RKGS2010

CREATIVE THINKING
AND PROBLEM SOLVING

TOPIC:

1. WHAT IS LATERAL THINKING?

2. CREATIVE AND CRITICAL THINKING

AND THEIR DIFFERENCES
LATERAL THINKING

- DEFINITION

- EXAMPLES
 DEFINITION OF LATERAL THINKING

Lateral Thinking is a form of thinking which seeks new

and unusual ways of approaching and solving problems,
and does not merely proceed by logical steps from the
starting point of what is known or believed.

Edward De Bono defines Lateral Thinking as a technique

of problem solving by approaching problems indirectly
at diverse angles instead of concentrating on one
approach at length.
EXAMPLE NO. 1

There are six eggs in the

basket. Each egg is taken

by a girl. Considering there

are six girls who take the

eggs, how can it be that one

egg is left in the basket?

ANSWER..

The last girl takes the

basket as well with the

last egg still in it

 EXAMPLE NO. 2

Two professors of mathematics glared at each other as

they examined the same elementary equation. It had been

written by a ten-year-old child. “This equation is correct,”

said one. “No, it is absolutely wrong,” said the other.

How could two experts disagree so completely about a

simple equation?
 ANSWER..

The equation was 9 X 9 = 81 , but they were looking at it

from different sides of the table. So to one professor it

was correct, but to the other it read 18 = 6 X 6 , and so

it was wrong.
CREATIVE THINKING AND
CRITICAL THINKING

- DEFINITIONS

- EXAMPLES

- DIFFERENCES
 DEFINITION OF CREATIVE THINKING

Creative thinking is a mental process of thinking of

original, diverse and elaborate ideas as well as

generating new ones and searching for alternatives.

 EXAMPLE..

A person wants to decorate all the four walls in his

bedroom, but he cannot afford to buy neither paint nor

wallpapers. So he uses creative thinking to look for

alternatives and he managed to think of a new idea. Due to

the fact that he has a lot of top-up cards which he has

been collecting for the past few years, he uses them by

pasting them on the walls and formed abstract designs.

 DEFINITION OF CRITICAL THINKING

Critical thinking is a process that challenges an individual

to use reflective, reasonable, rational thinking to gather,

interpret and evaluate information in order to derive a

judgement. The process involves thinking beyond a single

solution for a problem and focusing on deciding what the

best alternatives are.

 EXAMPLE..

1. A biology instructor might pose a problem about human

cloning.

2. A biology instructor might pose a problem about limiting

dam construction to increase fish survival.

 SOLUTION

1. Decide what we think initially and why

2. Seek other views and opinions

3. Ultimately decide which opinion is most reasonable

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN CREATIVE THINKING AND CRITICAL
THINKING

CREATIVE THINKING CRITICAL THINKING

Create something new Assess validity

Right brain Left brain

Generative Analytic

Visual Verbal
CREATIVE THINKING is generally considered to be

involved with the creation or generation of ideas,

processes, experiences or objects.

CRITICAL THINKING is concerned with their

evaluation.
EXERCISES
QUESTIONS?