The Importance of Good Problem-solving
As educators we understand that the more rapidly our world evolves, the more rapidly we need to be able to adapt and respond. This is especially true when it comes to our students. Every generation faces issues their parents haven’t had to grapple with. And while we might not be able to anticipate the particulars future generations will face, we can help them be prepared. One of the keys to success in just about any situation is the ability to effectively solve problems. The goal of Yourtake.org is to help you to help your students do just that with a host of student-friendly tips and tools.
Can Good Thinking Be Taught?
Perhaps you believe the ability to problem solve and make decisions is something that cannot be learned. Rather, it is something some people are just naturally better at than others. Fifty years ago, Ben Tregoe and Chuck Kepner, two research scientists with the Rand Corporation, found out otherwise. While conducting a study with the United States Air Force, they discovered that the ability to make sharp, solid decisions is not something a person is born with so much as it is a learned mental process. This process, once identified, can be mastered by practically anyone. Because, just like any new process or skill that can be taught - from hitting a baseball to driving a car - decision-making is something that can be broken down into actionable steps. Bottom line: A student doesn’t have to have a genius IQ to effectively problem solve and make smart decisions. It’s about having the right set of skills.
8 Ways To Help Students Think Better
Every good set of tools works best when accompanied by a few simple guidelines.
Involve others
Encouraging students to ask for help and including other people is a crucial aspect of problem-solving. Being a team player means students have access to all kinds of valuable perspectives and opinions. They also get to encourage others to participate, learn to listen to others, follow through on responsibilities and avoid letting personal feelings have too much importance.
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Take it slow
Have you ever noticed that students often think they don’t have time to do something right the first time - and yet they somehow find the time to clean up the mess later? A lot of times students mistake being quick and decisive with being effective. The two don’t necessarily go hand in hand. As a wise person once said, “if we are heading in the wrong direction, the last thing we need is to get there faster.”
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Preparation counts
Get access to as much relevant information as possible before coming up with conclusions. While more is not necessarily better, solving problems effectively requires the necessary information.
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Avoid taking the easy way out
Students all have a favorite way of deciding what to work on. Some like to get the hardest things over with first. Others, choose the easiest. If students get too focused on the wrong things, the right things don’t get done. Help students make the focus about what’s important not just what is the most urgent or fun.
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Plan ahead
Too often, a lot of discussion and brainstorming occurs but then nothing happens. Students need to understand that change requires careful planning. When next steps, such as investigating an issue and/or gathering missing data, are required, it’s important to make sure they happen.
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Be specific
One common pitfall when dealing with difficult and persistent situations is keeping issues too general. When students take the time to really explain and clarify what they mean and when they take the time to listen to what others mean, they begin to understand how to break complex problems down into bite-sized (think manageable) pieces. This is one of the best ways they can begin to see how to address all the important elements of a problem.
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Ask a lot of questions
In this information age, no one has all the answers - information is way too abundant for anyone to know it all. Being able to ask unlimited amounts of effective questions is what allows students to: get, organize, and analyze information, involve others, evaluate data, and think creatively. Without the ability to ask good questions, we’re pretty much sunk.
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Use a proven approach
Good thinking is a skill. As with any skill, there are steps you can take to improve it. The SCAN process is a proven step-by-step approach to improving the good thinking skills your students already have.
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