Ghaleb,
There are many different problem solving models out there that critical thinkers can use. The key is to have a "common sense" approach to the problem solving method you are going to use and then you will be able to come up with some proposed solutions to test with others.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
The 25+ tools in this section help you solve complicated business problems.
There are many different available techniques, you can start to deal with problems that might otherwise seem huge, overwhelming, or excessively complex.
You can start by taking identifying the problem, collect facts, listen to the people involved, Look for signs & symptoms, establish a special task force, look at the globel pictute, establish a corrective action plan. This will help you build your Solving Skills? – this will help you quickly master the fundamentals of problem solving.
As I mentioned earlier in this study, using current day events, news items, school events, etc. can be funneled into a CT project, helping the students learn how to handle each situation.
Charles,
Good way to give order to their problem solving. This method will give them a backup when they are out in the field needing to solve a problem. They will know the steps to follow because they have practiced and followed them.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I have students write down the steps taken to solve a problem. Then as part of the review we discuss the steps and the effectiveness of the various approaches.
Teresa,
Good way to keep the confidence level up on your students while they are working through nerves and inexperience. The more times they work through these situations the easier it is going to get for them to come up with the right solutions.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Eduardo,
Yes, the more situations they have been exposed to and heard solutions to the more experience they will have as they face real world experience after completing school.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Aprilyn,
I am a big fan of case studies. I use them a lot in my classes for the reasons you list. They really get the students to thinking and problem solving. Then in our discussion time we get to hear their solutions and why they came up with the solutions they did. Great times in class when we are doing these discussions.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Stephen,
Thank you for these comments in support of modeling. Modeling by instructors is a very valuable teaching tool and one that helps to illustrate and reinforce expectations to students. We need to always be on guard in relation to how we conduct ourselves because of the role we play as models.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I believe that all students have some capacity to problem solve, no matter the scenario. They can be supported based on their experience with the problem at hand. For example, if it is their first time passing medications and they cannot remember the steps necessary to complete a safe pass, I will ask them to review their preparation cards and return to me when ready. Sometimes, it is a matter of anxiety that intercedes in problem solving. When they are given an opportunity to review in a safe/reflective manner, they will usually succeed.
The best way to help someone develop problem solving skills is to give them examples to certain situations they may encounter, and allow them discuss the way they would solve the problem and why. Once they have done so, it will also be good to give them some feedback on why or why not their decision will or will not work.
I usually have them do "clinical case studies" where they have to work in groups to look at a patient scenario, gather information about the case, and make a decision about the patient's care. This is usually fun for the students and it gives them a chance to problem solve with other students and gives them a chance to develop new perspectives.
I would have to agree with most everyone else that the best way to support student development is by modelling. By using our own life and work experiences we can help the students to see how the principals that we are teaching them will apply to their life and own career in the future. We can give great examples of how we have had both successes and failures and how we have perservered or overcome problems to get to the positions that we have today.
Holly,
This is a good way to help them with their problem solving skill development. I use case studies a lot in my courses for these reason. They give the students a lot of different experiences and exposures in a short amount of time.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
To support my students development of problem solving skills I use case studies and Care plans in order to get the students to identify a clients self care deficit and to come up with creative ways to assist the client in obtaining the optimum success in reaching their care goals. I try not to give them the answers but to have them develop them themselves.
Kenneth,
Keep pushing because as you say by falling back they repeat the same procedures or actions over and over again. Looking for alternatives help the students develop skill at finding solutions to situations that require creative thinking.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Modeling is the first part of supporting problem solving skills. Another, and this isn't always easy, is NOT letting students fall back on a solution that is essentially lazy. I try to find a way to push them to engage the problem more thoroughly.
Rhodri,
You are right on with your practice comment. Like many things the more practice we have the better we get at it. So the more practice we have in analyzing a situation, proposing solutions and then implementing the solutions the better we will be at problem solving.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I think the answer is practice, practice practice! The challenge is to provide our students with the right quantity and quality of problems to solve, so that they become proficient with the process. In healthcare, case studies seem like a very applicable way to do this. The students are able to see the relevance, so they are motivated to engage in the problem solving process.
Ariana,
This is what I like to do in my classes as well. My students love doing the role plays and the case studies we work through get them using their problem solving skills at a level that they normally would not be asked to do.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
