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Upon completion of this module, you should be able to:

 Describe what is creativity
 Identify the features of creativity
 Differentiate between teaching creatively and teaching for creativity
 Apply the principles for teaching for creativity
 Use creative problem solving in teaching
 Use synectics in teaching

Module Outline

6.1 What is creativity?

6.2 Features of creativity
6.3 Teaching creatively and
teaching for creativity
6.4 Principles for teaching for
creativity
6.5 Creative Problem Solving
6.6 Examples of activities that
enhance creativity
6.7 Synectics

Summary
Key Terms
References

This module discusses methods and strategies for enhancing the creativity of students in
the classroom. Focus is on the principles of teaching for creativity and how teachers can
use creative problem solving and synectics in teaching their subject areas. Teachers are
encouraged to examine some of the ways in which they can promote creative thinking
among the students they teach and to be aware of teacher behaviours that are an obstacle
to creative thinking.

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6.1 WHAT IS CREATIVITY?

What percentage of Malaysians are creative? 5%, 10%, 30% or 50%. The
response from most people is that only a small number of people are creative.
Actually, everyone is creative, though some people are more creative than others. As
quite aptly stated by Hilgard (1960), ―the capacity to create useful or beautiful
products and to find ways of resolving perplexity is not limited to the highly gifted,
but is the birthright of every person of average talent‖ (p.62). The distinguishing
criterion is the extent to which students have been able to realise their creative
potential. Students are by nature creative but many tend to suppress their creative
abilities which may remain as ―hidden talents‖.
Being creative is not about writing great poems (like Omar Khayam, Usman
Awang, Tagore or John Keats), or producing great paintings (like Leonardo da Vinci
or Latiff Mohidin), or musical compositions (like Mozart, Ravi Shankar or P.
Ramlee). Traditional notions of creativity tend to emphasise the production of
something novel in the fine arts. One only needs to watch children to realise how
curious they are in investigating the world around and adept at finding answers to
problems that arise from their curiosity. It is this natural ability in children to produce
creative answers, creative methods and creative uses of materials that needs to be
nurtured. Unfortunately, curiosity in children tends to be stifled when parents and
teachers insist that children conform to tradition and ‗straight-jacket‘ them into
behaving in ways that does not foster creativity. Soon children realise that it is less
and less meaningful to express themselves or to investigate their world. Just think
how many children who had the potential to be creative had to so-called ―tow the
line‖ by well-meaning adults and the process lost their creative spirit.
DeBono (1963) introduced the concept of vertical and lateral thinking. He
illustrates vertical thinking as digging the same well deeper in search of water while
lateral thinking as digging another well somewhere else. Vertical thinking is
commonly practiced by most individuals because it is sometimes regarded as the
‗more logical thing to do‘. However, lateral thinking is a way of thinking ―around‖ a
problem and is not a natural mental activity for most individuals.

“Lateral thinking generates the idea and vertical

thinking develops it” (DeBono, 1968, 6).

It is the ability to perceive a problem from a different perspective which is not

immediately obvious and contributes to creative ideas or products. Guilford (1968)
made a distinction between convergent and divergent thinking (see Figure 6.1).
Convergent thinking occurs when a student brings material from various sources to
solve a problem so as to produce the ‗correct answer‘. The emphasis is on logic and
accuracy and focuses on accumulating information, recognising the familiar,
reapplying set techniques and preserving the already known. It is most effective when
in situations where ready-made answers exist and needs to be recalled from stored
information. Convergent thinking leads to the single ―best answer‖ and thus leaves no
room for ambiguity. Answers are either right or wrong. For example, ―What are the
causes of traffic jams in Kuala Lumpur?

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 Convergent Thinking Divergent Thinking

Figure 6.1 Convergent and Divergent Thinking

In contrast, divergent thinking involves producing multiple or alternative

answers from available information. It requires the recognition of links between
remote possibilities. It requires the transformation of known information into
something ‗new‘ and ‗unusual‘. The learner takes risk by venturing into uncertain
areas and explores various possibilities. He or she is willing to be different and
deviate from the usual in generating as many ideas possible when presented with a
stimulus. For example, ―How can traffic jams in Kuala Lumpur be reduced?
There is a tendency to equate divergent thinking with creativity and
convergent thinking as conventional thinking. Also, divergent thinking is seen as
good and convergent thinking as bad or at best as a necessary evil that is greatly
exaggerated in schools and business. However, it is realised that both kinds of
thinking as important in creativity. Any creative production is the result of both the
accumulation of facts (convergent thinking) and divergent thinking (reorganisation or
transformation of the facts). One cannot generate some new or unusual unless one is
equipped with a body of knowledge or information about the area examined. For
example, to generate solutions to traffic jams in Kuala Lumpur one should know what
are the causes of traffic jams.
There is a great deal of debate about such terms as creativity, creative learning
and creative education as they often used in different contexts. Some people argue
that creativity cannot be taught at all as it is a natural capacity which is not easily
developed through education. However, this is not true as creativity can be enhanced
if students are provided with the opportunity to express their creative talents.
education and achieve success. There is no definition of creativity that can be agreed
upon because experts in the field have different notions of the mental activity. The
following are some definitions of creativity:

 Torrance (1962) a well-know authority in the area of creativity defined

creativity as ―a process of becoming sensitive to problems, deficiencies, gaps
in knowledge, missing elements, disharmonies and so on; identifying the
difficult, searching for solutions, making guesses or formulating hypotheses
about the deficiencies, testing and retesting these hypotheses and possibly
modifying and retesting them in; and finally communicating the results‖ (p. 8).

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  Guilford (1991) suggests that to be creative one has to think divergently
which requires originality (generation of unusual ideas), flexibility (generation
of different ideas, sensitivity towards problems; and also to think convergently
(equipped with the facts, concepts and principles of the phenomena examined)

 Parnes (1967) view creativity as a function of imagination and facts, and the
ability to find ideas and problems.

 Perkins (1984) in a review of various definitions of creativity concluded that

it is a process of generating unique products by transformation of existing
products which could be something tangible or intangible and considered
unique and valuable to the person who produced it.

 VanGrundy (1991) describes creativity as the process for bringing something

new, unusual, or original into being which may be a product, a method, a
system, or an idea.

 Mayesky (1995) defines creativity as ―a way of thinking and acting or making

something that is original for the individual and valued by that person or
others. What this means is that a new way to solve a problem or to produce a
new product, such as a song, a poem, or a new machine, is a creative act. A
person does not have to be the first one in the world to produce something in
order for it to be considered a creative act‖ (p. 4).

 Khatena (1978) describes creativity as fluency which is the ability to produce

many ideas for a given task; flexibility which is the ability to show a
conceptual shift in thinking relative to a given task; originality which is the
ability to produce unusual or clever ideas that not many other people think of;
and elaboration which is the ability to add details to the basic idea.

6.2 FEATURES OF CREATIVITY

a) Using Imagination
 Imaginative activity is not the same as
fantasising or imaging, although it may
involve both. It is not simply producing
mental representations of things that are not
present or have not been experienced.
Imaginative activity is the process of
generating something original: providing an
alternative to the expected, the
conventional, or the routine.
 The activity involves processes of thinking
or behaving. Imaginative activity is a form
of mental play – serious play directed
towards some creative purpose. It is a
mode of thought which is essentially

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 generative: in which we attempt to expand the possibilities of a given
situation; to look at it afresh or from a new perspective, envisaging
alternatives to the routine or expected in any given task.
 Creative insights often occur when existing ideas are combined or
reinterpreted in unexpected ways or when they are applied in areas they
are not normally associated. Often this arises by making unusual
connection, seeing analogies and relationships between ideas or objects
that have not previously been related.

b) Pursuing Purposes
 Creativity carries with it the idea of action and purpose. It is, in a sense,
applied imagination. To speak of somebody being creative is to suggest that
they are actively engaged in making or producing something in a deliberate
way.
 This is not to say that creative insights or breakthroughs may not occur
unexpectedly along the way, for example by intuition or non-directed thought,
but they occur on the way to something: to meeting the overall objective, or to
solving the central problem.
 This can be a highly dynamic process, whose eventual outcomes can be quite
different than those anticipated at the outset. Sometimes the objective changes
as new idea and possibilities come into view: sometimes, as with inventions
and discoveries, new purposes are found when an initial product or idea has
emerged.

c) Being Original
 Creativity always involves originality. But there are different categories of
originality.
o Individual: A person‘s work may be original in relation to their
own previous work and output.
o Relative: It may be original in relation to their peer group: to other
young people of the same age, for example.
o Historic: The work may be original in terms of anyone‘s previous
output in a particular field: that is, it may be uniquely original.
 There can also be degrees of originality within these categories: of greater or
less originality in relation to individual or group output. Originality in creative
work will often be judged to of the first two categories.

d) Judging Value
 Originality is essential in all creative work. Original ideas may be irrelevant to
the purposes in hand. They may be bizarre, or faulty. The outcome of
imaginative activity can only be called creative if it is of value in relation to
the task at hand. ‗Value‘ is related to the purpose. For example, is the idea
effective, useful, enjoyable, satisfying, valid, tenable and so forth. The criteria
of value may vary according to the field of activity in question.

Creative activity involves playing with ideas and trying out possibilities. In
any creative process there are likely to be dead-ends: ideas and designs that do not
work. There may be many failures and modifications and much refashioning of

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imaginative activity before the best outcomes, the best ‗fit‘ is produced. A similar
process may then take place in terms of the application of creative outcomes.
Evaluating which ideas do work and which do not requires judgement and criticism.
In this way creative thinking always involves some critical thinking. Understanding
this is an important foundation for creative education. There is a distinction, and there
may be differences, between the evaluations made by the creator and those made by
others.
Critical evaluation involves a shift in the focus of attention and mode of thinking
as we attend to what is working or what is not working. This can happen throughout
the process of creativity and not only at the end. It can permeate the process of
generating ideas: it can involve standing back in quiet reflection. It can be individual
or shared, involve instant judgements or long-term testing. In most creative work
there are many shifts between these two modes of thought and focus of attention. The
quality of creative achievement is related to both. Helping young people to understand
and manage this interaction between generative and evaluative thinking is a pivotal
task of creative education.

6.3 TEACHING CREATIVELY AND TEACHING FOR CREATIVITY

There is an obvious sense in which children cannot be ‗taught‘ creativity in the

way that they can be taught multiplication tables. Creative processes do draw from
knowledge and practical skills. It is also the case that there are various techniques to
facilitate creative thinking. But this does not mean that children are taught creatively
by direct instruction. Creative teaching is defined in two ways: first, teaching
creatively, and second, teaching for creativity.

 TEACHING CREATIVELY means teachers using imaginative approaches

to make learning more interesting, exciting and effective. Teachers can be
highly creative in developing materials and approaches that fire children‘s
interests and motivate their learning. This is a necessary part of all good
teaching.
 TEACHING FOR CREATIVITY are forms of teaching that are intended to
develop young people‘s own creative thinking or behaviour. Teaching for
creativity involves teaching creatively. Young people‘s creative abilities are
more likely to be developed in an atmosphere in which the teacher‘s creative
abilities are properly engaged. To put it another way, teachers cannot
develop the creative abilities of their pupils if their own creative abilities
are suppressed. This too has implications for the curriculum – and in
particular for the type and amount of national prescription of what is taught
and how, and for teacher training.

8.4 PRINCIPLES FOR TEACHING FOR CREATIVITY

Teaching for creativity is a demanding process which cannot be made routine.

However, it is possible to identify some general principles. There are three related
tasks in teaching for creativity: encouraging, identifying and fostering.

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a) Encouraging
Many young people and adults do not think
of themselves as creative and lack the
confidence to take even the first steps.
Consequently, the first task in teaching for
creativity is to encourage young people to
believe in their creative potential, to engage
their sense of possibility and to give them the
confidence to try. These are the most simple
steps but they can be the most important for
stimulating creative achievement; these
include high motivation and independence of judgement, willingness to take risks and
be enterprising, to be persistent and be resilient in the face of adversity and failure.
These attitudes can be encouraged and nourished to varying extents in all young
people, particularly if they are linked with the development of self-directed learning.

b) Identifying
All young people have different creative capacities. A creative musician is not
necessarily a creative scientist, a creative writer is not necessarily a creative
mathematician. An essential task for education is to help young people to discover
their own creative strengths. Identifying young people‘s creative abilities include
helping them to find their creative strengths – to be in their element.

c) Fostering
Creativity draws from many ordinary abilities and skills rather than one special gift or
talent. Thus the development of many common capacities and sensitivities can help to
foster creativity – for example, curiosity can be stimulated and awareness can be
enhanced. Recognising and becoming knowledgeable about the creative process can
also help foster creative development; teaching for creativity helps young people in
understanding what is involved in being creative and becoming more sensitive in their
own creative processes.

d) Believe that everyone is born creative.

Creative ideas from students are waiting to be discovered and nurtured. Even
academically weak students are creative.

e) Make creativity a mission and a priority. Lip-service is destructive, a

leadership that lives the mission is needed for lasting change.

f) Take a risk, slay the sacred cows. Treasure all feedback, especially those
that unnerve. A radical change is often needed to initiate positive results so that
morale remains high. Nothing is purely black or white, and there is often more than
one solution to any problem. Constructively review the rules and challenge all
assumptions.

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g) Tolerate ‘misfits’.
Do not assume that the creative soul is ‗wishy-washy‘, ‗frivolous‘, or ‗non-
specialised‘. Do not entertain any prejudices, take a second look and always give a
second chance. The ‗weak‘ student may just be the right match for a new project.

h) Empower, support, shed control.

Remove lines of hierarchy and politics. Share the knowledge, provide the resources,
then step back to allow others to take ownership of the project. Welcome all
challenges to authority, for little is learnt from perpetual ‗yes‘ men.

i) Value brainstorming sessions.

Make brainstorming sessions a regular feature in classes. Dispense with unnecessary
formality, have fun, and don‘t try too hard. Don‘t prematurely judge ―this is crazy!‖,
or ―it has never been done‖. Ideas flow more freely in an environment of trust.

j) Cross-fertilise ideas.
An old method used in a new way, or seen differently, can achieve a breakthrough. A
multidisciplinary mix of people will be able to see things differently. Observe
diligently and listen carefully. Learn from your colleagues, students, everyone!

k) Reward creativity whenever merited. It is demoralising to peg awards and

grades to a bell-shaped curve and it can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Expect
each student to do fantastic work. Do not dismiss any opinion just because they see
things in a fresh perspective which may just be the answer to a long-standing
problem.

l) Do not punish failures.

Expect them, learn from them. If we hit the bull‘s eye daily, our targets are probably
not creative or stretched enough.

[source: Lim, L. (2005). ‗Can We Teach Creativity? The Link between Creativity,
Curiosity, Curriculum and Courage‘. Ideas on Teaching, 3: 10–11]

6.5 CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING

Creative Problem Solving (CPS) is a way of thinking and behaving. The three
terms is defined as follows:
 CREATIVE an idea that has an element of newness or uniqueness, at least to
the one who creates the solution, and also has value and relevancy.
 PROBLEM any situation that presents a challenge, an opportunity, or is a
concern.
 SOLVING devising ways to answer, to meet, or to resolve the problem.

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Therefore, CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING or CPS is a process, method, or
system for approaching a problem in an imaginative way and resulting in effective
action. The Creative Problem Solving process consists following steps: (see Figure
6.1).

MESS
FINDING

DIVERGENT
THINKING DATA
FINDING

PROBLEM
FINDING

IDEA
FINDING

SOLUTION
FINDING
CONVERGENT
THINKING
ACCEPTANCE
FINDING

Figure 6.2 The Osborne-Parnes Creative Problem Solving Process (CPS)

[source; Isaksen, S. G. & Treffinger, D. J. (1985). Creative problem solving: The

basic course. Buffalo, NY; Bearly Limited. p.16]

1. Mess Finding ─ an effort to identify a situation that presents a challenge.

2. Data Finding ─ an effort to identify all known facts related to the situation; to
seek and identify information that is not known but essential to the situation is
identified and sought.
3. Problem Finding ─ an effort to identify all the possible problem statements
and then to isolate the most important or underlying problem.
4. Idea Finding ─ an effort to identify as many solutions to the problem
statement as possible.

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 5. Solution Finding ─ using a list of selected criteria to choose the best
solution(s) for action.
6. Acceptance Finding ─ making every effort to gain acceptance for the
solution, determine a plan of action, and implement the solution.

Although CPS can be applied individually, problems are often most effectively solved
in a team, where brainstorming allows for more ideas to be generated. Thinking of
many ideas is critical to effective problem solving using the Osborn-Parnes model .

Ground Rules for Creative Problem Solving

For Effective Brainstorming:

1. Quantity is needed--originality comes out of fluency

2. Freewheeling is welcome--far-out ideas are O.K.
3. Criticism is ruled out--all ideas are acceptable
4. Combination and improvement are sought—in order to create spin-off from the
ideas of others.
5. To stimulate ideas use SCAMPER

S Substitute
C Combine
A Adapt
M Modify, Magnify, Minify
P Put to other uses
E Eliminate
R Reverse

For Effective Divergent Thinking:

 Defer Judgment
 Look for Lots of Ideas
 Accept all Ideas
 Make yourself STRETCH for Ideas
 Take Time to let Ideas Simmer
 Seek Combinations--be a Hitchhiker

For Effective Convergent Thinking:

 Be Deliberate
 Be Explicit
 Avoid Premature Closure
 Look for Sneaky Spots
 Develop Affirmative Judgment
 Don't Lose Sight of Your Goals

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 STEP 1: MESS FINDING

The first step in taking action is to

identify a situation which presents a
challenge… an opportunity… or is a
concern that you want your students to do
something about or is an objective that
they desire to attain.
The mess-finding activity is an attempt to
untangle complicated situations so that
students know where and how they can
direct their problem-solving efforts. Real
problems situations are rarely
encountered in a clear, neatly-stated precise form. Some time and energy must be
spent to get them ready to be solved. Students should be encouraged to use their
experience, explore their wishes or concerns when examining problems. As indicated
by MacKinnon, ―creative persons are especially open to experience, both of the inner
self and of the outer word…they are open to and receptive of experience and seeking
to know as much as possible about life‖ (p. 129).
When students recognise a messy situation, it is helpful to write a brief abstract that
captures the essence of what is happening.

Get students to write their concerns, thoughts, and the changes they would like to see.
LET THEIR THOUGHTS FLOW. Describe the situation in a three sentence
overview. They could try to answer this question: ―Wouldn’t it be nice if ……….?‖.
Examples:
 Wouldn’t it be nice if the public transport system in Kuala Lumpur could be
made more efficient?
 Wouldn’t it be nice if illegal logging could be completely stopped to save the
environment?
 Wouldn’t it be nice if corruption could be reduced drastically?
 Wouldn’t it be nice if all graduates were proficient in English to enhance our
competitiveness globally?

Questions that might be helpful for students include the following:

 What would the consequences if something is not done about the problem?
 What has been done thus far?
 What good is coming from the current situation?

Guidelines for Effective “Mess Statements

To help students generate a goal that can be productively approached though the use
of CPS, the following guidelines should be helpful.

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 1. BROAD – keep the ―Mess‖ statements general so that students do not
prematurely attempt to ―define the problem‖ or ―search for the solution.‖
2. BRIEF – limit the number of words used so the statement can be dealt with in
―headline‖ form. e.g. ―Illegal logging can be stopped; ―Corruption can be
drastically reduce‖; ―Public transport can be improved‖, ―Stem cell has many
benefits‖, ―Unemployment among graduates can be overcomed‖.
3. BENEFICIAL – try to frame the statement in a positive or affirmative manner.

Some Examples of Mess Generating Statements

 If I had my way …………………………

 If I could anything, I would …………………..
 I wish ………………………..
 I hope …………………….
 I’d really like …………………………
 Why don’t we ……………………..
 Let’s consider …………………
 I wonder if we could ……………….
 It would make my day if ……………………

STEP 2: DATA-FINDING

Once students have found a Mess that

is really interesting, they are surely eager to
get right into the process of CPS. But,
please, wait a minute! Jumping from the
Mess to a solution can mean trouble.
Students should not be too hasty to solve the
problem because they have gather data.
The second step in the CPS process is
DATA-FINDING. The purpose of data-
finding is to help students explore all the
information, impression, observations,
feelings and questions that they have about a
Mess on which they have decided to work on
(see Figure 6.1).

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 INFORMATION
IMPRESSIONS
 Knowledge
 Intuitive guess
 Facts
 Hunch
 Recollection
 Belief
 Memory
 Image

DATA
OBSERVATIONS
FEELINGS  Notice
 Emotions  Perception
 Awareness  Watch
 Desire  Take into
 Empathy account

QUESTIONS
 Inquiry
 Uncertainty
 Curiosities
 Doubt

Figure 6.1 Sources of Data

Get students to list all the key facts associated with the situation or their desired
objective as they perceive them. Students should ask themselves the following
questions:
 Who is involved?
 What is involved?
 What are some examples of the problem?
 What causes the problem?
 When will it happen?
 Where does it or will it happen?
 How does it or will it happen?
 Why does it happen?
 Are there any more problems caused by the situation?

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Then ask questions pertaining to what additional facts you would like to know and
where you might search for them. Your goal is to have all the knowledge pertinent to
the situation so that you can identify and define the key problems.

Now use DIVERGENT THINKING to brainstorm all the known facts. List known
facts in the space below.

What facts are lacking? Who has the answer? List them below

Now, apply CONVERGENT THINKING to judge and select the most important
facts. Circle most significant facts and those that provide a key to your situation.

STEP 3: PROBLEM-FINDING
CPS is a useful system designed to help people solve a wide variety of
problems. In Mess-Finding students identified many situations on which they may
have considered working on. Then, they prioritised and evaluated these ―messes‖ and
selected a particular ―mess‖ on which to work on and interested in solving. In Data-
Finding, students are involved in analysing many different aspects of the ―mess‖ and
later deciding or converging based on the information obtained about the most
important and promising aspect of the ―mess‖ for further investigation.
Considering the data you have gathered about your situation during Data
Finding, determine what you want to accomplish in more specific terms. Ask yourself
the following questions:
 What is the real problem?
 What is my objective?
 What do I want to accomplish?
 What are my concerns?
 What is my challenge?
 What wish would I like to fulfill?

This step involves DIVERGENT THINKING, so record as many different problem

statements as you can. Begin each statement with the phrase "In What Ways Might
We…" (IWWMW) or "How Might I…" (HMI...).

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S-T-R-E-T-C-H…Try to create more problem statements. Read over each statement
above and ask yourself why you feel it might be the problem. Your answer might
reflect another reason, wish, desire, concern, or need. Now, use the answers to
generate more problem statements--beginning with IWWMW…

6.1 ACTIVITY
Most of us look at more than we see! We often allow habits
or perceptual expectations to ―trap‖ us into being unable to
observe closely. Effective Data-Finding demands that you
become a good observer-to-look closely at the situation, to
notice new elements ad relationships, and to ―see‖ aspects
of the situation. Study the following drawing

How many squares do you see? ________

Did you say 16 or even 17? Keep looking!
S-T-R-E-T-C-H your powers of observation. Look at the drawing from another
angle, or slide a piece of paper over it from left to right, or from top to bottom.
Can you find some additional squares that you overlooked initially.
How many squares do you see now? ________
If you said 22, 23 or even 29; keep looking!
Could it be an infinite number of square!

STEP 4: IDEA-FINDING
Try to answer your problem statement with many ideas in as many different ways as
possible. DIVERGENT THINKING, combined with deferred judgment, is critical in
this step. Your goal is to generate lots of ideas. It is often helpful to set a number goal
before you start listing ideas. Try for 50-75 ideas before you discuss each and become
selective.

The essence of the deferred judgment principle is to allow a period of time for listing
all the ideas that come to mind without judging them. Quantity of ideas and complete
freedom of expression without any evaluation are key concepts. S-T-R-E-T-C-H your
mind to break old habits of thinking.

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Feel free to combine or modify any ideas to
produce additional ideas. Divergent behaviour
must prevail. Let your ideas flow freely without
internal or external criticism. If time permits,
incubate--let the problem and ideas rest in your
subconscious for a time – to generate additional
ideas.

For developing plenty of new ideas, students

can be encouraged to use ‗SCAMPAR‘
designed by Bob Eberle (1971) to generate
many ideas.

 Substitute: What else instead? Who else instead? Other ingredients? Other
material? Other power? Other place?
 Combine: How about a blend, an alloy, an ensemble? Combine purposes?
Combine appeals?
 Adapt: What else is like this? What other idea does this suggest? Does past
offer parallel? What could I copy?
 Minify: Order, form, shape? What to add? More time? Magnify Greater
frequency? Higher? Longer? Thicker?
 Put: to other uses New ways to use as is? Other uses I modified? Other places
to use? Other people to reach?
 Eliminate: What to subtract? Smaller? Condensed? Miniature? Lower?
Shorter? Lighter? Omit? Streamline? Understate?
 Reverse: Interchange components? Other pattern? Rearrange Other
layout? Other sequence? Transpose cause and effect? Change pace? Transpose
positive and negative? How about opposites? Turn it backward? Turn it upside

Let your divergent process create ideas. Start listing them below--continue on
additional sheets of paper.

RECORD ALL IDEAS.

Preliminary Judgment Using your convergent skills, review all your ideas and circle
six to eight that seem to have the greatest potential. For this purpose students can
encouraged to use A-L-U.

ADVANTAGES – Ask what advantages does each idea offer? What are its strongest
points? What makes it attractive or appealing? What is the potential of the idea?

LIMITATIONS – Next ask, what limitations are there? Are there obvious flaws or
weaknesses to be overcome if we work with this idea? Are there possible trouble
spots? What might limit the attractiveness or ineffectiveness of this idea or
alternative?

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UNIQUE CONNECTIONS – Finally, ask yourself, Does this idea suggest any new
or unusual connections you were not aware of before? Are there any ‗hidden
potentials‘ here?

STEP 5: SOLUTION-FINDING
You must now decide what criteria, standards, or "yardsticks" should be applied to
weigh the worth of your selected ideas. These criteria will be used to determine the
best solution(s) to your problem.

Your ideas affect cost, time, reliability, quality, morale, customers, legality, safety,
company practices and approvals, feasibility, timeliness, and ease of implementation.
Any or all of these, as well as others, can be considerations for criteria.

Let your DIVERGENT THINKING create a preliminary list of factors or criteria that
will be used to evaluate your ideas. Write the list below.

Selection of Criteria
Using your CONVERGENT THINKING, review your criteria listed above and select
the most important criteria for analysing each Idea. When you are satisfied with your
criteria, record them on one a grid (see Table below). .

Cost Usefulness Time

Idea #1
Idea #2
Idea #3

There are a variety of ways to use this grid. Students need to make a scale but it
should be kept simple and the following are some examples:

 1 – 8 (1 – low and 10 is high)

 A, B, C, D, F
 Excellent, Good, Satisfactory, Poor

STEP 6: ACCEPTANCE-FINDING
You are now ready to develop your plan of action. To ensure successful
implementation of your best idea(s), it is necessary to gain maximum acceptance.

Remember, an idea has little value until it is put to use. Consider the following--How
should you alter or modify your idea so it will be as acceptable as possible to those it

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will affect and to those who will pass judgment on it? Ask yourself the following
questions along with others that are relevant.

 Whom will my idea affect?

 How might I gain their acceptance?
 What resources are needed to implement my idea?
 How might I best develop a return on investment?
 What major obstacles will I confront?
 How might I overcome any obstacles?
 What might go wrong?
 Why would something go wrong?
 What can I do to prevent problems?
 What opportunities might present themselves?
 How might I best gain support for my idea?
 How might I best present and sell my proposal?
 What should I not do?

Gaining Acceptance
Using DIVERGENT THINKING skills, list all responses that come to mind by asking
and answering the most important questions, based upon the stimuli provided above.
Use CONVERGENT THINKING skills to select the responses that you believe will
ensure success.

Plan of Action Develop your plan of action and follow through. Remember, the
proactive individual makes the right things happen on time. Gather the best thoughts
from your acceptance finding and develop your sequential plan of action. Establish
start dates and target end dates. Decide who will be responsible for each task. Set out
your check points to see if events are happening according to plan. Use the following
format.

ACTION PLAN

Tasks Who Start End Check Points

Conclusion:

The Osborn-Parnes Creative Problem Solving Model discussed above is a model is

based upon generating many different ideas through brainstorming and deferred
Judgment ─ thus breaking habitual ways of thinking. Also, the ability to critically
evaluate and assess the worth of ideas is important for selecting the most useful
components of every problem. The key to using the Osborn-Parnes model
successfully is to use the concepts of deferred judgment and critical judgment at the

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appropriate times. The Osborn-Parnes model is presented as a multi-step linear
approach to problem solving. It is designed to be fluid, and the steps can be used in
any sequence. This basic model is the foundation for a variety of different creative
problem solving processes. With frequent practice, this model becomes easier to use
and makes problem solving a fun experience. Using this model allows creative
problem solving to become a way of thinking and
living.

8.2 ACTIVITY
a) Discuss how you could use Creative Problem Solving
in teaching your subject area.
b) List some of the benefits of using CPS in your subject
area.
c) Do you think you need to modify the CPS steps to adapt
to the needs of your subject area? Explain.

6.6 EXAMPLES OF ACTITIVIES THAT ENHANCE CREATIVITY

EXAMPLE 1:
Cultivate the following creative thinking processes described by Paul Torrance
(1979)::

 Fluency the production of a great number of ideas.

 Flexibility the production of ideas or products that show a variety of
possibilities .
 Originality the production of ideas that are unique or unusual.
 Elaboration the production of ideas that display intensive detail or
Enrichment.

For practice in elaboration, have pairs or small groups of students choose a particular
idea from brainstorming and details that would develop the idea more fully.

Allow the students to share their innovative and inventive ideas.

EXAMPLE 2:
Bring in any object or use objects around the classroom to do the following exercise.
Ask the students to list many new uses for a familiar object by using the Scamper
technique with regard to the object. You could use a paper plate to begin with, and see
how many new things the students will discover. Make sure to follow the rules for
brainstorming

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EXAMPLE 3:
When teaching language or literature, you could ask students to create a new ending
to a story, change a character or situation within a story, or create a new beginning for
the story that would result in the same ending.

EXAMPLE 4: Put a list of objects on the chalkboard. Ask your students to combine
them in different ways to create a new product. Let the students make their own list of
objects. Once they combine several of them, ask them to illustrate the new product
and explain why it might be useful.

EXAMPLE 5: Finding a Problem and Solution

a) Finding the Problem

Let the class list problems in their own classroom that need solving. Use the
"brainstorming". Select one problem for the class to solve using the following steps:
o Find several problems.
o Select one to work on.
o Analyze the situation.
o Think of many, varied, and unusual ways of solving the problem.

List the possibilities. Be sure to allow even the silliest possible solution, as creative
thinking must have a positive, accepting environment in order to flourish.

b) Finding a Solution
Select one or more possible solutions to work on. You may want to divide into groups
if the class elects to work on several of the ideas.

Improve and refine the idea(s). Share the class or individual solution(s)/invention(s)
for solving the class problem. Solving a "class" problem and creating a "class"
invention will help students learn the process and make it easier for them to work on
their own invention projects.

EXAMPLE 6: Developing an Invention

This activity introduces students to the inventive process; which involves finding a
problem and creating an invention to solve it.
 Step One: Begin by asking your students to conduct a survey. Tell them to
interview everyone that they can think of to find out what problems need
solutions. What kind of invention, tool, game, device, or idea would be helpful
at home, work, or during leisure time?
 Step Two: Get the students to list the problems that need to be solved. Begin
an Inventor‘s log or journal. A record of your ideas and work will help you
develop your invention and protect it when completed.

General Rules For Authentic Journal Keeping

o Using a notebook, make notes each day about the things you do
and learn while working on your invention.
o Record your idea and how you got it.
o Write about problems you have and how you solve them.
o Write in ink and do not erase.
o Add sketches and drawings to make things clear.

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 o List all parts, sources, and costs of materials.
o Sign and date all entries at the time they are made and have them
witnessed.

To illustrate why record-keeping is important, read the following story about Daniel
Drawbaugh who said that he invented the telephone, but didn't have one single paper
or record to prove it.

Long before Alexander Graham Bell filed a patent application in 1875,

Daniel Drawbaugh claimed to have invented the telephone. But since he
had no journal or record, the Supreme Court rejected his claims by four
votes to three. Alexander Graham Bell had excellent records and was
awarded the patent for the telephone.

 Step Three: This is decision-making phase. Using the list of problems, ask
students to think of which problems would be possible for them to work on.
They can do this by listing the pros and cons for each possibility. Predict the
outcome or possible solution(s) for each problem. Make a decision by
selecting one or two problems that provide the best options for an inventive
solution.
 Step Four: Based on the one or two options selected for an inventive solution
students are to ask the following questions:

o Is my idea practical?
o Can it be made easily?
o Is it as simple as possible?
o Is it safe?
o Will it cost too much to make or use?
o Is my idea really new?
o Will it withstand use, or will it break easily?
o Is my idea similar to something else?
o Will people really use my invention?

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  Step Five: Completing the invention.

o Identify the problem and possible solution.

o Give your invention a name.
o List the materials needed to illustrate your invention and to
make a model of it.
o List, in order, the steps for completing your invention.
o Think of the possible problems that might occur. How would
you solve them?

6.7 SYNECTICS

Synectics is another teaching method for the development creativity designed

by William Gordon (1961). Initially, the method was used in business and industrial
organisations, but later it was adapted for use with school children. The key element
in synectics is the use of ANALOGIES. What is an analogy? An analogy is a method
of explaining something unfamiliar by comparing it with something more familiar or
something similar. It is a form of reasoning in which one thing is inferred to be
similar to another thing in a certain respect, on the basis of the known similarity
between the things in other respects. For example the operation of a computer
presents and interesting analogy to the working of the brain.
Generally, the problems we encounter can be solved by using logic. What do
we so when old solutions or the logical approach is not sufficient to do the job? That
is when we use synectics. It is designed to lead us into a slightly illogical word; to
give use the opportunity to invent new ways of seeing things, expressing ourselves,
and approaching problems (Joyce & Weil, 1986).

6.8 ASSUMPTIONS AND THE SYNECTICS PROCESS

a) Assumptions
According to Gordon (1961), synectics is based on four ideas.
 First, creativity is important in everyday activities and it should be part and
parcel of daily work and leisure activities. His teaching method is designed to
increase problem-solving capacity, creative expression, empathy and insight
into social relations.
 Second, the creative process is not all mysterious. It can be described, and it is
possible to train persons directly to increase their creativity. If students
understand that basis of the creative process, they can learn to use that
understanding to increase the creativity with which they live and work,
independently and members of groups.
 Third, creative invention is similar in all fields ─ the arts, the social science,
the sciences, engineering, technology; and is characterised by the same
underlying intellectual processes.
 Fourth, is that individual and group creative thinking or invention are very
similar. Individuals and groups generate ideas and products in much the same
fashion.

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  Fifth, creativity is essentially an emotional process; one that requires elements
of irrationality and emotion to enhance intellectual processes. Much problem
solving is rational and intellectual, but by adding the irrational we increase the
likelihood that we will generate fresh ideas.

b) The Synectics Process

Phase 1: Phase 2:
Description of the Direct Analogy
Present Condition

Phase 4: Phase 3:
Compressed Conflict Personal Analogy

Phase 5:
Examination of the
Original Task

Phase 1: Description of the Present Condition

Teacher has students describe the situation as they see it now. The teacher selects a
word or topic then asks students to describe the topic, either in small group
discussions or by individually writing a paragraph; e.g., bully.

Phase 2: Direct Analogy

 The teacher asks the students to generate direct analogies for the word or topic
discussed in Phase 1.
 A direct analogy is set up to make comparisons between the two words,
images, or concepts). How is BULLY and UGLY alike? Ask them to generate
vivid mental images. Mental images are powerful tools in the process.
 Students are asked to respond to ideas such as the following examples:
o How is school is like a salad?
o A durian is like what living thing?
o Which is softer; a whisper or a kitten‘s fur?
 Teacher facilitates by probing. For example:
o What are the qualities of the bull-dozer that are similar to a bully?

23
  Teacher controls responses to keep students from pushing to an analogy or
comparison too soon.

Phase 3: Describe Personal Analogies:

 Teacher asks for personal analogy. Have students select one of the direct
analogies and create personal analogies.
 Students "become" the object they choose. For example:
o Describe what it feels like to be a BULLY?.
o How would it feel to be a BULLY that is UGLY?
o What does it feel when the sun comes out and dries you up?

Phase 4: Identify Compressed Conflicts:

 Ask the students to pair words from the list generated in Phase 3 which seem
to conflict with each other. For example: ―Can you pick two words that argue
with each other?‖
 Examples:
o How is a computer shy and aggressive?
o What machine is like a smile and a frown?
 Always have the students explain why they chose the words which conflict.
Then have the students choose one by voting.

Phase 5: Re-examine the Original Topic:

 Return to the original idea or problem so that the student may produce a
product or description that utilizes the ideas generated in the process. They
may concentrate on the final analogy or use analogies created in the other four
steps.
 Teacher: ―How can we use this information to tell us something about a
BULLY?

8.3 ACTIVITY

Describe how you would use Synectics in the teaching

of your subject area?

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SUMMARY

 The capacity to create useful or beautiful products and to find ways of

resolving perplexity is not limited to the highly gifted, but is the birthright of
every person of average talent.

 Lateral thinking is a way of thinking ―around‖ a problem and is not a natural

mental activity for most individuals.

 Features of creativity: Imagination, Pursing Purposes, Being Original. Judging

Value.

 Principles of creativity: encouraging, tolerating misfits, identifying, fostering,

all born creative, empower, cross-fertilise, reward, brainstorm.

 Effective divergent thinking: defer judgment, look for lots of ideas, accept all
ideas, Make yourself STRETCH for ideas, take time to let ideas simmer.

 Effective convergent thinking: be deliberate, be explicit, avoid premature

closure, look for sneaky spots, develop affirmative judgment, don't lose sight
of goals.

 Phases of Creative Problem Solving: Mess Finding, Data-Finding, Problem-

Finding, Idea-Fining, Solution-Finding, Acceptance-Finding

 Synectics is another teaching method for the development creativity focussing

on using ANALOGIES.

KEY TERMS
Creativity Convergent thinking Creative Problem
Teaching for creativity Divergent thinking Solving
Lateral thinking Imagination Mess-Finding
Encouraging creativity Originality Idea-Finding
Brainstorm Fluency Synectics

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REFERENCES

 Biondi, A. M. (ed.) (1972). The creative process. Buffalo, NY: D.O.K.

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Limited.

 deBono, E. (1963). New think: The use of lateral thinking. New York: Basic
Books.

 de Bono, E. (1999) Six Thinking Hats. London: Penguin;

 Dewey, J. (1963). How we think. Boston: Heath.

 Guilford, J.P. (1959). Traits of creativity. In H.H. Anderson (Ed). Creativity

and its cultivation. New York: Harper & Row. Pp. 142-161.

 Gordon, W. (1961). SYNTECTICS. New York: Harper & Row.

 Isaksen, S. G. & Treffinger, D. J. (1985). Creative problem solving: The basic

course. Buffalo, NY; Bearly Limited.

 Lim, L. (2005). ‗Can We Teach Creativity? The Link between Creativity,

Curiosity, Curriculum and Courage‘. Ideas on Teaching, 3: 10–11.

 Mayersky, M. (1995). Creative activities for young children. New York:

Delmar.

 Mitchell, W. E. (1986). Encounters in thinking. Unpublished workbook.

 Noller, R. B. (1977). Scratching the surface of creative problem solving: A

bird's eye-view of CPS. Buffalo, NY: D.O.K. Publishers, Inc.

 Patton, D. (1986). Creative problem solving. Unpublished workbook.

 Parnes, S. J. (1967). Creative behavior guidebook. New York: Charles

Scribner's Sons.

 Parnes, S. J. (1981). The magic of your mind. Buffalo, NY: Bearly Limited.

 Parnes, S., Noller, R. and Biondi, A. (1977). Guide to creative action: Revised
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