Effective Problem Solving

For freshman through senior-level courses on Critical Thinking, Cognition, or Problem Solving.

This brief survey of creative problem solving offers a collection of specific, practical procedures that one should use for various classes of problems - ranging from machines that need repairing, to mathematical puzzles, engineering problems, poorly defined industrial problems, comprehending lectures and reading, remembering information, invention, and difficulties between people. The principles - which are based on research and theory in cognitive psychology - are applied to problems in daily living and focus on how to overcome one's own limitations in trying to solve a problem. Students thus learn principles for dealing with problems as well as what it is about themselves that can make the problem more or less difficult.