This document discusses creativity and problem solving. It provides an overview of Edward Torrance's creativity framework, which includes fluency, flexibility, elaboration, and originality. It then explains the six stages of Creative Problem Solving (CPS) developed by Alex Osborn: define the problem, gather information, convert the problem into a statement suitable for idea finding, generate ideas, develop and improve ideas using criteria, and select the best idea. Creativity and problem solving are interconnected processes that involve both divergent and convergent thinking.

1. AARON DAYLO

4. Problem solving and creativity go hand in
hand. You need to be creative in order to solve
a problem. It is unfortunate that these are not
adequately taught in the classroom.

5. PROBLEM SOLVING CREATIVITY
Torrance's
Creativity
Framework
Fluency
Flexibility
Elaboration
Originality
Creative Problem
Solving (CPS)
Six Stages of
CPS

6.  known around the world as the “Father of Creativity” for his nearly 60 years of
research that became the framework for the field of gifted education.
 He was professor emeritus of educational psychology.
 Invented the benchmark method for quantifying the creativity and arguably
created he platform for all research on the subject.
 The “Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking” helped shatter the theory that IQ tests
alone were sufficient to gauge real intelligence.
 The tests solidified what heretofore was only conceptual – namely that creative
levels can be scaled and then increased through practice.

7. 1. Don’t be afraid to fall in love with something
 pursue it with intensity
2. Understand, take pride in, practice, develop, exploit
 enjoy your greatest strengths
3. Learn to free yourself from the expectations of others and to walk away from the games they
impose on you.
4. Find a great teacher or mentor who will help you.
5. Don’t waste energy trying to be well rounded.
6. Do what you love and can do well.
7. Learn the skill of interdependence.
-Edward Paul Torrance,
Father of Creativity

8.  common framework for creative thinking process is described by Torrance(1979).
 Aspect along with ways to facilitate the respective aspect by using key words and application
activities.
Fluency
Definition
 refers to the production of a great number of ideas or alternate solutions to a problem.
 implies understanding, not just remembering information that is learned.
Key Words
 compare, convert, count, define, describe, explain, identify, label, list, match, name, outline,
paraphrase, predict, and summarize.
Application Activities
 trace a picture and label the parts.
 outline an article you find on your topic.
 how many uses can you think of for a clothes hanger?
 list 15 things that are commonly red or contain red.
 Example: apple, blood, brick, caboose, cherry, Christmas stocking, exit sign, and fire alarm.

9. Flexibility
Definition
 refers to the production of ideas that show a variety of possibilities or realm of thought.
 involves the ability to see things from different point of view, to use many different approaches
or strategies.
Key Words
 change, demonstrate, distinguish, employ, extrapolate, interpolate, interpret, and predict.
Application Ideas
 What would happen if … there were no automobiles?
 How would a … dog look to a flea?
 How is ______ like _______?
 How would you feel if … you were invisible for a day?
 How would you group the ideas about “red” into categories?
 Example: fruit, safety features, vehicles.
Once categories are identified, fluency may be further demonstrated by generating more ideas about
the idea red within categories. Even a modest attempt could result in the following lists, recognizing
that the creative thinking process may shift the mind in a spiral way between all four aspects of
creativity.

10. Red fruit Red safety features Red vehicles
Apple Exit sign Caboose
Cherry Fire alarm Fire truck
Raspberry Stop sign Tricycle
Tomato Tail lights Wagon

11. Elaboration
Definition
 Is the process of enhancing ideas by providing more details.
 Additional detail and clarity improves interest in, and understanding of, the topic.
Key Words
 Appraise, critique, determine, evaluate, grade, judge, measure, select, and test.
Application Ideas
 Tell your neighbor about your last family trip using as many details as possible.
 What can you add to ___________ to improve its quality or performance?
 Describe all the possible characteristics of the red quality in a wagon.
 Example: shade, finish, texture, and uniformity.
Originality
Definition
 Involves the production of ideas that are unique or unusual.
 It involve synthesis or putting information about a topic back together in a new way.
Key Word
 compose, create, design, generate, integrate, modify, rearrange, reconstruct, reorganize, and
revise.

12. Application Ideas
 Find an original use for __________.
 What would be the strangest way to get out of bed?
 Design a new _________ that is better than the one you have.
 Write an unusual title for the ideas about red.
Example:
Revolutionary “Red” Representation.

14.  Is an intentional process for solving and problems and discussing opportunities.
 It espouses the use of creativity in the 1950’s Alex Osborn described this process in his book,
Applied Imagination.
 Osborn opened the process in the public domain which mean anyone can use it.
 Over the years countless people have utilized the CPS in various fields and endeavors.
 Osborn’s Checklist, the origin of the Classical Brainstorming is the root of creative problem
solving (CPS). There are variety of general structures:
 Define problem, generate possible solutions, select and implement the best’ which can be found
extensively, in several different academic tradition.
The following, based on Van Gundy (1988’s) description, is a very brief skeleton of a very rich
process, showing it in its full 6’ x 2’ stages form:

15.  Sensitize yourself (scan, search) for issues (concerns, challenges, opportunities etc.) that need to
be tackled.
 Divergent techniques include ‘Wouldn’t It Be Nice If…’ (WIBNI) and ‘Wouldn’t It Be Awful
If…’ (WIBAI) – brainstorming to identify desirable outcomes, and obstacles to be overcome.
 Convergent techniques include the identification of hotspots (Highlighting), express as a list of
IWWMs (‘In What Ways Might…’), and selection in terms of ownership criteria (e.g. problem-
owner’s motivation and ability to influence it) and outlook criteria (e.g. urgency, familiarity,
stability).

16.  Gather information about the problem.
 Divergent techniques include Five W’s and H (Who, Why, What, When, Where, and How) and
listing of wants, sources and data: List all your information ‘wants’ as a series of question; for
each, list possible sources of answers; then follow these up and for each source, list what you
found.
 Convergent techniques again include: identifying hotspots (Highlighting); Mind-mapping to
sort and classify the information gathered; and also restating the problem in the light of your
richer understanding of it.

17.  Convert a fuzzy statement of the problem into a broad statement more suitable for idea
finding.
 Divergent techniques include asking ‘Why?’ etc. – the repeatable questions and Five W’s and
H.
 Convergence techniques include Highlighting again, reformulation of problem-statements to
meet the criteria that they contain only one problem and no criteria, and selection of the most
promising statement (but NB that the mental ‘stretching’ that the activity gives to the
participants can be as important as the actual statement chosen).

18.  Generate as many ideas as possible.
 Divergence using any of a very wide range of idea-generating techniques. The general rules of
classical brainstorming (such as deferring judgment) are likely to under-pin all of these.
 Convergence can again involve hotspots or mind-mapping, the combining of different ideas,
and the short-listing of the most promising handful, perhaps with some thought for the more
obvious evaluation criteria, but not over-restrictively.

19.  Generate and select obvious evaluation criteria (using an expansion/contraction cycle) and
develop (which may include combining) the short-listed ideas from Idea Finding as much as
you can in the light of these criteria. Then opt for the best of these improved ideas (e.g. using
Comparison tables).