Divergent and Convergent Tools for Creative Problem Solving

I have rephrased what I read in the book of Creativity Rising by Gerard J. Puccio and his colleagues when preparing for this course and below are the following excerpts from different chapters of the book that fascinated me the most.

1. Creativity is a broad concept and for every one of us to be creative, we need to practice creativity by being active learners. Our world is full of challenges and change and so when problems arise, we need to know how to approach them whether algorithmic that have a known solution or heuristic without a known solution and when approaching these problems we can be proactive because we know the solution or reactive when we don’t have a specific explanation or solution for the problem.

2. Creative thinking involves specific cognitive, metacognitive, and affective skills.

Two basic functions of driving are accelerating and braking. When managing our thinking there are two fundamental thought processes that are like accelerating and braking: generating and evaluating. More formally, when we generate options it is called divergent thinking, and when we evaluate and select from among the options it is called convergent thinking.

3. We define divergent thinking as a broad search for many diverse and novel alternatives. This is what Ruggiero called the production phase. When engaged in divergent thinking, our minds stretch to explore and entertain all possible options without evaluating them, willing to be adventurous and to discover new possibilities beyond the familiar and the known. We define convergent thinking as a focused and affirmative evaluation of novel alternatives. This is what Ruggiero called the judgment phase. It is an analytical type of thinking, driven by the need to bring order and to make sense. After exploring all possibilities, our mind begins to screen, select, prioritize, organize, and refine what it has found.

First and foremost, parent involvement is recommended in this regard as the teacher with the help of the school should make orientation sessions or conduct workshops to inform families of creative students about the CPS. The PTA Parents Teachers Association might help in this regard.

It is interesting to know that CPS is not new to us, on the contrary, it has been in use since 1950s. It is novel compared to other problem solving models because CPS uses both divergent and convergent thinking at every stage of the process. CPS makes us rethink the way we think.

CPS Tools

A. Divergent Tools

1. Brainstorming

2. Brainwriting

3. Forced Connections

4. SCAMPER

B. Convergent Tools

1. Hits

2. Highlighting

3. PPCO

4. Evaluation Matrix

Divergent Tools Guidelines:

1- Defer judgment.

2- Go for quantity.

3- Make connections.

4- Seek novelty.

The secret to creating new ideas is to separate divergent thinking from our convergent thinking. This means generating lots and lots of options before we evaluate them. Such brainstorming techniques are used during divergent thinking.

Guidelines for Divergent Thinking

Defer judgment: meaning to suspend judgment. In other words, to avoid labeling the ideas as good or bad at this moment.

Go for quantity: Take the time necessary to use the tools in this guide to generate a long list of potential options. This sharpens focus and prompts the changes the brain needs to get moving.

Make connections: Combine, make associations, and use flexibility and fluency to generate more options.

Seek novelty: Stretch to create wild ideas. While these may not work directly, think out of the box to allow the discovery of extraordinary ideas.

Convergence tools guidelines:

1- Apply affirmative judgment.

2- Keep novelty alive.

3- Stay focused.

4- Check your objectives.

At certain points in the creative process, thinking and focus needs to shift. To select the best of our divergent options, determine their potential value.

1. Apply affirmative judgment: Even in convergence, it’s important to first consider what’s good about an idea and judge for the purpose of improving, rather than eliminating, ideas.

2. Keep novelty alive: Do not dismiss novel or original ideas. Consider ways to tailor, rework, or tame.

3. Stay focused: Not all ideas are workable solutions. Even promising ideas must be strengthened. Take the time to improve your ideas.

4. Check your objectives: Verify choices against your objectives in each step. This is a reality check – are the choices on track?

Brainstorming and Forced Connections: The two divergent tools that improve individual fluency, flexibility, elaboration and originality of thinking (FFEO).

1. Work on building the skill of using deferment of judgment for diverging, and affirmative judgment for converging.

2. Use Pluses, Potentials, Concerns and Overcoming Concerns (PPCo) as an evaluation tool.

3. Creativity involves both creative and critical thinking.

After all feedback is crucial, as it will allow me to grow and reflect on my performance as a creative teacher who coaches creative learners.

I must ask myself the following questions:

1. What did I accomplish?

2. What kind of a creative person, and teacher I am?

3. Now What? What to do more of? What to do less of? What to stop? What to start?