Creativit

#5: Creative

y
Thinking
Tathagat Varma
Knowledgepreneur http:/ /t
houghtleadership.in
 Education kills
creativity?
In 1968, George Land administered a creativity test to 1,600
five-year-olds (Land & Jarman, 1992). The test, which he
had developed for NASA to identify innovative scientists
and engineers, found that
98% of tested children registered at a genius level on
the creative scale.
But five years later, when Land readministered the test to
the now-10-year-old children, only 30% of them scored at
the genius level of creativity.
After another five years, the number dropped to just 12%.
The same test, administered to 280,000 adults, found
that only 2 % registered at the genius level for creativity.
Land concluded that noncreative thinking is learned.
http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/feb13/vol70/num05/Creativity-Requires-a-Mix-of-Skills.aspx
 Bloom’s Taxonomy
Bloom's taxonomy is a set of three hierarchical models used
to classify educational learning objectives into levels of
complexity and specificity. The three lists cover the learning
objectives in cognitive, affective and sensory domains. The
cognitive domain list has been the primary focus of most
traditional education and is frequently used to structure
curriculum learning objectives, assessments and activities.
As with most theoretical models, they are controversial even
while commonly used.[1]
They were named after Benjamin Bloom, who chaired the
committee of educators that devised the taxonomy. He also
edited the first volume of the standard text, Taxonomy of
E]2d u cational Objectives: The Classification of Educational
[ 3[ ]
Goals.
What is Creative
Thinking?
Creative thinking is the process which we use when we come up with a
new idea. It is the merging of ideas which have not been merged before.
Brainstorming is one form of creative thinking: it works by merging
someone else's ideas with your own to create a new one. You are using the
ideas of
others as a stimulus for your own.

This creative thinking process can be accidental or deliberate.

Without using special techniques creative thinking does still occur, but
usually in the accidental way; like a chance happening making you think
about something in a different way and you then discovering a beneficial
change.
Other changes happen slowly through pure use of intelligence and logical
progression. Using this accidental or logical progression process, it often
takes a long time for products to develop and improve. In an accelerating
and competitive world this is obviously disadvantageous.
Using special techniques, deliberate creative thinking can be used to
develop new ideas. These techniques force the mergance of a wide range of
ideas to spark off new thoughts and processes. Brainstorming is one of
these special techniques, but traditionally it starts with unoriginal ideas.
 Critical
Thinking?
Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully
conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information
gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning,
or communication, as a guide to belief and action. In its exemplary form, it is
based on universal intellectual values that transcend subject matter divisions:
clarity, accuracy, precision, consistency, relevance, sound evidence, good reasons,
depth, breadth, and fairness.

It entails the examination of those structures or elements of thought implicit in all

reasoning: purpose, problem, or question-at-issue; assumptions; concepts;
empirical grounding; reasoning leading to conclusions; implications and
consequences; objections from alternative viewpoints; and frame of reference.
Critical thinking — in being responsive to variable subject matter, issues, and
purposes — is incorporated in a family of interwoven modes of thinking, among
them: scientific thinking, mathematical thinking, historical thinking,
anthropological thinking, economic thinking, moral thinking, and philosophical
thinking.

http://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/defining-critical-thinking/766
Critical vs. Creative
Thinking
 Divergent
Thinking
Divergent thinking is a thought process or method used to
generate creative ideas by exploring many possible solutions. It is
often used in conjunction with its cognitive colleague,
convergent thinking, which follows a particular set of logical
steps to arrive at one solution, which in some cases is a ‘correct’
solution.
By contrast, divergent thinking typically occurs in a spontaneous,
free-flowing, 'non-linear' manner, such that many ideas are
generated in an emergent cognitive fashion. Many possible
solutions are explored in a short amount of time, and unexpected
connections are drawn. After the process of divergent thinking
has been completed, ideas and information are organized and
structured using convergent thinking.
The psychologist J.P. Guilford first coined the terms
convergent thinking and divergent thinking in 1956.
 s
Solution

Creative Idea

Creative Thinking Critical Thinking

 Lateral
Thinking
Dr. Edward de Bono divides thinking into two methods. He calls one
"vertical thinking," which uses the processes of logic--the traditional,
historical method. He calls the other "lateral thinking," which
involves disrupting an apparent thinking sequence and arriving at
the solution from another angle.
Developing breakthrough ideas does not have to be the result of
luck or a shotgun effort. Dr. de Bono's proven Lateral Thinking
methods provide a deliberate, systematic process that will result in
innovative thinking.
Creative thinking is not a talent; it's a skill that can be learned. It
empowers people by adding strength to their natural abilities, which
improves creativity and innovation, which leads to increased
productivity and profit. Today, better quality and better service are
essential, but they are not enough. Creativity and innovation are
the only engines that will drive lasting, global success.

http://www.debonothinkingsystems.com/tools/lateral.htm
 Lateral Thinking
Quiz
A man built a rectangular house, each side having a southern view. He spotted a
bear. What colour was the bear?
If you were alone in a deserted house at night, and there was an oil lamp, a candle
and firewood and you only have one match, which would you light first?
Is it legal for a man to marry his widow's sister?
The 60th and 62nd British Prime Ministers of the UK had the same mother and
father, but were not brothers. How do you account for this?
A woman lives on the tenth floor of a block of flats. Every morning she takes the lift
down to the ground floor and goes to work. In the evening, she gets into the lift, and, if
there is someone else in the lift she goes back to her floor directly. Otherwise, she goes
to the eighth floor and walks up two flights of stairs to her flat. How do you explain
this?
The band of stars across the night sky is called the "......
Way"? Yogurt is made from fermented ........
What do cows drink?
Name three consecutive days in English without using the words Tuesday, Thursday,
or Saturday
 Lateral thinking
techniques
Alternatives: How to use concepts as a breeding ground for new ideas.
Sometimes we do not look beyond the obvious alternatives.
Focus: When and how to change the focus of your thinking. You will learn
the discipline of defining your focus and sticking to it.
Challenge: Breaking free from the limits of traditional thinking. With
challenges, we act as though the present way of doing things is not necessarily
the best.
Random Entry: Using unconnected input to open up new lines of thinking.
Provocation and Movement: Generating provocative statements and using them
to build new ideas.
Harvesting: Capturing your creative output. At the end of a creative-thinking
session, we normally only take note of the specific ideas that seem practical
and have obvious value.
Treatment of Ideas: How to develop ideas and shape them to fit an organization
or situation.
 Creative
Thinking Skills
and Habits
Open-minded
Curiosity
Observation
Analysis
Synthesis
Imagination
Experimentati
on Sharing
ideas
Building upon
ideas /
 Open-
minded
Willing to consider, or receptive to new ideas; How
you approach views and knowledge of others without
being critical or judgmental; being flexible to other
ideas and experiences

Benefits
Let go of control
Experience
change
Make yourself vulnerable
Making mistakes
Strengthening yourself
Gaining confidence
Being honest
http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidkwilliams/2013/01/07/the-5-secret-tricks-of-great-people-how-to-become-open-minded-in-2013/#333c1ac23bb3
 Open-
minded
Techniques
Listen more than you talk
Avoid making snap
decisions
Thank people for their
suggestions
Encourage frankness
Hunt for new opportunities

http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidkwilliams/2013/01/07/the-5-secret-tricks-of-great-people-how-to-become-open-minded-in-2013/#333c1ac23bb3
How to exercise an open
mind
Reflect on your own belief
system Push the limits of your
body Stimulate your eyes
Stimulate your ears
Learn about different people and
lifestyles Learn something new
Improve your literacy and numeracy
Explore other cultures and
religions Don’t allow yourself any
dead time Face your fears
Open your mind to other points of
views
Try blocking out one of your senses
Play strategy games
Travel
Give some thoughts to the mysteries of the
world Learn music
Talk to some stranger
Spend a day without checking the
time Learn to draw and paint from
life
 Curiosit
y
Open to learn new things, unlearn old things that
don’t matter anymore, and relearn at any point
Why is it important:
It makes your mind active instead of
passive It makes your mind observant of
new ideas It opens up new worlds and
possibilities
It brings excitement into your life

5 Benefits of an inquiring mind

Health
Intelligence
Social Relationships
Happiness
Meaning
 Curiosit
y
How to develop
Keeping an open mind
Don’t take things for
granted
Ask questions relentlessly:
Why? Why not? What if?...
Don’t label something as
boring See learning as
something fun Read diverse
kinds of reading

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/4-reasons-why-curiosity-is-important-and-how-to-develop-it.html
 Observatio
n
Action or the process of observing something
or someone in order to gain information
Observation is the active acquisition of information
from a primary source. In living beings, observation
employs the senses. In science, observation can also
involve the recording of data via the use of
instruments. The term may also refer to any data
collected during the scientific activity. Observations
can be qualitative, that is, only the absence or
presence of a property is noted, or quantitative if a
numerical value is attached to the observed
phenomenon by counting or measuring.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Observation
Improving Observation
skills
Pay attention to things that you usually
ignore Focus on details
Observe people
Meditate
Form connections
Recollect from
memory
Keeping an idea log / record your
 Inattentional
Blindness
In 1992, Arien Mack and Irvin Rock, two researchers
at MIT, coined the term inattentional blindness.
Inattentional blindness is the failure to notice a fully
visible but unexpected object because attention was
engaged on another task, event, or object. [Mack, 1998]
It happens to all of us. Seeing may seem like a conscious
process, but the truth is, most of it is largely unconscious.
Our senses are bombarded with so much information,
sights, sounds, smells, etc., that our minds cannot process
it all.
To cope with the sensory overload problem, we develop
filters. Filtering helps the brain deal with all the stimuli
and information that bombards it.

https://ccmit.mit.edu/observation/
 Distraction
s
Distractions happen every day, and they are costly. A
2007 report by Basex, a business research company,
estimated that distractions cost U.S. businesses
$588 billion per year [Spira, 2007].
A recent study found that an interruption as short
as
2.8 seconds results in high error rates [Altman, 2013].
Then it can take 25 minutes, on average, to resume a
task after being interrupted. After resuming the task,
says Tom DeMarco, co-author of "Peopleware," a book
on productivity, it can take an additional 15 minutes
to regain the same intense focus you had before the
interruption [DeMarco, 2013].
https://ccmit.mit.edu/observation/
 Analysi
s
detailed examination of the elements or structure of
something; a careful study of something to learn about
its parts, what they do, and how they are related to
each other; an explanation of the nature and meaning
of something
A systematic examination and evaluation of data or
information, by breaking it into its component parts
to uncover their interrelationships. Opposite of
synthesis.
An examination of data and facts to uncover and
understand cause-effect relationships, thus
providing basis for problem solving and decision
making.
 Analytical
Skills
Analytical skill is the ability to visualize, articulate,
conceptualize or solve both complex and
uncomplicated problems by making decisions that
are sensible given the available information.

Includes
Logical thinking
Breaking down complex problem
 Improving Analytical Skills
Use Active Approaches
Work out math
problems Play brain
games
Join a debate or reading club

Use Passive Approaches

Build a large knowledge base
Take time to think about things
Expand your worldview
Search for connections Pay
attention to details
Ask questions about why
things are that way

Putting your skills to work

Take on new responsibilities Challenge
yourself with new things
Instruct others
 Synthes
is
something that is made by combining different things
(such as ideas, styles, etc.);

the production of a substance by combining

simpler substances through a chemical process;

Systematic combination of otherwise different elements

to form a coherent whole.
 Imaginatio
n
the ability to imagine things that are not real
the ability to form a picture in your mind of
something that you have not seen or experienced

the ability to think of new things

something that only exists or happens in your mind

 Experimentation
An experiment is a procedure carried out to verify,
refute, or validate a hypothesis.

Experiments provide insight into cause-and-effect by

demonstrating what outcome occurs when a particular
factor is manipulated.
Developing a Beginner’s
Mind
Zen encourages shoshin, or Beginner’s
Mind
Scientific research seems to confirm that experts are likely
close-minded!
to
Practices to develop a beginner’s mind:
Take one step at a time.
Fall down seven times, get up eight
times. Use Don't Know mind. Don't pre-
judge.
Makewithout
Live use of experience.
“shoulds”. Don't negate experience, but keep
open
an mind on how to apply it to each new
circumstance. Let go of being an expert.
Experience the moment
fully. Disregard common
sense.
Discard fear of failure.
Use the spirit of enquiry.
Focus on questions, not
answers.
 Why
not?
Fried icecream?
Self-parking chairs?

Books with empty pages so that you can write rather

than read?
Flipped classroom?
Museum of poverty?
Walk with
dinosaurs?

Spicy deserts?
 What
if…?
…shoes could fly?
...pens could record what we wrote?
...phones could tell the mood of the other
person?
...chairs had ten lags?
...we didn’t have to remember passwords?
...drones could take patients?
...light travelled slower than sound?
...you offered your product free to customers?
...
Change the mindset
Beginner, Curious, Learner, Growth...
 Cognitive diversity
Read, travel, meet, experiences..."dots"
cc: lisamikulski - h-ps://www.flickr.com/photos/61127002@N08
Create intersections
Join the dots without judgment!
 Failure? Nah! Change success criteria
cc: Celestine Chua - h-ps://www.flickr.com/photos/69065182@N00
Have fun :)
Enjoy without being critical
 Reca
p
Creative thinking is all about assimilating facts
but recombining them in newer ways
Lateral thinking offers a system to hone one’s
mindset to be a lateral thinker
However, a lot of skills and habits could be
inculcated to improve one’s creative thinking
Key is to acquire the right mindset, build
components of knowledge, experiment with newer
combinations, learn from feedback and have fun!
In the next lecture, we will take up group creativity