1 of 33

THINKING & PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS

Zed

CHAPTER 8

2 of 33

LEARNING OUTCOME

Ability to describe the model of thinking and apply the different types of thinking in the problem solving process

3 of 33

What are THINKING SKILLS?

Thinking is a natural function or believe that the great thinkers among us are gifted. Research shows that each of us has a hugely powerful potential in our brains that lies vastly under-used.

​

  1. Potential of the brain (100 billion cells)
  2. Brain Power (10 billion neurons)
  3. Exploring the Myths (Intelligence Quotient)
  4. Brainworks (logical, imaginative, invent, innovate)
  5. Management thinking (basic facts, understanding, analysis, social skills, creativity, self-knowledge.)
  6. Key-points, (breaking down into points)

4 of 33

THINKING

Knowledge

  • “Thought is the key to knowledge.
  • Knowledge is
    • discovered by thinking
    • analyzed by thinking
    • organized by thinking
    • transformed by thinking
    • assessed by thinking
    • and, most importantly, acquired by thinking.” (Paul, 1993 vii)

5 of 33

6 of 33

The Thinking Process

7 of 33

Model of Learning

MUDD

Memory, Understanding, Doing, Desire

​

8 of 33

Model of Learning

  • Memory: involves association, repetition, review, paraphrasing and self-testing

​

  • Understanding: making sense of information, extracting meaning and relating information to the realities of everyday life. Understanding involves questioning, comparing, contrasting, analysis, synthesis, evaluation, acquiring insight and problem-solving

​

9 of 33

10 of 33

The Thinking Process

  • Essential knowledge – facts, concepts, principles, procedures

11 of 33

The Thinking Process

  • Barriers to good thinking
    • habits of perception (beliefs, preconceive ideas, visual or mental illusions)
    • Restricted working memory (7±2 bits)
    • Slow conscious processing speed

12 of 33

Types of Thinking

​

  • Creative Thinking (new and original)
  • Critical Thinking (fact and judgement)
  • Meta-Cognitive (thinking about one's own thought processes)

​

How do we put these in perspective….so we can apply them in problem solving?

13 of 33

Cognition is the "mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses".

14 of 33

15 of 33

Creative Thinking

Generating possibilities

        • Generate many possibilities
        • Generate different types of possibilities
        • Generate novel possibilities

​

​

Creative products involve combining old ideas or elements in new ways.

​

16 of 33

Critical Thinking

17 of 33

Critical Thinking

Comparison and contrast

​

    • Identify what is similar between things, objects/options/ideas, etc.
    • Identify what is different between things
    • Identify and consider what is important about both the similarities and differences
    • Identify a range of situations when the different features are applicable

18 of 33

Critical Thinking

Analysis

​

  1. Identify the relationship of the parts to a whole in a system/structure/model.
  2. Identify functions of each part.
  3. Identify consequences to the whole, if a part was missing.
  4. Identify what collections of parts form essential sub-systems of the whole.
  5. Identify if and how certain parts have a synergetic effect

19 of 33

Critical Thinking

Inference and interpretation

​

  1. Identify intentions and assumptions in data
  2. Separate fact from opinion in data
  3. Identify key points, connections, and contradictions in data
  4. Make meaning of the data/information available
  5. Establish a best picture to make predictions

20 of 33

Critical Thinking

Evaluation

​

  1. Decide on what is to be evaluated
  2. Identify appropriate criteria for which an evaluation can be made
  3. Prioritise the importance of the criteria
  4. Apply the criteria and make a decision

21 of 33

Meta-cognition

  1. Aware that we can think in an organized manner
  2. Actively thinking about how we are thinking
  3. Monitoring and evaluating how effective we are in thinking
  4. Seeking to make more effective use of the different ways of thinking, as well as any helpful learning strategies, tools and resources

​

"To be properly metacognitive ... students have to be realistically aware of their own cognitive resources in relation to the task demands, and then to plan, monitor, and control those resources"

​

22 of 33

What is Good Thinking?

Good Thinking is ......

​

The ability to use the 6 types of thinking in a highly competent manner to solve problems:

​

This involves:· Using each type of thinking effectively and efficiently. Using the 6 types simultaneously, in unison, and synergistically

23 of 33

The Key to Good Thinking�From learners' perspective

Use the 6 types of thinking deliberately and consciously for at least 20 days- until they become a habit.

​

Continually be aware that you will need to do other things equally deliberately and consciously.

​

Manage and motivate yourself – no desire, no significant learning

Be straight and honest with yourself – be prepared to develop other necessary skills and work hard at reframing any negative beliefs

​

Put in plenty of effort to acquire the necessary content knowledge (good thinking requires a sound knowledge base)

​

Use a range of thinking tools to help direct and organize your thinking where useful

24 of 33

PROBLEM SOLVING

SKILLS

25 of 33

1.3 Problem Solving Skills

  • 1.3.1 Why Problem Solving is Important?
    • Engineers by definition are problem solvers
    • Whether they are involved in analytical, experimental, computational or design work, engineers solve problems
    • In professional practice, engineers commonly solve problems that are highly complex and open- ended
    • Good engineering requires high-level thinking

26 of 33

1.3 Problem Solving Skills

  • 1.3.1 Why Problem Solving is Important?
    • Professor Woods and his colleagues at McMaster University define problem solving as:
      • "Problem solving is the process of obtaining a satisfactory solution to a novel problem, or at least a problem which the problem solver has not seen before.“
    • Real world problems tend to be quite different than most

exercises found in engineering textbooks

    • Many studies have found that engineering graduates, even though they solve more than 2,500 exercises in their undergraduate work, lack the essential problem solving skills needed to tackle real world problems

27 of 33

1.3 Problem Solving Skills

  • 1.3.2 Problem Approach

HARD WAY

SOLUTION

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

PROBLEM

28 of 33

1.3 Problem Solving Skills

  • 1.3.2 Problem Solving Approach
    • Wood’s Method [2,3]

STEPS

DESCRIPTION

0. Engage/Motivation

I can do it! I want to do it!

1. Define the Problem

  • Define what the problem states
  • Sketch the problem (if appropriate)
  • Determine the given information
  • Determine constraints
  • Define criterion for judging final product

2. Explore the problem

  • Determine the real objective of the problem
  • Examine issues involved
  • Make reasonable assumptions
  • Guess/estimate the answer

29 of 33

1.3 Problem Solving Skills

  • 1.3.2 Problem Solving Approach
    • Wood’s Method

STEPS

DESCRIPTION

3. Plan the solution

  • Develop a plan to solve the problem
  • Map out sub-problems
  • Select appropriate theory, principles, approach
  • Determine info that needs to be found

4. Implement the plan

  • Take actions
  • Do calculations and analysis

5. Check the solution

  • Units and accuracy

6. Evaluate/Reflect

  • Is it reasonable? Does it make sense?
  • Were the assumptions appropriate?
  • How does it compare to initial guess/estimate?
  • If appropriate, ask the question: is it socially /

ethically acceptable?

30 of 33

1.3 Problem Solving Skills

  • 1.3.2 Problem Solving Approach
    • Wales’s Method – Professional Decision Making Process

[4,5]

STEPS

DESCRIPTION

1. Affirmation

  • Make statement(s) that promote effective psychological management

2. Define the situation

  • Ask questions and gather appropriate information with an intent of clarifying, interpreting, and understanding the situation

3. State the goal

  • Determine the appropriate or best goal or combination of goals.
  • The goal should be concrete
  • The goal should be presented with enough specificity so different people would agree when the goal is reached

31 of 33

1.3 Problem Solving Skills

  • 1.3.2 Problem Solving Approach
    • Wales’s Method – Professional Decision Making Process

STEPS

DESCRIPTION

4. Generate Ideas

  • Generate many possible ways to reach the goal
  • Analyze these ideas, and then select the best idea or combination of ideas

5. Prepare a plan

  • Carefully plan the steps needed to make the best

idea a reality

6. Take action

  • Implement the plan

7. Review & Reflect

  • Check the solution to assess quality.
  • Analyze the problem solving approach to

identify what worked and what did not work

  • Seek ways to refine or improve one’s problem solving approach
  • Clarify what was learned during the complete experience.

32 of 33

1.3 Problem Solving Skills

  • 1.3.2 Problem Solving Approach
    • Professional Decision Making Process : An Example [4]
      • 5.52 Water is forced out of this nozzle by a piston moving at a speed of 5 m/s. Determine the force F required to move the piston and the speed of efflux of water from the nozzle. Neglect friction on the piston and assume irrotational flow. The exit pressure is atmospheric; D = 6 cm and d = 2 cm.

Problem 5.52; from Crowe et al. (2001)

33 of 33