Creative Problem Solving
“I want you to replace the second hand on the clock with something unique.”
List ten things that immediately spring to mind. They can be anything.
Aadil Vora, Medical student, teacher
5 Most Creative
4
3 Good
2
1 Common
A Witch’s Finger
B Twig
C Toothpick
D Stick Insect
E Spoon
F Oar
G Needle
H Giraffe
I Dinosaur’s Tail
J Angelina Jolie’s Right Leg
Here’s what the kids came up with.
How creative have they been? Rate each response from 1 to 5.
What do we think are the best/worst responses?
Actually, not all these responses came from the same test.
Some kids were given total freedom – they could replace the second hand with anything in the world.
Others were given a limitation.
Which ended up with the better responses?
Aadil Vora, Medical student, teacher
5 Most Creative
4
3 Good
2
1 Common
A Witch’s Finger
B Twig
C Toothpick
D Stick Insect
E Spoon
F Oar
G Needle
H Giraffe
I Dinosaur’s Tail
J Angelina Jolie’s Right Leg
The kids with the ‘green’ limitation came up with…
5 Most Creative
4
3 Good
2
1 Common
A Witch’s Finger
B Twig
C Toothpick
D Stick Insect
E Spoon
F Oar
G Needle
H Giraffe
I Dinosaur’s Tail
J Angelina Jolie’s Right Leg
What score did you give the ‘green’ responses?
Aadil Vora, Medical student, teacher
5 Most Creative
4
3 Good
2
1 Common
A Witch’s Finger
B Twig
C Toothpick
D Stick Insect
E Spoon
F Oar
G Needle
H Giraffe
I Dinosaur’s Tail
J Angelina Jolie’s Right Leg
The kids with the ‘alive’ limitation came up with…
5 Most Creative
4
3 Good
2
1 Common
A Witch’s Finger
B Twig
C Toothpick
D Stick Insect
E Spoon
F Oar
G Needle
H Giraffe
I Dinosaur’s Tail
J Angelina Jolie’s Right Leg
What score did you give the ‘alive’ responses?
Aadil Vora, Medical student, teacher
“When you’re looking at a blank sheet of paper, when you’re given too much freedom to create, the first things that comes to mind is the most cliched idea…”
Creativity Thrives on Limitation
Think of a study problem you’d like to solve:
A theory/idea you find hard to understand
A topic you missed and haven’t covered properly
The fact you keep missing deadlines
A lack of motivation to revise
A tendency to procrastinate and time-waste
Now make a limitation…
Choose one of the following or create your own:
You have to solve it by introducing one five-minute routine to your day
You have to solve it in one twenty-minute meeting with someone
You have to solve it in thirty minutes of just reading something
You have to solve it by buying something that costs less than £10
You have to solve it with the help of just one student
You have to solve it by designing a new reward system for yourself