This document provides an introduction to problem solving. It discusses four phases of problem solving: understanding the problem, making a plan, carrying out the plan, and looking back. It also discusses defining the problem, diagnosing the problem, addressing barriers to problem solving, and lessons learned from a problem-based learning approach. Common problem solving tools include cause-effect diagrams, Pareto charts, check sheets, and control charts. The goal is to help students develop flexible knowledge and effective problem solving skills.

1. SUBMITTED BY
PRIYANKA KUMARI
POOJA KUMARI

2. INTRODUCTION TO PROBLEM SOLVING
• Everyone must have felt at least once in his or her
life how wonderful it would be if we could solve a
problem at hand preferably without much difficulty
or even with some difficulties. Unfortunately the
problem solving is an art at this point and there are
no universal approaches one can take to solving
problems. Basically one must explore possible
avenues to a solution one by one until one comes
across a right path to a solution. Thus generally
speaking, there is).

3. • guessing and hence an element of luck involved
in problem solving. However, in general, as one
gains experience in solving problems, one
develops one's own techniques and strategies,
though they are often intangible. Thus the
guessing is not an arbitrary guessing but an
educated one.
In this chapter we are going to learn a framework
for problem solving and get a glimpse of
strategies that are often used by experts. They
are based on the work of Polya. For further
study, his book, and others such as Larson are
recommended (but not required).

4. • A Framework for Problem Solving
The following four phases can be identified in
the process of solving problems:
(1) Understanding the problem (see below)
(2) Making a plan of solution (see below)
(3) Carrying out the plan
(4) Looking back i.e. verifying

5. PROBLEM DEFINITION
• We know in our gut when there is a problem, whether or
not we can easily put it into words. Maybe you feel
uncomfortable in a given place, but you're not sure why. A
problem might be just the feeling that something is wrong
and should be corrected. You might feel some sense of
distress, or of injustice.
• Stated most simply, a problem is the difference between
what is, and what might or should be. "No child should go
to bed hungry, but one-quarter of all children do in this
country," is a clear, potent problem statement. Another
example might be, "Communication in our office is not very
clear." In this instance, the explanation of "what might or
should be" is simply alluded to.

6. • As these problems illustrate, some problems
are more serious that others; the problem of
child hunger is a much more severe problem
than the fact that the new youth center has
no exercise equipment, although both are
problems that can and should be addressed.
Generally, problems that affect groups of
people - children, teenage mothers, the
mentally ill, the poor - can at least be
addressed and in many cases lessened using
the process outlined in this Chapter.

7. • Although your organization may have chosen
to tackle a seemingly insurmountable
problem, the process you will use to solve it is
not complex. It does, however, take time, both
to formulate and to fully analyze the problem.
Most people underestimate the work they
need to do here and the time they'll need to
spend. But this is the legwork, the foundation
on which you'll lay effective solutions. This
isn't the time to take shortcuts.
• Three basic concepts make up the core of this
chapter: clarifying, deciding, and analyzing.
Let's look at each in turn.

8. PROBLEM DIAGNOSIS
• There are many tools for problem diagnosis and
improvement that can be used in a Problem Diagnosis
and Improvement Process. The basic tools that are
used for process improvement are the 'first seven
tools', as follows:
• Cause-Effect Diagram, for identifying root causes of
problems.
• Pareto Chart, for prioritising actions.
• Check Sheet, for collecting data.
• Scatter Chart, for understanding correlation.
• Bar Chart and other graphs, for visualising data

9. • Histogram, for understanding distribution.
• Control Chart, for identifying special causes of
variation.
• Other useful tools include:
• Affinity Diagram, for exploring qualitative
information.
• Process Flowchart, for mapping a sequence of
actions.
• Brainstorming, for identifying solutions.
• Gantt Chart, for laying out a plan of action.

10. PROBLEM REMEDY
• Common barriers to problem solving are
mental constructs that impede our ability to
correctly solve problems. These barriers
prevent people from solving problems in the
most efficient manner possible. Five of the
most common processes and factors that
researchers have identified as barriers to
problem solving are confirmation bias, mental
set, functional fixedness, unnecessary
constraints, and irrelevant information.

11. LESSION LEARNED BY TEAM
• Problem-based learning (PBL) is a student-
centered pedagogy in which students learn
about a subject through the experience of
problem solving. Students learn both thinking
strategies and domain knowledge. The PBL
format originated from the medical school of
thought, and is now used in other schools of
thought too. It was developed at McMaster
University School of Medicine in Canada in the
1960s and has since spread around the world.

12. • The goals of PBL are to help the students
develop flexible knowledge, effective problem
solving skills, self-directed learning, effective
collaboration skills and intrinsic motivation.[1]
Problem-based learning is a style of active
learning.
• Working in groups, students identify what they
already know, what they need to know, and
how and where to access new information that
may lead to resolution of the problem.

13. • The role of the instructor (known as the tutor
in PBL) is to facilitate learning by supporting,
guiding, and monitoring the learning
process.[2] The tutor must build students'
confidence to take on the problem, and
encourage the students, while also stretching
their understanding. PBL represents a
paradigm shift from traditional teaching and
learning philosophy,[3] which is more often
lecture-based. The constructs for teaching PBL
are very different from traditional
classroom/lecture teaching.

14. •THANK YOU