POLANGUI COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Polangui, Albay

MODULE 18:
PROBLEM
SOLVING AND
CREATIVITY

I. LEARNING OUTCOMES

After this module, the students must have:

1. explain the four criteria of creativity by Torrance.

2. practice creative thinking.
3. apply problem-solving skills.

II. CONTENT DISCUSSION OR ABSTRACTION

A. INTRODUCTION:

Problem solving and creativity go hand in hand. You need to be creative in order to solve a problem. It is
unfortunate that these are not adequately taught in the classroom.

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 POLANGUI COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Polangui, Albay

B. ABSTRACTION

TORRANCE FRAMEWORK FOR CREATIVE THINKING

A common framework for creative thinking processes is described by Torrance (1979). Each aspect is
defined below, along with ways to facilitate the respective aspect by Using key words and application activities.

FLUENCY
Definition
 Fluency refers to the production of a great number of ideas or alternate solutions to a problem. Fluency
implies understanding, not just remembering information that is learned.

Key words
 Compare, Convert, count, define, describe, explain, identify, label, list, match, name, outline,
paraphrase, predict, summarize.

Application activities
 Trace a picture and label the parts. ,
 Outline an article you find on your topic.
 How many uses can you think of for a clothes hanger?
 List 15 things that are commonly red or contain red.
 Example: Apple, blood, brick, caboose, cherry, Christmas stocking, exit sign, fire alarm, flag, heart, red
nose reindeer, rose, tomato, wagon.

FLEXIBILITY
Definition
 Flexibility refers to the production of ideas that show a variety of possibilities or realms of thought. It
involves the ability to see things from different points of view, to use many different approaches or
strategies.

Key words
 Change, demonstrate, distinguish, employ, extrapolate, interpolate, interpret, predict.

Application ideas
 What would happen if...there were no automobiles?
 How would a...dog look to a flea?
 How is like ?
 How would you feel if... you were invisible for a day?
 How would you group the ideas about “red” into categories?

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 POLANGUI COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Polangui, Albay

Example: Fruit, safety features, vehicles.

Once categories are identified, fluency may be further demonstrated by generating more ideas about the
idea red within categories. Even a modest attempt could result in the following lists, recognizing that the creative
thinking process may shift the mind in a spiral way between all four aspects of creativity.

ELABORATION

Definition
 Elaboration is the process of enhancing ideas by providing more details. Additional detail and clarity
improves interest in, and understanding of, the topic.

Key words
 Appraise, critique, determine, evaluate, grade, judge, measure, select, test.

Application ideas
 Tell your neighbor about your last family trip using as many details as possible.
 What can you add to_______ to improve its quality or performance?
 Describe all the possible characteristics of the red quality in a wagon.
Example: Shade, finish, texture, uniformity.

ORIGINALITY
Definition
 Originality involves the production of ideas that are unique or unusual. It involves synthesis or putting
information about a topic back together in a new way.

Keywords
 Compose, create, design, generate, integrate, modify, rearrange, reconstruct, reorganize, revise.

Application ideas
 Find an original use for ____________.
 ! What would be the strangest way to get out of bed?
 Design a new____________ that is better than the one you have.
 Write an unusual title for the ideas about red.,
Example: Revolutionary “Red” Representation.

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 POLANGUI COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Polangui, Albay

An overview of the four aspects of creativity appears in a PowerPoint presentation that may be ‘downloaded
from the following link: Creativity.ppt.
An adaptation of the creativity aspects to the construct “jumping” appears in a Word document that may be
downloaded from the following link: Jumping.doc.

CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING - CPS

Creative Problem Solving (CPS) is an intentional process for solving problems and discovering
opportunities. It espouses the use of creativity in coming up with solutions which are not only novel but practical as
well. In the 1950’s Alex Osborn described this process in his book, Applied Imagination. Osborn opened the process
in the public domain which meant anyone can use it. Over the years Countless people have utilized the CPS in
various fields and endeavors.

Osborn’s Checklist, the origin of Classical Brainstorming is the root of creative problem solving (CPS). There
are a variety of general structures: define problem, generate possible solutions, select and implement the best which
can be found extensively, in several different academic traditions.

In its most extended and formalized form it has the six stages shown below, each with a divergent and a
convergent phase. However, more recent publications seem more interested in focusing on procedure and technique
issues, with less weight on the full elaboration of this structure.

The following, based on Van Gundy (1988’s) description, is a very brief skeleton of a very rich process,
showing it in its full ‘6 x 2 stages’ form:

1. Stage 1: Mess finding: Sensitise yourself (scan, search) for issues (concerns, challenges, opportunities, etc.)
that need to be tackled.
 Divergent techniques include ‘Wouldn’t It Be Nice If...’ (WIBNI) and ‘Wouldn’t It Be Awful If. ..‘ (WIBAI) –
brainstorming to identify desirable outcomes and obstacles to be overcome.
 Convergent techniques include the identification of hotspots (Highlighting), expressed as a list of
IWWMs (‘In What Ways Might...‘), and selection in terms of ownership criteria (e.g. problem-owner’s
motivation and ability to influence it) and outlook criteria (e.g. urgency, familiarity, stability).
2. Stage 2: Data finding: Gather information about the problem.
 Divergent techniques include Five Ws and H (Who, Why, What, When, Where and How) and listing of
wants, sources and data: List all your information ‘wants’ as a series of question: for each, list possible
sources of answers: then follow these up and for each source, list what you found.
 Convergent techniques again include: identifying hotspots (Highlighting); Mind mapping to sort and
classify the information gathered; and also restating the problem in the light of your richer
understanding of it.
3. Stage 3: Problem finding: convert a fuzzy statement of the problem into a broad statement more suitable for idea
finding.
 Divergent techniques include asking ‘Why?’ etc. - the repeatable questions and Five W’s an4 H.
 Convergent techniques include highlighting again, reformulation of prob1emStatemt5 to meet the
criteria that they contain only one problem and no criteria, and selection of the most promising

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 POLANGUI COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Polangui, Albay

statement (but NB that the mental ‘stretching’ that the activity gives to the participants can be as
important as the actual statement chosen).
4. Stage 4. Idea Finding: generate as many ideas as possible
 Divergence using any of a very wide range of idea-generating techniques. The general rules of Classic
Brainstorming (such as deferring judgment) are likely to underpin all of these.
 Convergence can again involve hotspots or mind-mapping, the combining of different ideas, and the
shortlisting of the most promising handful, perhaps with some thought for the more obvious evaluation
criteria, but not over-restrictively.
5. Stage 5. Solution finding: Generate and select obvious evaluation criteria (using an expansion/contraction cycle)
and develop (which may include combining) the short-listed ideas from Idea Finding as much as you can in the
light of these criteria. Then opt for the best of these improved ideas (e.g. using Comparison tables).
6. Stage 6. Acceptance finding: How can the suggestion you have just selected be made up to standard and put
into practice? Shun negativity, and continue to apply deferred judgment problems are exposed to be solved, not
to dishearten progress. Action plans are better developed in small groups of 2-3 rather than in a large group
(unless you particularly want commitment by the whole group). Particularly for ‘people’ problems it is often worth
developing several alternative action plans. Possible techniques include Five W’s and H, Implementation
Checklists, Consensus Mapping, Potential-Problem Analysis (PPA).

Retrieved from http://www. mycoted. corn/Creative_Problem_Solving-CPS

OTHER MODEL FOR PROBLEM SOLVING

Bransford’s IDEAL Model

1. Identify the problem.

2. Define the problem through thinking about it and sorting out the relevant information.
3. Explore solutions through looking at alternatives, brainstorming, and checking Out different points of
view.
4. Act on the strategies.
5. Look back and evaluate the effects of your activity.

III. LEARNER’S EXPERIENCES OR ACTIVITIES/EXERCISES

A. Choose a topic from your field of specialization. Think of an activity to introduce the topic which will provide
an opportunity for your learners to practice creative thinking and problem-solving skills.

Formulate 5 questions each of the four (4) aspects of creative thinking:

1. Fluency
a.
b.
c.
d.

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 POLANGUI COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Polangui, Albay

e.

2. Flexibility
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

3. Elaboration
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

4. Originality
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

IV. ASSESSMENT/REFLECTION TOOLS

1. Forming creative questions

2. Rubrics

V. MATERIALS/REFERENCE LINKS

a. Book:
Facilitating Learning: A Metacognitive Process
- Maria Rita D. Lucas, Ph.D.
- Brenda B. Corpuz, Ph.D.
b. Internet

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