In this lecture, I discuss what is creative thinking, and what skills and habits are important.

1. Creativity#5: Creative Thinking
Tathagat Varma
Knowledgepreneur
http://thoughtleadership.in

2. 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

3. 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
Educational Objectives: The Classification of Educational Goals.[2][3]
Wikipedia

5. 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.
http://www.brainstorming.co.uk/tutorials/creativethinking.html

6. 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

7. Critical vs. Creative Thinking

8. 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.

9. s

10. 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

11. 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
https://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/sk/lateral.htm

12. 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.
http://www.debonothinkingsystems.com/tools/lateral.htm

13. Creative Thinking
Skills and Habits
Open-minded
Curiosity
Observation
Analysis
Synthesis
Imagination
Experimentation
Sharing ideas
Building upon ideas / Collaboration / Teamwork

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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
Browse internet for something you are not familiar with
http://www.wikihow.com/Exercise-an-Open-Mind

20. Curiosity
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
http://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/4-reasons-why-curiosity-is-important-and-how-to-develop-it.html
https://experiencelife.com/article/the-power-of-curiosity/

21. Curiosity
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

24. Observation
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

25. 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 observations
Draw or reconstruct from memory
https://www.quora.com/How-do-I-improve-my-observation-skills-1

26. 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/

27. Distractions
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/

28. https://ccmit.mit.edu/observation/

31. Analysis
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.

32. 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

33. 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
http://www.wikihow.com/Improve-Analytical-Skills

36. Synthesis
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.

38. Imagination
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

41. 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.

43. Developing a Beginner’s Mind
Zen encourages shoshin, or Beginner’s Mind
Scientific research seems to confirm that experts are likely to
close-minded!
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.
Live without “shoulds”.
Make use of experience. Don't negate experience, but keep an
open 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.
http://www.inc.com/rhett-power/11-ways-how-to-develop-a-beginner-s-mind.html

44. 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?
…

45. 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?
...

46. Beginner, Curious, Learner, Growth...
Change the mindset

47. Read, travel, meet, experiences..."dots"
Cognitive diversity
cc: lisamikulski - h-ps://www.flickr.com/photos/61127002@N08

48. Join the dots without judgment!
Create intersections

49. Change success criteria
Failure? Nah!
cc: Celes@ne Chua - h-ps://www.flickr.com/photos/69065182@N00

50. Enjoy without being critical
Have fun :)

51. Recap
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