning

May 27, 2021

Learning and Innovation Skills, or the 4 C’s of 21 st Century Learning include Critical Thinking and Problem Solving, Creativity and Innovation, Communication, and Collaboration. If the 4 C’s sound familiar, it’s because they probably are. Most people learned many of these skills in school. So why are they called 21 st -Century Skills ? The answer is simple: they are the set of skills 21 st century employers consider the most important skills in prospective employees.

Economists, human resource directors, and business leaders have examined the 4 C’s for at least three decades. What skills, they ask, do major industries and professions need in an employee or professional? In other words, what skills can we teach students that are “future-proof” no matter how quickly the world changes?

Every five years, the World Economic Forum interviews human resource and business leaders to identify the most important skills needed in an employee. According to their 2020 Future of Jobs Report , the ten most vital core skills needed in the coming decade are:

• Cognitive flexibility
• Complex problem solving
• Critical thinking
• Judgment and decision making
• Negotiation
• People management
• Coordinating with others
• Service orientation
• Emotional intelligence.

While the list of vital skills will vary depending on who you talk to, there is a clear common thread across the board: any list of “future-proof” skills is always represented by the four categories of the 4 C’s. In the 20 th century, career-specific skills reigned supreme in schools, universities, and professions. Today, however, students must learn skills to meet the changes of the new century and be the workforce of the future. As a result, educators must shift teaching methodologies to teach these learning and innovation skills.

The framework for 21st Century Learning

For many, however, modern teaching methodologies like the 4 C’s, collaborative learning, or project-based learning can sound like neglect of traditional curriculum . The reality is that no subject in the traditional curriculum is being replaced.

In fact, the 4 C’s are part of a larger educational framework whose foundation is the traditional curriculum: math, reading, writing, language arts, science, civics, history, languages, geography, and the arts. The 4 C’s were originally part of the Framework for 21 st Century Learning from the Partnership for 21 st -Century Skills. In this framework, the traditional curriculum is still the focus, and Learning and Innovation Skills, or the 4 C’s, are intended to be used to support it.

What are the 4 C’s?

While the 4 C’s may sound a bit vague, they are actually composites of real skills that are definable, measurable, and teachable.

Creativity and innovation

Creativity is a set of skills that enables learners to discover alternatives, brainstorm ideas, generate solutions, rethink existing paradigms, and create new knowledge. However, creativity involves more than just “thinking outside the box.” In the 21 st century, creativity is overwhelmingly a group process that requires openness to new and divergent ideas, the ability to formulate useful feedback, the recognition of the limits of new ideas and the value of old ideas, and the capacity to use failure as an opportunity. Group creativity skills are just as important, if not more so, as thinking outside the box.

Critical thinking and problem solving

In the real world, problems do not have “right answers” conveniently printed at the back of the textbook. Critical Thinking and Problem Solving involves mastering skills that enable learners to define problems, pose questions, sort through information, evaluate evidence, weigh alternatives, consider different points of view, analyze arguments, understand complexity, and approach unfamiliar problems. Many of these skills have long been taught in the classroom in traditional courses like science, civics, history, and math, but the goal is to use them deliberately throughout the curriculum.

Communication

Communication is the set of skills that allows students to read, listen, interpret, speak, write, persuade, negotiate, argue, and master a large variety of media. Learning communication skills dates back centuries in subjects like reading, writing, oratory, and language arts. The difference, however, is that the 4 C’s put communication at the center of learning in all subjects, from language arts to algebra. A few ways to teach communication skills to students include encouraging activities that reinforce active listening, asking open-ended questions, fostering critical thinking and reflective learning opportunities, and modeling effective conversation skills when communicating with students.

Collaboration

In our complex and changing world, success requires that people work together . Most problems and projects in the 21 st century workplace are multifaceted and multidisciplinary, requiring a diverse set of skills, knowledge, and backgrounds to bring to completion. Collaboration is the set of skills that enable people to collectively set goals, allocate resources, fulfill group roles, plan, manage time, make group decisions, negotiate, resolve conflicts, and build teams. Unlike other aspects of the 4 C’s, collaboration is a relatively recent structural innovation in K-12 education. Widely adopted in the 1990’s, collaborative learning was originally intended to enhance learning outcomes in the traditional curriculum . The 4 C’s also focus on developing a defined set of interactional skills that not only increase learning, but are also necessary skills in today’s workplace. A few ways to encourage collaborative learning include incorporating games into lessons, creating a safe space for class discussion, encouraging storytelling and brainstorming, and amplifying all student voices.

The 4 C’s of 21st Century Learning are here to stay

For proof of concept of the crucial value of the 4 C’s, we need look no further than the last 12 months. As the COVID-19 pandemic raged across the country, teachers and learners worked to master distance learning in classrooms entirely managed through technology. When we reflect back, 2020 will likely be remembered as “the Year of Distance Learning.” Simply meeting the challenges posed by a year of remote and hybrid learning became a crash course in the 4 C’s for everyone, from students and teachers to administrators and IT personnel.

The 4 C’s are fundamental skills educators must teach as they transition from a “sage on the stage” to “guide on the side” style of teaching. They are the tools students use every day to meet the challenges of a changing classroom, even without the duress of a pandemic. They are an enduring skillset and are part of every student’s future.

Find out how LanSchool can help develop creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and communication skills in your classroom.   

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5 Problem solving and critical thinking

Day-to-day you are constantly solving problems. These might range from the mundane – ‘do I really want another cup of coffee?’ – to the significant and consequential – ‘is this the right person for me to hire?’.

Yet how often do you reflect on your approach to solving problems?

The word ‘ problem’ often describes things you don’t want to do or difficulties that you could easily overcome.

The problem with problems is that they can be difficult to separate from other things. It may be difficult to see where a problem stops and everything else starts, or to disentangle a problem from its context. You then have to consider that seemingly trivial problems may be symptoms of more serious problems.

Understanding the nature of the problem is always a good place to start when problem-solving. Keith Grint argued that ‘Tame Problems are akin to puzzles’ (Grint, 2008, p. 12) as you might be familiar with puzzles and know what to do and you may have a clear sense of what’s important and can anticipate how your changes will affect other things without being too surprised too often. There is, in other words, ‘only a limited degree of uncertainty’ (Grint, 2008, p. 12).

Unlike tame problems, however, wicked problems are less readily resolved (Rittel, 1972). Mason and Mitroff (1981) describe wicked problems as uncertain, complicated, interconnected and ambiguous issues within which there are competing claims and societal constraints. Working with wicked problems places a premium on communicating effectively with those who can help you understand the latest developments. Having the flexibility to accommodate unexpected developments is also needed when dealing with wicked problems.

Wicked problems are both deeply intertwined with their context and unbounded. Consequently, if you act decisively, you may trigger unanticipated consequences and create fresh problems. Today’s world is increasingly interconnected and as a result it can be harder to separate a wicked problem, such as eliminating poverty or achieving world peace, from myriad other interrelated problems.

In order to come up with suitable and effective creative solutions you must focus just as much on understanding the problem and its context as you do the potential solution.

Effective problem solving may involve separating wicked problems, where you must be open minded and agile, from tamer problems that might be easier to solve.

Leaders and managers may catch people’s attention with new solutions to old problems. Yet old problems can persist: wicked problems cannot be tamed; and many apparently tame problems may be less-tame than they first appear.

Activity 6 Tame or wicked?

Think of all the problems that you deal with on a daily basis: are they tame or wicked? Based on whether you believe them to be tame or wicked problems, how might you approach them differently?

As you have seen, tame and wicked problems require different approaches. Understanding the nature of the challenge you are dealing with can help you be more effective in how you approach problem solving.

Classroom Q&A

With larry ferlazzo.

In this EdWeek blog, an experiment in knowledge-gathering, Ferlazzo will address readers’ questions on classroom management, ELL instruction, lesson planning, and other issues facing teachers. Send your questions to [email protected]. Read more from this blog.

Eight Instructional Strategies for Promoting Critical Thinking

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(This is the first post in a three-part series.)

The new question-of-the-week is:

What is critical thinking and how can we integrate it into the classroom?

This three-part series will explore what critical thinking is, if it can be specifically taught and, if so, how can teachers do so in their classrooms.

Today’s guests are Dara Laws Savage, Patrick Brown, Meg Riordan, Ph.D., and Dr. PJ Caposey. Dara, Patrick, and Meg were also guests on my 10-minute BAM! Radio Show . You can also find a list of, and links to, previous shows here.

You might also be interested in The Best Resources On Teaching & Learning Critical Thinking In The Classroom .

Current Events

Dara Laws Savage is an English teacher at the Early College High School at Delaware State University, where she serves as a teacher and instructional coach and lead mentor. Dara has been teaching for 25 years (career preparation, English, photography, yearbook, newspaper, and graphic design) and has presented nationally on project-based learning and technology integration:

There is so much going on right now and there is an overload of information for us to process. Did you ever stop to think how our students are processing current events? They see news feeds, hear news reports, and scan photos and posts, but are they truly thinking about what they are hearing and seeing?

I tell my students that my job is not to give them answers but to teach them how to think about what they read and hear. So what is critical thinking and how can we integrate it into the classroom? There are just as many definitions of critical thinking as there are people trying to define it. However, the Critical Think Consortium focuses on the tools to create a thinking-based classroom rather than a definition: “Shape the climate to support thinking, create opportunities for thinking, build capacity to think, provide guidance to inform thinking.” Using these four criteria and pairing them with current events, teachers easily create learning spaces that thrive on thinking and keep students engaged.

One successful technique I use is the FIRE Write. Students are given a quote, a paragraph, an excerpt, or a photo from the headlines. Students are asked to F ocus and respond to the selection for three minutes. Next, students are asked to I dentify a phrase or section of the photo and write for two minutes. Third, students are asked to R eframe their response around a specific word, phrase, or section within their previous selection. Finally, students E xchange their thoughts with a classmate. Within the exchange, students also talk about how the selection connects to what we are covering in class.

There was a controversial Pepsi ad in 2017 involving Kylie Jenner and a protest with a police presence. The imagery in the photo was strikingly similar to a photo that went viral with a young lady standing opposite a police line. Using that image from a current event engaged my students and gave them the opportunity to critically think about events of the time.

Here are the two photos and a student response:

F - Focus on both photos and respond for three minutes

In the first picture, you see a strong and courageous black female, bravely standing in front of two officers in protest. She is risking her life to do so. Iesha Evans is simply proving to the world she does NOT mean less because she is black … and yet officers are there to stop her. She did not step down. In the picture below, you see Kendall Jenner handing a police officer a Pepsi. Maybe this wouldn’t be a big deal, except this was Pepsi’s weak, pathetic, and outrageous excuse of a commercial that belittles the whole movement of people fighting for their lives.

I - Identify a word or phrase, underline it, then write about it for two minutes

A white, privileged female in place of a fighting black woman was asking for trouble. A struggle we are continuously fighting every day, and they make a mockery of it. “I know what will work! Here Mr. Police Officer! Drink some Pepsi!” As if. Pepsi made a fool of themselves, and now their already dwindling fan base continues to ever shrink smaller.

R - Reframe your thoughts by choosing a different word, then write about that for one minute

You don’t know privilege until it’s gone. You don’t know privilege while it’s there—but you can and will be made accountable and aware. Don’t use it for evil. You are not stupid. Use it to do something. Kendall could’ve NOT done the commercial. Kendall could’ve released another commercial standing behind a black woman. Anything!

Exchange - Remember to discuss how this connects to our school song project and our previous discussions?

This connects two ways - 1) We want to convey a strong message. Be powerful. Show who we are. And Pepsi definitely tried. … Which leads to the second connection. 2) Not mess up and offend anyone, as had the one alma mater had been linked to black minstrels. We want to be amazing, but we have to be smart and careful and make sure we include everyone who goes to our school and everyone who may go to our school.

As a final step, students read and annotate the full article and compare it to their initial response.

Using current events and critical-thinking strategies like FIRE writing helps create a learning space where thinking is the goal rather than a score on a multiple-choice assessment. Critical-thinking skills can cross over to any of students’ other courses and into life outside the classroom. After all, we as teachers want to help the whole student be successful, and critical thinking is an important part of navigating life after they leave our classrooms.

‘Before-Explore-Explain’

Patrick Brown is the executive director of STEM and CTE for the Fort Zumwalt school district in Missouri and an experienced educator and author :

Planning for critical thinking focuses on teaching the most crucial science concepts, practices, and logical-thinking skills as well as the best use of instructional time. One way to ensure that lessons maintain a focus on critical thinking is to focus on the instructional sequence used to teach.

Explore-before-explain teaching is all about promoting critical thinking for learners to better prepare students for the reality of their world. What having an explore-before-explain mindset means is that in our planning, we prioritize giving students firsthand experiences with data, allow students to construct evidence-based claims that focus on conceptual understanding, and challenge students to discuss and think about the why behind phenomena.

Just think of the critical thinking that has to occur for students to construct a scientific claim. 1) They need the opportunity to collect data, analyze it, and determine how to make sense of what the data may mean. 2) With data in hand, students can begin thinking about the validity and reliability of their experience and information collected. 3) They can consider what differences, if any, they might have if they completed the investigation again. 4) They can scrutinize outlying data points for they may be an artifact of a true difference that merits further exploration of a misstep in the procedure, measuring device, or measurement. All of these intellectual activities help them form more robust understanding and are evidence of their critical thinking.

In explore-before-explain teaching, all of these hard critical-thinking tasks come before teacher explanations of content. Whether we use discovery experiences, problem-based learning, and or inquiry-based activities, strategies that are geared toward helping students construct understanding promote critical thinking because students learn content by doing the practices valued in the field to generate knowledge.

An Issue of Equity

Meg Riordan, Ph.D., is the chief learning officer at The Possible Project, an out-of-school program that collaborates with youth to build entrepreneurial skills and mindsets and provides pathways to careers and long-term economic prosperity. She has been in the field of education for over 25 years as a middle and high school teacher, school coach, college professor, regional director of N.Y.C. Outward Bound Schools, and director of external research with EL Education:

Although critical thinking often defies straightforward definition, most in the education field agree it consists of several components: reasoning, problem-solving, and decisionmaking, plus analysis and evaluation of information, such that multiple sides of an issue can be explored. It also includes dispositions and “the willingness to apply critical-thinking principles, rather than fall back on existing unexamined beliefs, or simply believe what you’re told by authority figures.”

Despite variation in definitions, critical thinking is nonetheless promoted as an essential outcome of students’ learning—we want to see students and adults demonstrate it across all fields, professions, and in their personal lives. Yet there is simultaneously a rationing of opportunities in schools for students of color, students from under-resourced communities, and other historically marginalized groups to deeply learn and practice critical thinking.

For example, many of our most underserved students often spend class time filling out worksheets, promoting high compliance but low engagement, inquiry, critical thinking, or creation of new ideas. At a time in our world when college and careers are critical for participation in society and the global, knowledge-based economy, far too many students struggle within classrooms and schools that reinforce low-expectations and inequity.

If educators aim to prepare all students for an ever-evolving marketplace and develop skills that will be valued no matter what tomorrow’s jobs are, then we must move critical thinking to the forefront of classroom experiences. And educators must design learning to cultivate it.

So, what does that really look like?

Unpack and define critical thinking

To understand critical thinking, educators need to first unpack and define its components. What exactly are we looking for when we speak about reasoning or exploring multiple perspectives on an issue? How does problem-solving show up in English, math, science, art, or other disciplines—and how is it assessed? At Two Rivers, an EL Education school, the faculty identified five constructs of critical thinking, defined each, and created rubrics to generate a shared picture of quality for teachers and students. The rubrics were then adapted across grade levels to indicate students’ learning progressions.

At Avenues World School, critical thinking is one of the Avenues World Elements and is an enduring outcome embedded in students’ early experiences through 12th grade. For instance, a kindergarten student may be expected to “identify cause and effect in familiar contexts,” while an 8th grader should demonstrate the ability to “seek out sufficient evidence before accepting a claim as true,” “identify bias in claims and evidence,” and “reconsider strongly held points of view in light of new evidence.”

When faculty and students embrace a common vision of what critical thinking looks and sounds like and how it is assessed, educators can then explicitly design learning experiences that call for students to employ critical-thinking skills. This kind of work must occur across all schools and programs, especially those serving large numbers of students of color. As Linda Darling-Hammond asserts , “Schools that serve large numbers of students of color are least likely to offer the kind of curriculum needed to ... help students attain the [critical-thinking] skills needed in a knowledge work economy. ”

So, what can it look like to create those kinds of learning experiences?

Designing experiences for critical thinking

After defining a shared understanding of “what” critical thinking is and “how” it shows up across multiple disciplines and grade levels, it is essential to create learning experiences that impel students to cultivate, practice, and apply these skills. There are several levers that offer pathways for teachers to promote critical thinking in lessons:

1.Choose Compelling Topics: Keep it relevant

A key Common Core State Standard asks for students to “write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.” That might not sound exciting or culturally relevant. But a learning experience designed for a 12th grade humanities class engaged learners in a compelling topic— policing in America —to analyze and evaluate multiple texts (including primary sources) and share the reasoning for their perspectives through discussion and writing. Students grappled with ideas and their beliefs and employed deep critical-thinking skills to develop arguments for their claims. Embedding critical-thinking skills in curriculum that students care about and connect with can ignite powerful learning experiences.

2. Make Local Connections: Keep it real

At The Possible Project , an out-of-school-time program designed to promote entrepreneurial skills and mindsets, students in a recent summer online program (modified from in-person due to COVID-19) explored the impact of COVID-19 on their communities and local BIPOC-owned businesses. They learned interviewing skills through a partnership with Everyday Boston , conducted virtual interviews with entrepreneurs, evaluated information from their interviews and local data, and examined their previously held beliefs. They created blog posts and videos to reflect on their learning and consider how their mindsets had changed as a result of the experience. In this way, we can design powerful community-based learning and invite students into productive struggle with multiple perspectives.

3. Create Authentic Projects: Keep it rigorous

At Big Picture Learning schools, students engage in internship-based learning experiences as a central part of their schooling. Their school-based adviser and internship-based mentor support them in developing real-world projects that promote deeper learning and critical-thinking skills. Such authentic experiences teach “young people to be thinkers, to be curious, to get from curiosity to creation … and it helps students design a learning experience that answers their questions, [providing an] opportunity to communicate it to a larger audience—a major indicator of postsecondary success.” Even in a remote environment, we can design projects that ask more of students than rote memorization and that spark critical thinking.

Our call to action is this: As educators, we need to make opportunities for critical thinking available not only to the affluent or those fortunate enough to be placed in advanced courses. The tools are available, let’s use them. Let’s interrogate our current curriculum and design learning experiences that engage all students in real, relevant, and rigorous experiences that require critical thinking and prepare them for promising postsecondary pathways.

Critical Thinking & Student Engagement

Dr. PJ Caposey is an award-winning educator, keynote speaker, consultant, and author of seven books who currently serves as the superintendent of schools for the award-winning Meridian CUSD 223 in northwest Illinois. You can find PJ on most social-media platforms as MCUSDSupe:

When I start my keynote on student engagement, I invite two people up on stage and give them each five paper balls to shoot at a garbage can also conveniently placed on stage. Contestant One shoots their shot, and the audience gives approval. Four out of 5 is a heckuva score. Then just before Contestant Two shoots, I blindfold them and start moving the garbage can back and forth. I usually try to ensure that they can at least make one of their shots. Nobody is successful in this unfair environment.

I thank them and send them back to their seats and then explain that this little activity was akin to student engagement. While we all know we want student engagement, we are shooting at different targets. More importantly, for teachers, it is near impossible for them to hit a target that is moving and that they cannot see.

Within the world of education and particularly as educational leaders, we have failed to simplify what student engagement looks like, and it is impossible to define or articulate what student engagement looks like if we cannot clearly articulate what critical thinking is and looks like in a classroom. Because, simply, without critical thought, there is no engagement.

The good news here is that critical thought has been defined and placed into taxonomies for decades already. This is not something new and not something that needs to be redefined. I am a Bloom’s person, but there is nothing wrong with DOK or some of the other taxonomies, either. To be precise, I am a huge fan of Daggett’s Rigor and Relevance Framework. I have used that as a core element of my practice for years, and it has shaped who I am as an instructional leader.

So, in order to explain critical thought, a teacher or a leader must familiarize themselves with these tried and true taxonomies. Easy, right? Yes, sort of. The issue is not understanding what critical thought is; it is the ability to integrate it into the classrooms. In order to do so, there are a four key steps every educator must take.

• Integrating critical thought/rigor into a lesson does not happen by chance, it happens by design. Planning for critical thought and engagement is much different from planning for a traditional lesson. In order to plan for kids to think critically, you have to provide a base of knowledge and excellent prompts to allow them to explore their own thinking in order to analyze, evaluate, or synthesize information.
• SIDE NOTE – Bloom’s verbs are a great way to start when writing objectives, but true planning will take you deeper than this.

QUESTIONING

• If the questions and prompts given in a classroom have correct answers or if the teacher ends up answering their own questions, the lesson will lack critical thought and rigor.
• Script five questions forcing higher-order thought prior to every lesson. Experienced teachers may not feel they need this, but it helps to create an effective habit.
• If lessons are rigorous and assessments are not, students will do well on their assessments, and that may not be an accurate representation of the knowledge and skills they have mastered. If lessons are easy and assessments are rigorous, the exact opposite will happen. When deciding to increase critical thought, it must happen in all three phases of the game: planning, instruction, and assessment.

TALK TIME / CONTROL

• To increase rigor, the teacher must DO LESS. This feels counterintuitive but is accurate. Rigorous lessons involving tons of critical thought must allow for students to work on their own, collaborate with peers, and connect their ideas. This cannot happen in a silent room except for the teacher talking. In order to increase rigor, decrease talk time and become comfortable with less control. Asking questions and giving prompts that lead to no true correct answer also means less control. This is a tough ask for some teachers. Explained differently, if you assign one assignment and get 30 very similar products, you have most likely assigned a low-rigor recipe. If you assign one assignment and get multiple varied products, then the students have had a chance to think deeply, and you have successfully integrated critical thought into your classroom.

Thanks to Dara, Patrick, Meg, and PJ for their contributions!

Please feel free to leave a comment with your reactions to the topic or directly to anything that has been said in this post.

Consider contributing a question to be answered in a future post. You can send one to me at [email protected] . When you send it in, let me know if I can use your real name if it’s selected or if you’d prefer remaining anonymous and have a pseudonym in mind.

You can also contact me on Twitter at @Larryferlazzo .

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50 Problem-Solving and Critical Thinking Examples

Critical thinking and problem solving are essential skills for success in the 21st century. Critical thinking is the ability to analyze information, evaluate evidence, and draw logical conclusions. Problem solving is the ability to apply critical thinking to find effective solutions to various challenges. Both skills require creativity, curiosity, and persistence. Developing critical thinking and problem solving skills can help students improve their academic performance, enhance their career prospects, and become more informed and engaged citizens.

Sanju Pradeepa

In today’s complex and fast-paced world, the ability to think critically and solve problems effectively has become a vital skill for success in all areas of life. Whether it’s navigating professional challenges, making sound decisions, or finding innovative solutions, critical thinking and problem-solving are key to overcoming obstacles and achieving desired outcomes. In this blog post, we will explore problem-solving and critical thinking examples.

Table of Contents

Developing the skills needed for critical thinking and problem solving.

It is not enough to simply recognize an issue; we must use the right tools and techniques to address it. To do this, we must learn how to define and identify the problem or task at hand, gather relevant information from reliable sources, analyze and compare data to draw conclusions, make logical connections between different ideas, generate a solution or action plan, and make a recommendation.

The first step in developing these skills is understanding what the problem or task is that needs to be addressed. This requires careful consideration of all available information in order to form an accurate picture of what needs to be done. Once the issue has been identified, gathering reliable sources of data can help further your understanding of it. Sources could include interviews with customers or stakeholders, surveys, industry reports, and analysis of customer feedback.

After collecting relevant information from reliable sources, it’s important to analyze and compare the data in order to draw meaningful conclusions about the situation at hand. This helps us better understand our options for addressing an issue by providing context for decision-making. Once you have analyzed the data you collected, making logical connections between different ideas can help you form a more complete picture of the situation and inform your potential solutions.

Once you have analyzed your options for addressing an issue based on all available data points, it’s time to generate a solution or action plan that takes into account considerations such as cost-effectiveness and feasibility. It’s also important to consider the risk factors associated with any proposed solutions in order to ensure that they are responsible before moving forward with implementation. Finally, once all the analysis has been completed, it is time to make a recommendation based on your findings, which should take into account any objectives set out by stakeholders at the beginning of this process as well as any other pertinent factors discovered throughout the analysis stage.

By following these steps carefully when faced with complex issues, one can effectively use critical thinking and problem-solving skills in order to achieve desired outcomes more efficiently than would otherwise be possible without them, while also taking responsibility for decisions made along the way.

What Does Critical Thinking Involve: 5 Essential Skill

Problem-solving and critical thinking examples.

Problem-solving and critical thinking are key skills that are highly valued in any professional setting. These skills enable individuals to analyze complex situations, make informed decisions, and find innovative solutions. Here, we present 25 examples of problem-solving and critical thinking. problem-solving scenarios to help you cultivate and enhance these skills.

Ethical dilemma: A company faces a situation where a client asks for a product that does not meet quality standards. The team must decide how to address the client’s request without compromising the company’s credibility or values.

Brainstorming session: A team needs to come up with new ideas for a marketing campaign targeting a specific demographic. Through an organized brainstorming session, they explore various approaches and analyze their potential impact.

Troubleshooting technical issues : An IT professional receives a ticket indicating a network outage. They analyze the issue, assess potential causes (hardware, software, or connectivity), and solve the problem efficiently.

Negotiation : During contract negotiations, representatives from two companies must find common ground to strike a mutually beneficial agreement, considering the needs and limitations of both parties.

Project management: A project manager identifies potential risks and develops contingency plans to address unforeseen obstacles, ensuring the project stays on track.

Decision-making under pressure: In a high-stakes situation, a medical professional must make a critical decision regarding a patient’s treatment, weighing all available information and considering potential risks.

Conflict resolution: A team encounters conflicts due to differing opinions or approaches. The team leader facilitates a discussion to reach a consensus while considering everyone’s perspectives.

Data analysis: A data scientist is presented with a large dataset and is tasked with extracting valuable insights. They apply analytical techniques to identify trends, correlations, and patterns that can inform decision-making.

Customer service: A customer service representative encounters a challenging customer complaint and must employ active listening and problem-solving skills to address the issue and provide a satisfactory resolution.

Market research : A business seeks to expand into a new market. They conduct thorough market research, analyzing consumer behavior, competitor strategies, and economic factors to make informed market-entry decisions.

Creative problem-solvin g: An engineer faces a design challenge and must think outside the box to come up with a unique and innovative solution that meets project requirements.

Change management: During a company-wide transition, managers must effectively communicate the change, address employees’ concerns, and facilitate a smooth transition process.

Crisis management: When a company faces a public relations crisis, effective critical thinking is necessary to analyze the situation, develop a response strategy, and minimize potential damage to the company’s reputation.

Cost optimization : A financial analyst identifies areas where expenses can be reduced while maintaining operational efficiency, presenting recommendations for cost savings.

Time management : An employee has multiple deadlines to meet. They assess the priority of each task, develop a plan, and allocate time accordingly to achieve optimal productivity.

Quality control: A production manager detects an increase in product defects and investigates the root causes, implementing corrective actions to enhance product quality.

Strategic planning: An executive team engages in strategic planning to define long-term goals, assess market trends, and identify growth opportunities.

Cross-functional collaboration: Multiple teams with different areas of expertise must collaborate to develop a comprehensive solution, combining their knowledge and skills.

Training and development : A manager identifies skill gaps in their team and designs training programs to enhance critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities.

Risk assessment : A risk management professional evaluates potential risks associated with a new business venture, weighing their potential impact and developing strategies to mitigate them.

Continuous improvement: An operations manager analyzes existing processes, identifies inefficiencies, and introduces improvements to enhance productivity and customer satisfaction.

Customer needs analysis: A product development team conducts extensive research to understand customer needs and preferences, ensuring that the resulting product meets those requirements.

Crisis decision-making: A team dealing with a crisis must think quickly, assess the situation, and make timely decisions with limited information.

Marketing campaign analysis : A marketing team evaluates the success of a recent campaign, analyzing key performance indicators to understand its impact on sales and customer engagement.

Constructive feedback: A supervisor provides feedback to an employee, highlighting areas for improvement and offering constructive suggestions for growth.

Conflict resolution in a team project: Team members engaged in a project have conflicting ideas on the approach. They must engage in open dialogue, actively listen to each other’s perspectives, and reach a compromise that aligns with the project’s goals.

Crisis response in a natural disaster: Emergency responders must think critically and swiftly in responding to a natural disaster, coordinating rescue efforts, allocating resources effectively, and prioritizing the needs of affected individuals.

Product innovation : A product development team conducts market research, studies consumer trends, and uses critical thinking to create innovative products that address unmet customer needs.

Supply chain optimization: A logistics manager analyzes the supply chain to identify areas for efficiency improvement, such as reducing transportation costs, improving inventory management, or streamlining order fulfillment processes.

Business strategy formulation: A business executive assesses market dynamics, the competitive landscape, and internal capabilities to develop a robust business strategy that ensures sustainable growth and competitiveness.

Crisis communication: In the face of a public relations crisis, an organization’s spokesperson must think critically to develop and deliver a transparent, authentic, and effective communication strategy to rebuild trust and manage reputation.

Social problem-solving: A group of volunteers addresses a specific social issue, such as poverty or homelessness, by critically examining its root causes, collaborating with stakeholders, and implementing sustainable solutions for the affected population.

Problem-Solving Mindset: How to Achieve It (15 Ways)

Risk assessment in investment decision-making: An investment analyst evaluates various investment opportunities, conducting risk assessments based on market trends, financial indicators, and potential regulatory changes to make informed investment recommendations.

Environmental sustainability: An environmental scientist analyzes the impact of industrial processes on the environment, develops strategies to mitigate risks, and promotes sustainable practices within organizations and communities.

Adaptation to technological advancements : In a rapidly evolving technological landscape, professionals need critical thinking skills to adapt to new tools, software, and systems, ensuring they can effectively leverage these advancements to enhance productivity and efficiency.

Productivity improvement: An operations manager leverages critical thinking to identify productivity bottlenecks within a workflow and implement process improvements to optimize resource utilization, minimize waste, and increase overall efficiency.

Cost-benefit analysis: An organization considering a major investment or expansion opportunity conducts a thorough cost-benefit analysis, weighing potential costs against expected benefits to make an informed decision.

Human resources management : HR professionals utilize critical thinking to assess job applicants, identify skill gaps within the organization, and design training and development programs to enhance the workforce’s capabilities.

Root cause analysis: In response to a recurring problem or inefficiency, professionals apply critical thinking to identify the root cause of the issue, develop remedial actions, and prevent future occurrences.

Leadership development: Aspiring leaders undergo critical thinking exercises to enhance their decision-making abilities, develop strategic thinking skills, and foster a culture of innovation within their teams.

Brand positioning : Marketers conduct comprehensive market research and consumer behavior analysis to strategically position a brand, differentiating it from competitors and appealing to target audiences effectively.

Resource allocation: Non-profit organizations distribute limited resources efficiently, critically evaluating project proposals, considering social impact, and allocating resources to initiatives that align with their mission.

Innovating in a mature market: A company operating in a mature market seeks to innovate to maintain a competitive edge. They cultivate critical thinking skills to identify gaps, anticipate changing customer needs, and develop new strategies, products, or services accordingly.

Analyzing financial statements : Financial analysts critically assess financial statements, analyze key performance indicators, and derive insights to support financial decision-making, such as investment evaluations or budget planning.

Crisis intervention : Mental health professionals employ critical thinking and problem-solving to assess crises faced by individuals or communities, develop intervention plans, and provide support during challenging times.

Data privacy and cybersecurity : IT professionals critically evaluate existing cybersecurity measures, identify vulnerabilities, and develop strategies to protect sensitive data from threats, ensuring compliance with privacy regulations.

Process improvement : Professionals in manufacturing or service industries critically evaluate existing processes, identify inefficiencies, and implement improvements to optimize efficiency, quality, and customer satisfaction.

Multi-channel marketing strategy : Marketers employ critical thinking to design and execute effective marketing campaigns across various channels such as social media, web, print, and television, ensuring a cohesive brand experience for customers.

Peer review: Researchers critically analyze and review the work of their peers, providing constructive feedback and ensuring the accuracy, validity, and reliability of scientific studies.

Project coordination : A project manager must coordinate multiple teams and resources to ensure seamless collaboration, identify potential bottlenecks, and find solutions to keep the project on schedule.  

These examples highlight the various contexts in which problem-solving and critical-thinking skills are necessary for success. By understanding and practicing these skills, individuals can enhance their ability to navigate challenges and make sound decisions in both personal and professional endeavors.

Conclusion:

Critical thinking and problem-solving are indispensable skills that empower individuals to overcome challenges, make sound decisions, and find innovative solutions. By honing these skills, one can navigate through the complexities of modern life and achieve success in both personal and professional endeavors. Embrace the power of critical thinking and problem-solving, and unlock the door to endless possibilities and growth.

• Problem solving From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• Critical thinking From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• The Importance of Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Skills for Students (5 Minutes)

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Innovation, Critical thinking, problem solving and decision making

Who is it for.

The training course is intended for professionals and middle managers dealing with complex issues.

Understanding and solving problems is an essential requirement for effective management. Other competencies required from professionals and managers, such as conceptual thinking and use of expertise, cannot deliver results if analytical thinking is weak and lacks depth.

The training provides a framework and tools for systematic problem analysis. The training also provides participants with clear guidance on the identification of problem elements that can be addressed.

You will be able to:

Continue developing your analytical thinking by applying  the effective Problem Solving Model 

Understand critical points and common mistakes made in the problem-solving process 

Use techniques for identifying and evaluating the possible causes of problems, as well as for generating and evaluating solutions to problems. 

Understand what kind of attitude is necessary in order to develop analytical thinking to its full potential.

Understand that an effective problem solving attitude involves two key processes – creative thinking (generation of multiple answers to a set problem) and systems thinking (testing the feasibility and usefulness of multiple answers options)

You will be presented with the effective Problem-Solving Model 

You will participate in discussions  on the typical phases of problem-solving 

You will be engaged in group work on a case from your real business practice where you will apply the effective Problem-Solving Model  

You will receive feedback on your work.

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Problem solving model

Priority matrix

Critical vs. non-critical thinking

Process of critical thinking

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Critical thinking behaviour – styles of critical thinking

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6 hats technique

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Author Talks: Why problem solving is the key to innovation

In this edition of Author Talks , McKinsey Global Publishing’s Raju Narisetti chats with Dr. Sheena Iyengar, S.T. Lee Professor of Business at Columbia Business School, about her new book, Think Bigger: How to Innovate (Columbia Business School Publishing, April 2023). Iyengar shares insight into her research on problem solving and explains how adaption and critical decision making affect innovation. An edited version of the conversation follows.

What problem are you trying to solve with this book?

Think Bigger: How to Innovate is a book that walks you step by step through how you can create a solution to any problem you’re trying to solve.

It seems like everything that there is to know about innovation  or that we could know about innovation has already been done. Yet if you read all those books about innovation carefully, essentially all of them are based on knowledge that’s old.

Our current practices in the business world—and even, I might add, in academic settings—have not updated their approaches to teaching people how to be creative, how to ideate in line with those recent advances. We still tell people, effectively, to either mind wander—sort of daydream—or to brainstorm. Brainstorming was invented in 1930, although we have updated it and made it better than it was in 1938. Given our current knowledge about the way the mind works, we can do better than waiting for a mind wander to have a result or a so-called aha moment or a flash of insight to happen. We can do better than brainstorm.

Essentially, the problem that the Think Bigger: How to Innovate methodology solves for is the question, “What do you need to do to have an idea?” It’s not about waiting for an aha moment. It’s not about going out and brainstorming. It’s what you can actually do, step by step, to get an idea.

There is also a personal reason behind the book for you.

There is a very personal, emotional reason. I was born with a rare eye disease: retinitis pigmentosa. I have a rare form of it; I went blind as a very young person. One of the things that happens when you’re growing up disabled is that you’re forever told about all the choices you can’t have. At the same time, you have this message that you’re always given, particularly in American culture, that you can grow up and do and be whatever it is you want to do and be, as long as you put your heart and mind to it.

If you think about it, both those messages are essentially extreme and incorrect. It’s not the case that I can’t do anything. It’s not the case that I can do anything. The questions are, how do I figure out what choices I have? What choices can I create?

That was a lifelong struggle for me. It was something that I very much started to try and tackle growing up and then as an undergrad. And certainly my dissertation and much of my research up until Think Bigger: How to Innovate had to do with choice and how I, as a disabled person, have choices.

What I also began to realize, though, is that my way of creating choices, either when there are no known choices out there for me or when people just don’t realize what choices might be available to me, could be a method that was based on science. What I realized is that this isn’t just me who has this struggle of, “How do you create meaningful choices?”

When I look around me, every single person is wondering, “What dreams are possible for me? Which of those dreams can I turn into reality, and what’s that process, step by step?” Rather than waiting for chance encounters or waiting for an aha moment to hit you, maybe I can actually make it more systematic for you, so you have a how-to toolkit.

As step one, why is it important to choose the right problem?

Let’s take the invention of ice cream. Who made ice cream this globally accessible thing? She was a woman by the name of Nancy Johnson  who, in the 1800s, was the wife of a chemist. She was a 50-year-old woman who was a missionary. Well one of the things that happened back then is that, yes, you had ice cream, but it was very, very expensive. George Washington paid close to $200 for a little thing of ice cream when he was president.

In the early 1800s, Nancy Johnson asks the question, “How do you make ice cream accessible?” Now back then, they would take a bowl, and they would fill it with ice. Then they would take a smaller bowl, fill it with cream, and then stir, stir, stir, stir, stir, stir. It would form lots of lumps, and it would get harder and harder to stir as it’s thickening. It was backbreaking labor.

The first question was, “How do you keep it cold as you’re stirring it?” Because it would often melt as they would be stirring it. “How do you make it easier to make so it’s not backbreaking labor, and how do you keep it from forming lumps?”

What does Nancy Johnson do? She takes a water pail, which had been around already for 400 years. But the pail was much bigger than the bowl. She then fills that with ice, and then inside it, she puts the cream into something made of pewter. She asked herself, “How do you keep it cold? Well when men go to the tavern, what do they drink their beer in that keeps it cold? Pewter.”

She puts the cream in the pewter container, then said, “How do I make the labor less backbreaking?” Well let’s use a hand crank,” which was used for grinding up spices and coffee. “Let’s attach to that hand crank spatulas.” But the spatulas would have holes in them so that as you’re stirring, the liquid could go through, which would make it a lot easier to stir. She learned about the role of spatulas with holes in them from runaway slaves who were often coming from sugar plantations where they had to mix hot, sugary liquids to make molasses. And to prevent it from forming crystals, they would have these holes in the spatula.

Essentially, you create a culmination of water pail, plus the pewter bowl, plus the hand grinder, plus the spatula with the holes in it. You’ve now created what was dubbed as a disruptive technology back in 1843.

What are the steps here? You define the problem, which is step one. You break it down into its most important subparts: How do I keep it cold? How do I make it less cumbersome to make? How do I reduce the formation of lumps? For each subpart of your problem, you search far and wide so you can go beyond your industry. You go beyond your main domain  of inquiry. You ask yourself how other industries solve for this subproblem—for example, with pewter, the hand grinder, the spatula with the holes in it. You now combine those pieces together in a unique way. And voilà, you have an innovation that not only solved the problem but now becomes scalable .

That is essentially the Think Bigger: How to Innovate method; that is essentially what I teach people how to do. In step one, you start by defining the problem . Most of the time, it’s actually not as self-evident as, “How do I make ice cream accessible?” I would suspect that even Nancy Johnson took a while before she understood how to define that problem. As Einstein was reported to have said, “If I had an hour to save the planet, I would spend the first 55 minutes thinking about the problem and the last five minutes thinking about the solution.”

Step two is to break the identified problem into subcomponents?

Once you have your problem statement, which we always phrase as a question—"What’s the problem I’m trying to solve?”—in order that you can have an open mind, you then break it down. You break it down into its most important pieces.

Every problem has a bazillion things that have to be solved. You’re never going to solve everything. I call it “the 80 percent rule.” You break it down into the highest-priority parts. If I were to solve for these three to five different subparts, then I’ll solve for about 80 percent of my problem.

Let’s take a sport that’s very near and dear to our hearts: basketball. The guy who invented basketball was James Naismith, who, in 1891, was this gym teacher in Massachusetts. He was asked to come up with a sport that young people could play in the winter. In spring and summer, when the weather was nice, they could play football, they could play rugby, they could play lacrosse, and they could play soccer. But how do you keep them occupied and burn off their energy in the winter in Massachusetts, when there was a lot of snow?

What were the things he had to solve for? Well he had to make sure the sport was playable indoors. He had to make sure that whatever sport they played wouldn’t be so rough—you couldn’t have them falling on the ground; it was going to be a rough floor, and that could hurt somebody. It had to feel challenging. It had to be fast, competitive, and burn off some energy.

He’s looking around at soccer, football, et cetera, and says, “What if we take a ball, like from soccer? Think about a ball, what can I do with it indoors? Well passing it sounds like a good idea. But obviously we don’t want to push. That could lead to injury. But I don’t want to have them throw the ball to a line; that seems awfully easy in an indoor space. A net seems a little too complicated. What do I do? Well how about this sport that nobody ever really knows about? It’s called ‘duck on the rock.’ A little ‘duck’ sits on a rock, and you throw things at it to get the duck to fall off. What if we did something like that indoors?” He took a peach basket, and he made a hole in it. “What if we throw the soccer ball into that?”

The reason that James Naismith was able to create basketball was that he understood what subparts of his problem he needed to solve for. That’s what enabled him to create the game.

Step three is asking what the problem will solve for?

You’ve got your problem, and you’ve broken it down. Now most people tend to start generating solutions. That’s certainly a very natural temptation to have. I always say, at that point, create a “sparking lot.” These are just sparks. Whatever solution you’re going to come up with right now is partial.

It’s important at this stage, when you know a bit about the problem, to step back and ask yourself, if you were to find the ideal solution, how should it feel? How are you going to know what solution is better for you versus worse for you? By really knowing how you want that solution to feel.

You know, we think feelings are bad things and shouldn’t be a part of any creative or decision-making process. That’s incorrect. Feelings are the only things that can truly guide you in determining what your selection criteria is. You still have to be systematic about it. You can’t be random about when you use your feelings. That’s why we do it right now in step three.

How do you want your final solution to feel? You have to uncover your wants. You know there’s the famous story about Bill Gates. It is about when he first created his basic software; he attached his software to a desktop computer called Altair. People really weren’t interested in the computer, but they were very interested in his software. He kept finding people who were pirating his software. It made him mad, and he would write these nasty letters to all these computer hobbyists saying, “You guys are just pirates.”

He was pretty angry about it as long as he thought his fate and his desires were attached to Altair. Then one day, when he was walking around a conference floor with computer hobbyists, he discovered they were all using his software. They were exchanging it on all kinds of machines. And then a light bulb went off in his head. “Wait, what is it that I really want? Is it that I want Altair to succeed? Or is it that I want people to start using this software?” After he had that insight, he essentially terminated his contract and went on to take his software to IBM and other companies. The world has never been the same.

Step four is to search both in and out of the box?

Once you get to step four, you’re now ready to start the ideation process, the solution-generation process. Step four I call “search in and out of the box.” The reason that I call it that is, so often, we tell people to do out-of-the-box thinking. Then we stick them in the room and tell them to brainstorm.

Well, brainstorming is a great way to share the knowledge  that’s in the room. But it’s not out-of-the-box thinking. Out-of-the-box thinking requires you to search far and wide for how different industries and different people at different points in time have solved for analogous problems.

Out-of-the-box thinking requires you to search far and wide for how different industries and different people at different points in time have solved for analogous problems.

You collect those tactics or strategies. Let’s take the case of Henry Ford and the invention of the Ford car. Henry Ford did not invent the car. Henry Ford did not invent the assembly line. Henry Ford did not invent any of the elements that went on to create the Model T. He searched far and wide and found the pieces he needed to put together.

Back then, a car cost $2,000, which was unaffordable. So Ford thought, “How do I reduce the cost of labor? How do I reduce the amount of time it takes to make a car? How do I reduce the cost of materials?” Very simple, subparts to the problem.

“How do I reduce the cost of labor? Well by creating specialization.” The assembly line was actually already being used by Oldsmobile. Now you have a system where one person knows about putting together the engine, another person knows about putting together the frame, and so forth. Each person has to learn only their particular thing, which makes them faster and faster at doing that thing.

“How do I reduce the amount of time that it takes to make a car?” At that time, it took 12.5 hours to build a car. When one of Ford’s engineers was visiting the slaughterhouses of Chicago, they observed something very interesting. In the early 1900s, when they would take an animal apart to pack it and send it on a train to various locations, they would use something called “the moving disassembly line.” Ford already had an assembly line for the car. What happens if you add the moving business to this? It reduces the amount of time it takes to build a car from 12.5 hours to about two hours. That’s huge!

“Now how do I reduce the cost of materials?” Back then, you could have your car any color you wanted. But Ford was famous for saying you could have your car in any color you wanted, as long as it was black. That’s because there was this new paint that had come on the market called japanning. It looked like a black lacquer—very much like Japanese art— and would dry in less than 24 hours. The average paint color back then would take about seven to 14 days to dry. Once you put together japanning with a moving assembly line, not only do you reduce the amount of time it takes to build a car, but you also can bring down the price. They brought down the price of that car to around $250. It was tremendous.

Notice what’s happening here. It’s not like Ford’s trying to become an interdisciplinary businessperson or scientist. No, he’s just learning from different industries and importing into his own world tactics that worked in other industries. He’s importing them into his world and adopting and editing them for use for his problem. And that’s the core to thinking bigger, whether it’s creating a business, whether it’s being a revolutionary scientist, whether it’s being a revolutionary leader .

What does step five, choice mapping, do?

In Think Bigger: How to Innovate , the alternative to brainstorming that I present is choice mapping. The way to think about choice mapping is just that it is a more efficient and deliberative approach to getting that flash of insight. Rather than waiting around for that flash of insight to happen, perhaps randomly, I am essentially telling you what you can do for your cognitive functioning to have that flash of insight. I’m very structured about it and very deliberative about teaching people how to do it.

The alternative to brainstorming that I present is choice mapping. The way to think about choice mapping is just that it is a more efficient and deliberative approach to getting that flash of insight.

Let me give you an example of how choice mapping works. I’m going to use one of our great heroes. Up until now, we’ve mainly talked about products. But the Think Bigger: How to Innovate method is not just to use for products, big and small. It also explains the ways ideas are formed. That’s true of any idea, including such big ideas as democracy, for example.

Let’s consider Mahatma Gandhi. He was not just an amazing person who did an amazing thing in his lifetime, but he essentially created a technique that we use even now for how to voice discontent when you don’t have power. Now when we analyze somebody like Gandhi, we try to analyze what his childhood was like. We try to analyze what his character was. What was the complexity of his character? Who were the people he knew? What were the ideas that influenced him? All of that is a really interesting part of his narrative. But those are not the elements that made his idea.

Stepping away from his story—the story itself is of course amazing, and everybody should learn it—I want to just focus in on the pieces he brought together to create his idea. He is trying to solve the problem of getting a large group of people who are very different from one another—different in caste, different in religion, different in language—in a bazillion different ways. It’s a very diverse population, the Indian colony. Now he wants to help them get freedom. How do they create a form of rebellion that has some likelihood of success, given that they’re fighting against a mighty power?

First, is there any method that anybody’s ever used to go against powerful entities and win? Turns out he has an example from the Brits themselves: the women’s suffragette movement. Hunger strikes. In fact, Gandhi notes in various writings how the Indians should take a page from the women’s suffragette movement. Then he was influenced by the work of Tolstoy and the communal farms that he created in Russia. In fact, if you look at the original farms that Gandhi created in South Africa, they have many of the same elements that Tolstoy created.

Now Gandhi has the problem of how to bring a bunch of people who are very different from one another to all agree with each other and have a kind of common cause. That’s where, drawing from Tolstoy, he creates the ashram.

Third, how to get people who are naturally suspicious of foreign ideas to adopt the principle of nonviolence and more of a community feeling with one another? That’s where he brings in very traditional garb and very traditional language from Hinduism.

Bring these elements together, and you have Gandhi’s idea of nonviolent civil disobedience. I would say the best demonstration of how he put all these pieces together was the Salt March.

Step six, the final one, you call ‘the third eye.’

The third eye is asking the question, “Do you see what I see?” Imagine at the end of step five, you’ve generated a whole bunch of ideas. Choice mapping can generate a lot more solutions than any other method. They’ll be unique solutions to the problem that you’ve set forth. Now that you’ve picked a solution, and you like it, it’s up in your head. Now the question is, how do I figure it out if it’s worth taking to the next level?

We have a method for that. That method is not to go out and ask people, “Do you like it?” We don’t even know if they know what we’re talking about. What is this thing we want them to either like or dislike? The third eye is learning what others see or hear or experience or imagine as we present to them our idea.

This is not prototyping; this is before that. One of my favorite examples of someone who very effectively used the third eye, without calling it that, was Paul McCartney. I had the honor and privilege of being able to interview him when I was working on my book. We talked about the process he used when creating the song “Yesterday.” The apocryphal story that we often hear is just that he woke up one morning and the tune was in his head; that was it. That’s certainly a true part of the story, but it’s not the whole story.

He woke up one morning with this tune in his head, and he didn’t want to forget the tune. So he put some nonsensical words to the tune, and then he began to hum the tune to people. He wouldn’t ask them, “Hey do you like it?” He would ask them, “Have you ever heard this tune before?” He would hum this tune to lots of people, his fellow band members, other professional musicians, strangers, and friends. Again and again, what he heard was, “Well no. It sounds familiar, but I’ve never heard this tune.” Little by little, as he’s doing this, and he’s watching their reactions, he’s realizing there is some magic to this tune.

This inquiry is not just about discovering yes or no. He’s continuing to iterate, building out his tune. As he’s building it out, he finally gets to the point where he is sitting in a car in Portugal, and he starts coming up with lyrics.

Visit Author Talks to see the full series.

Sheena Iyengar is the S. T. Lee Professor of Business at Columbia Business School. Raju Narisetti is the leader of McKinsey Global Publishing and is based in McKinsey’s New York office.

Comments and opinions expressed by interviewees are their own and do not represent or reflect the opinions, policies, or positions of McKinsey & Company or have its endorsement.

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Critical thinking and problem solving with technology.

Brief Summary: Critical thinking and problem solving is a crucial skill in a technical world that can immediately be applied to academics and careers. A highly skilled individual in this competency can choose the appropriate tool to accomplish a task, easily switch between tools, has a basic understanding of different file types, and can troubleshoot technology when it’s not working properly. They can also differentiate between true information and falsified information online and has basic proficiency in data gathering, processing and interpretation. 

Learners with proficient skills in critical thinking and problem solving should be able to: 

• Troubleshoot computers and mobile devices when issues arise, like restarting the device and checking if it requires a software or operating system update 
• Move across tools to complete a task (for example, adding PowerPoint slides into a note taking app for annotation) 
• Differentiate between legitimate and falsified information online 
• Understand basic file types and know when to use them (for example, the difference between .doc and .pdf files) 

Market/Employer Trends: Employers indicate value in employee ability to problem solve using technology, particularly related to drawing information from data to identify and solve challenges. Further, knowing how to leverage technology tools to see a problem, break it down into manageable pieces, and work toward solving is of important value. Employers expect new employees to be able to navigate across common toolsets, making decisions to use the right tool for the right task.  

Self-Evaluation: 

Key questions for reflection: 

• How comfortable are you when technology doesn’t work the way you expect?  
• Do you know basic troubleshooting skills to solve tech issues?  
• Do you know the key indicators of whether information you read online is reliable? 

Strong digital skills in this area could appear as: 

• Updating your computer after encountering a problem and resolving the issue 
• Discerning legitimate news sources from illegitimate ones to successfully meet goals 
• Converting a PowerPoint presentation into a PDF for easy access for peers who can’t use PowerPoint 
• Taking notes on a phone and seamlessly completing them on a computer

Ways to Upskill: 

Ready to grow your strength in this competency? Try: 

• Reviewing University Libraries’ resources on research and information literacy  
• Read about troubleshooting in college in the Learner Technology Handbook 
• Registering for ESEPSY 1359: Critical Thinking and Collaboration in Online Learning  

Educator Tips to Support Digital Skills: 

• Create an assignment in Carmen prompting students to find legitimate peer-reviewed research  
• Provide links to information literacy resources on research-related assignments or projects for student review 
• Develop assignments that require using more than one tech tool to accomplish a single task 

Assessing and Teaching 21st Century Skills: Collaborative Problem Solving as a Case Study

• First Online: 05 April 2017

Cite this chapter

• Patrick Griffin 6  

Part of the book series: Methodology of Educational Measurement and Assessment ((MEMA))

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This chapter describes the assessment of collaborative problem solving using human-to-human interaction. Tasks were designed to require partners to contribute resources or skills that they uniquely controlled. Issues were task design, data capture, item and data definition, calibration, and the link to teaching intervention. The interpretation of the student performance is mapped to a criterion-referenced interpretation framework, and reports are designed to assist teachers to intervene at a Vygotsky zone of proximal development in order to promote development of the student ability in collaborative problem solving. The data analytics demonstrate how the equivalent of test items are developed and issues such a local independence are discussed.

An earlier version of this chapter was presented as a keynote lecture at the Institute of Curriculum & Instruction at East China Normal University, November 6–8, 2015, Shanghai, China.

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Griffin, P. (2017). Assessing and Teaching 21st Century Skills: Collaborative Problem Solving as a Case Study. In: von Davier, A., Zhu, M., Kyllonen, P. (eds) Innovative Assessment of Collaboration. Methodology of Educational Measurement and Assessment. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-33261-1_8

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Team Building Problem-Solving Activities Drive Performance

T eam building activities are essential for fostering a collaborative and cohesive work environment. Among the various types of team-building exercises, problem-solving activities stand out as particularly effective. They not only enhance critical thinking and creativity but also improve communication and build trust among team members.

Executed effectively, engaging team activities can have a dramatic impact on business performance, culture, and job satisfaction. In this blog post, we'll explore the numerous benefits of team-building problem-solving activities, highlighting several examples, including the increasingly popular escape rooms.

Why Team Building Problem-Solving Activities Matter

Enhances critical thinking and creativity.

Problem-solving activities require team members to think critically and come up with innovative solutions. This stimulates the brain and encourages out-of-the-box thinking, which can translate to more creative problem-solving in the workplace.

Improves Communication

Effective communication is the backbone of any successful team. Problem-solving activities force team members to communicate their ideas clearly and listen to others. This practice helps in breaking down communication barriers and enhances overall team interaction.

Builds Trust and Collaboration

Trust is built when team members rely on each other to overcome challenges. Dynamic team-building events and activities require collaboration, where each member's input is valued. This mutual dependence fosters a sense of trust and strengthens team bonds.

Develops Leadership Skills

These activities often present opportunities for team members to step up and lead. It helps identify potential leaders and allows them to develop their leadership skills in a supportive environment.

Boosts Morale and Engagement

Engaging in fun and challenging activities outside the regular work routine can boost team morale. It provides a refreshing break and can reignite enthusiasm and motivation among team members.

Examples of Effective Problem-Solving Activities

1. escape rooms.

Escape rooms have become a popular choice for team-building activities. In an escape room, a team is locked in a themed room and must solve a series of puzzles and riddles to "escape" within a set time limit. The immersive and high-pressure environment encourages teamwork, sharpens problem-solving skills, and enhances communication.

Benefits of Escape Rooms:

• Enhanced Cooperation: Teams must work together to solve puzzles, ensuring everyone's input is considered.
• Improved Time Management: With a ticking clock, teams learn to prioritize tasks and manage their time effectively.
• Increased Engagement: The thrilling and immersive experience keeps team members engaged and invested in the outcome.

2. Treasure/Scavenger Hunts

Treasure hunts involve teams following clues to find a hidden "treasure." This activity can be conducted indoors or outdoors and requires strategic planning and teamwork.

Benefits of Treasure/Scavenger Hunts:

• Strategic Thinking: Teams must plan their route and approach to find the treasure efficiently.
• Collaboration: Clues often require combined knowledge and skills, promoting teamwork.
• Fun and Physical Activity: It combines mental and physical challenges, making it a well-rounded activity.

3. Problem-Solving Workshops

Workshops focused on specific problem-solving techniques can be highly beneficial. These workshops often involve case studies, role-playing, and group discussions to tackle real-world problems.

Benefits of Problem-Solving Workshops:

• Skill Development: Team members learn new problem-solving techniques and strategies.
• Real-World Application: Workshops often address actual workplace issues, providing immediate value.
• Knowledge Sharing: Participants share their experiences and insights, fostering a collaborative learning environment.

4. Puzzle Challenges

Puzzle challenges can range from jigsaw puzzles to more complex logic puzzles. Teams must work together to complete the puzzle within a time limit.

Benefits of Puzzle Challenges:

• Enhanced Focus: Solving puzzles requires concentration and attention to detail.
• Patience and Persistence: Team members learn the value of persistence and patience in overcoming challenges.
• Team Synergy: Successful completion often requires understanding each team member's strengths and leveraging them effectively.

5. Simulation Games

Simulation games create realistic scenarios where teams must solve problems or make decisions under pressure. These can range from business simulations to survival scenarios.

Benefits of Simulation Games:

• Realistic Experience: Teams face realistic challenges, making the learning experience more impactful.
• Decision-Making Skills: Participants must make quick, informed decisions, improving their decision-making abilities.
• Crisis Management: Teams learn to manage stress and work efficiently under pressure.

A Powerful Tool to Drive Performance in Modern Business

Team-building problem-solving activities are a powerful tool for enhancing team dynamics and fostering a positive work environment. Whether it's the excitement of an escape room or the strategic planning of a treasure hunt, these activities offer numerous benefits that translate to improved performance and collaboration in the workplace. By investing in such activities, organizations can build stronger, more cohesive teams ready to tackle any challenge that comes their way.

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Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills Development in Ecole Globale

In the contemporary educational landscape, the emphasis on critical thinking and problem-solving skills has surged, marking these abilities as quintessential for student success both within academic environments and beyond.

The scenic city of Dehradun, nestled in the lap of the Himalayas, is home to some of the finest boarding schools in India. These schools have long been recognized for their holistic educational approaches, which blend rigorous academic curricula with character-building extracurricular activities.

Among these prestigious institutions, Ecole Globale International Girls’ School stands out for its unique focus on nurturing critical thinking and problem-solving skills. This article explores how boarding schools in Dehradun , particularly Ecole Globale, foster these vital competencies in their students.

The Importance of Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills

Before delving into the methodologies employed by boarding schools in Dehradun , it is crucial to understand why critical thinking and problem-solving skills are so essential.

In an increasingly complex and rapidly changing world, the ability to analyze information critically, make informed decisions, and solve problems efficiently is indispensable.

These skills not only enhance academic performance but also prepare students for real-world challenges, fostering adaptability, creativity, and resilience.

Boarding Schools in Dehradun: A Tradition of Excellence

Dehradun, often referred to as the ‘School Capital of India,’ boasts a rich heritage of quality education. The boarding schools in Dehradun are renowned for their picturesque campuses, state-of-the-art facilities, and comprehensive educational programs.

These schools have consistently produced alumni who excel in various fields, from academia to business and beyond. The serene environment of Dehradun, coupled with the disciplined lifestyle of boarding schools, provides an ideal setting for nurturing young minds.

Ecole Globale International Girls’ School: A Pioneer in Holistic Education

Ecole Globale International Girls’ School exemplifies the best of what schools in Dehradun have to offer.

With a mission to empower young women through education, Ecole Globale integrates a robust academic curriculum with extensive extracurricular programs designed to develop well-rounded individuals.

The school’s emphasis on critical thinking and problem-solving is woven into the fabric of its educational philosophy.

Curriculum Design and Teaching Methodologies

At Ecole Globale, the curriculum is meticulously designed to encourage intellectual curiosity and independent thinking. Subjects are not taught in isolation but are interconnected, fostering a multidisciplinary approach to learning. This method helps students understand the relevance of their studies to real-world scenarios and enhances their problem-solving capabilities.

• Inquiry-Based Learning: One of the cornerstones of Ecole Globale’s teaching methodology is inquiry-based learning. This approach encourages students to ask questions, conduct research, and engage in discussions, thereby developing critical thinking skills. Teachers act as facilitators, guiding students through the process of exploration and discovery.
• Project-Based Learning: Projects are an integral part of the curriculum, providing students with opportunities to apply theoretical knowledge to practical situations. This hands-on experience is crucial for developing problem-solving skills. Projects often involve collaboration, allowing students to work in teams, share ideas, and find innovative solutions to complex problems.
• Socratic Seminars: Ecole Globale frequently employs Socratic seminars, where students engage in critical discussions about various topics. These seminars promote deep thinking and help students articulate their thoughts clearly and confidently. The emphasis is on reasoning and evidence-based arguments, which are key components of critical thinking.

Extracurricular Activities and Skill Development

Beyond the classroom, Ecole Globale offers a plethora of extracurricular activities aimed at fostering critical thinking and problem-solving skills. These activities range from debates and public speaking to science clubs and community service projects.

• Debates and Model United Nations (MUN): Debating and MUN activities are particularly effective in enhancing critical thinking. Students must research their topics thoroughly, anticipate counterarguments, and present their points persuasively. This process not only improves their knowledge but also hones their analytical and oratory skills.
• STEM Programs: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) programs at Ecole Globale are designed to stimulate curiosity and innovation. Students engage in experiments, robotics, and coding projects, which require logical reasoning and problem-solving. These activities are instrumental in preparing students for future careers in tech-driven fields.
• Community Service: Community service projects allow students to address real-world problems and make a positive impact on society. Through these projects, students learn to identify issues, develop action plans, and implement solutions. This practical experience is invaluable in building problem-solving skills and social responsibility.

The Role of Teachers and Mentors

Teachers and mentors play a pivotal role in fostering critical thinking and problem-solving skills at Ecole Globale. The school invests in continuous professional development to ensure that educators are equipped with the latest teaching strategies and technologies.

• Mentorship Programs : Each student at Ecole Globale is paired with a mentor who provides personalized guidance and support. Mentors help students set goals, navigate challenges, and reflect on their learning experiences. This one-on-one interaction is crucial for developing self-awareness and independent thinking.
• Professional Development: Teachers regularly participate in workshops and training sessions focused on innovative teaching methodologies. These programs keep educators abreast of new developments in pedagogy and technology, enabling them to create dynamic and engaging learning environments.

Technology Integration

In today’s digital age, proficiency in technology is a fundamental aspect of critical thinking and problem-solving. Ecole Globale integrates technology seamlessly into its curriculum to enhance learning outcomes.

• Digital Classrooms: Classrooms are equipped with interactive smart boards and digital tools that facilitate dynamic teaching and learning experiences. These technologies enable access to a wealth of online resources, simulations, and interactive activities that enrich the educational process.
• Coding and Robotics: The school offers specialized courses in coding and robotics, which are essential for developing logical reasoning and computational thinking. Students learn to write code, build robots, and create algorithms, fostering a problem-solving mindset.
• Online Platforms: Ecole Globale utilizes online platforms for assignments, assessments, and collaborative projects. These platforms enable students to work together, share resources, and receive feedback in real-time, enhancing their critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Fostering a Growth Mindset

A growth mindset, the belief that abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work, is integral to nurturing critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Ecole Globale encourages a growth mindset through various initiatives.

• Encouraging Resilience: Students are taught to view challenges as opportunities for growth. This perspective helps them develop resilience and persistence, which are essential for effective problem-solving.
• Celebrating Effort: The school celebrates effort and improvement, rather than just success. This approach motivates students to take risks and embrace challenges without fear of failure.
• Reflective Practices: Reflection is a key component of the learning process at Ecole Globale. Students regularly reflect on their experiences, analyze their strengths and weaknesses, and set goals for improvement. This practice enhances self-awareness and critical thinking.

Parental Involvement

Parental involvement is crucial in the development of critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Ecole Globale actively engages parents in the educational process through various programs and initiatives.

• Workshops and Seminars: The school organizes workshops and seminars for parents on topics related to child development, education strategies, and the importance of critical thinking and problem-solving skills. These sessions equip parents with the knowledge and tools to support their children’s learning at home.
• Regular Communication: Ecole Globale maintains regular communication with parents through meetings, reports, and digital platforms. This open line of communication ensures that parents are informed about their children’s progress and can provide appropriate support.
• Parent-Teacher Partnerships: The school fosters strong partnerships between parents and teachers. Collaborative efforts ensure that students receive consistent guidance and encouragement both at school and at home.

Success Stories

The impact of Ecole Globale’s emphasis on critical thinking and problem-solving is evident in the success stories of its students.

Alumni of the school have gone on to excel in various fields, from academia and research to entrepreneurship and social work.

Their achievements are a testament to the school’s commitment to holistic education and the development of essential life skills.

Boarding schools in Dehradun, particularly Ecole Globale International Girls’ School, are at the forefront of fostering critical thinking and problem-solving skills in students.

Through innovative curricula, engaging extracurricular activities, dedicated mentorship, and cutting-edge technology, these schools provide an environment where students can thrive academically and personally.

As the world continues to evolve, the ability to think critically and solve problems creatively will remain paramount. Ecole Globale’s holistic approach ensures that its students are well-equipped to meet the challenges of the future with confidence and competence.

Related posts:

• 21st-Century Skills: Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving at Ecole Globale
• The Importance of Critical Thinking Skills in Education
• Ecole Globale’s Strategies for Fostering Cross-Cultural Communication Skills
• Developing Critical Thinking Abilities In The Students

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