This thesis presents an Advanced Placement curriculum for the concentration section of the Drawing Portfolio. It is intended as a teaching tool to encourage and develop creative strategies related to idea generation and refinement based on creative problem solving, which is essential to the development of an effective concentration. One of the most difficult problems faced by Advanced Placement Studio Art students is idea generation for the artwork related to a central topic for the concentration section of their portfolios. This curriculum introduces lessons based on artist research, brainstorming, synectics, and SCAMPER techniques designed to foster creative idea generation for artwork development. It also gives students a tool with which to analyze the ideas generated based on specific criteria necessary to the concentration. This curriculum specifically encourages the creative process in students and provides teachers with a foundation with which to begin a unique and highly personal journey by the individual student.

<p>This research investigated the influence and relationship of two cognitive diversity frameworks on student design team knowledge integration capabilities and team contribution among seventy-five (75) student teams in Purdue’s Tech 120: Design Thinking in Technology course. </p> <p> </p> <p>When in cognitively diverse teams, students do not effectively integrate the knowledge available to them. Past research results in this area have further demonstrated that students tend to get worse at collaboration as the cognitive differences emerge and are exposed over time. The costs of this lack of collaboration and assimilation of knowledge assets are significant, such as diminished creativity, coordination, and other team performance measures. The purpose of this study then, was to provide student design teams with models or frameworks for visualizing and understanding the cognitive diversity available to them in their team and test the impact these frameworks have on various measures of team effectiveness: knowledge integration, psychological safety, and individual contribution. </p> <p> </p> <p>Cognitive diversity frameworks in question have been used successfully in various industry and organizational settings. The first, is the FourSight Thinking Profile™. This framework is used to understand one’s creative problem-solving preferences and how those preferences (high, neutral, and low) impact group dynamics. The second, is the AEM-Cube®. This framework draws on several theoretical foundations to assess an individua’s patterns of thinking and responses to change. Both the FourSight Thinking Profile™ and the AEM-Cube® have shown to help teams in industry settings collaborate (DeCusatis, 2008; Reynolds & Lewis, 2017), but their use in educational settings to solve the knowledge integration and team contribution problem in student teams is untested. </p> <p> </p> <p>The nearly 470 students in Purdue’s TECH 120 course were organized into teams ranging from 3-5 members by their instructors, thus creating a total of 129 teams. The researcher then divided the 129 teams into two fairly equal treatment groups. Each treatment group was given one of two cognitive diversity assessments (FourSight or AEM-Cube) to complete individually, time to review the results, and then asked to create a team charter or contract where students discussed cognitive strengths and weaknesses and how they planned to manage those assets and deficiencies as they worked on a 4-week long design thinking project. Only 75 teams completed all steps of the treatment (either FourSight or AEM-Cube) and thus were the focus of analysis. </p> <p> </p> <p>The major conclusions of this study are that while neither the FourSight or AEM-Cube frameworks for cognitive diversity were more effective in raising student knowledge integration capability or overall team contribution, these frameworks did not negatively impact the student experience; high levels of psychological safety were maintained among both more homogeneous teams and those that were more heterogeneous; and higher levels of knowledge integration capabilities and team contribution were achieved by students in varying degrees of diversity of creative problem-solving preferences and strategic agility. While the reason(s) for such high scores for knowledge integration capability, team member contribution, and psychological safety are unknown, the students reported that the processes by which these teams integrated their knowledge assets and solicited the contribution of their team members was both positive and effective. </p> <p> </p> <p>Further research into the effectiveness of the treatment, the influence of demographic diversities on team functions, and the experience of the 54 student teams that did not complete the treatment are needed to elucidate and understand the findings of this study. </p>

Art and design programs at community colleges challenge students to think of numerous and diverse creative concepts when faced with an assignment that requires creative problem-solving. Concurrently the students are learning to acquire new disciplinary skills and manage the hurdles of various life responsibilities. Thus, it becomes the inspiring role of the art faculty to challenge their students to think creatively and critically about their work. I argue that training focused on creative thinking, self-regulation, and critical thinking in the classroom or through training workshops can improve these latent abilities. This dissertation presents the results of an educational intervention study examining whether undergraduate students in a community college setting who routinely practice and exercise creative thinking skills, self-regulation strategies, and critical thinking can improve their creative problem-solving. Prior research suggests that these skills and strategies can be learned and are critical to a student’s success in college. The sample for this study consisted of undergraduate students at a community college in Southeastern Pennsylvania who were randomly assigned to a treatment or control group. Training modules were delivered over ten weeks of the fall semester via the college’s learning management system. Participants could work through the training modules at their own pace. A pre-test/post-test design using divergent and convergent thinking, metacognition awareness, and critical thinking measured participants’ change in the understanding of those constructs. An additional post-test only, final design project, was used as a measure of the constructs. Demographic data were gathered through a questionnaire. The results indicate that there were no positive significant differences in the constructs from pre-test to post-test. The results of the final project post-test measure indicate that the treatment group had marginally higher scores on the design construct, the creative thinking sub-component of the design construct, and the critical thinking construct. The results also suggest that the additional training had little or no effect on the treatment group. / Educational Psychology

The thesis deals with the topic of creativity, which is considered to be an integral part of human life and is often perceived as one of the major prerequisites of successful individuals on both professional and personal levels. The first few chapters are dedicated to human creativity from a theoretical point of view. They summarize all up-to-date knowledge concerning this topic and focus on research in this area. This later became the basis of my own research project I am presenting in this work. The following chapters are directly dedicated to the executed research project, which is analyzed in terms of its structure. The area of research and its goals are specified and introduced here. I then characterize the involved respondents, the proposed methodology and explain which feature or area of creativity they deal with. I then further explain the evaluation method of the collected data. As part of the output evaluation I pointed out interesting facts obtained through the research and formulated a hypothesis, which observes a certain tendency to creativity in relation to the chosen field of study.

The ability to solve problems creatively has been crucial for the adaptation and survival of humans throughout history. In many real–life situations, cognitive processes are not isolated. Humans are social, they communicate and form groups to solve daily problems and make decisions. Therefore, the final output of cognitive processes can come from multi–brains in groups rather than an individual one. This multi–brain output can be largely different from the output that an individual person produces in isolation. As a result, it is essential to include team–level processes in cognitive models to make a more accurate description of real– world cognitive processes in general and problem solving in particular. This research aims to answer the general question of how working in a team affects creative problem solving. For doing that, first, we propose a computational model for multi-agent creative problem solving. Then, we show how the model can be used to study the factors that are involved in creativity in teams and potentially will suggest answers to questions such as, ‘how team size is related to creativity’.

Syftet med den här kunskapsöversikten är att undersöka vikten av kreativt tänkande, dess relation till problemlösningsförmågan och den relationella förståelsen. Problemlösningsförmågan är en förmåga som understryks i läroplanen för matematik årskurs 4-6, därmed undersöker vi relationen mellan det kreativa tänkandet och problemlösningsförmågan. Undersökningen har gjorts genom att initialt skapa tre frågeställningar och därefter söka data från olika peer-reviewed forskningsartiklar på engelska mellan årtalen 2019–2023 från databaser som ERC, JSTOR, ERIC från olika delar av världen. Forskningen har granskats och sammanställts för att ge svar på frågeställningarna. Under den systematiska sökningsprocessen har vi stött på nya begrepp som open ended och heuristik som visat sig ha en nära relation till problemlösningsförmågan samt det kreativa tänkandet. Utöver det har Skemps lärandeteorier om instrumentell och relationell förståelse satt grunden för vår systematiska sökprocess. Resultatet påvisar att det kreativa tänkandet utvecklas efter arbete med problemlösningsförmågan samt öppna frågor. Det kreativa tänkandet kan i sin tur relateras till en relationell förståelse. De empiriska studierna påvisar att lärare brister i sin kunskap om hur man kan utforma matematiska problem som utvecklar ett kreativt tänkande hos eleverna. De valda empiriska studierna är genomförda i utlandet och Sverige skulle dra nytta av liknande forskning för att stötta pedagogerna i elevernas utveckling mot ett kreativt tänkande som står emot den snabbt utvecklande värld som väntar efter avslutad skolgång.

Entrepreneurial small businesses are significant to the U.S. economy, as they represent 99% of employer firms and employ 49% of the private sector. Nearly half of new businesses fail within the first 5 years of operation. While external factors beyond the control of business owners account for some failures, many occur because of managerial inadequacies. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of successful entrepreneurs to understand the qualities needed to create and sustain new small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) beyond 5 years. The sample consisted of 21 entrepreneurs from Northeastern Indiana who created and operated SMEs successfully for at least 5 years. The conceptual framework for this study was human capital theory and entrepreneurial leadership theory. The data were collected from semistructured interviews. Participants completed transcript reviews and member checking was conducted to enhance data credibility and trustworthiness. The phenomenological reduction method was used for data analysis and included bracketing, horizontalizing, clustering, integrating invariant statements, and synthesizing composites. The following themes emerged in addressing the guiding question: entrepreneurial intention recognized at a young age, creative problem-solving skills, business and support systems, entrepreneurial passion, opportunity recognition and seizure, and task and managerial delegation. The study findings can help inform best practices to help future entrepreneurs, and those who educate, train, and mentor them, create and operate successful new ventures.

Ce présent travail a pour vocation de fournir une approche multidisciplinaire – historique, socio-politique, économique, et psychologique – pour comprendre l’intérêt général de la gestion constructive de conflit, et en particulier les opportunités liées à la méthode de la médiation. La thèse reflète le chemin parcouru - de la déconstruction à la reconstruction du sujet – débutant par une analyse théorique (les origines, les spécificités, les différences avec d’autres méthodes, les valeurs et principes), passant par une prise en considération des phénomènes individuels et collectifs inhérents au conflit et à sa gestion (les niveaux de conflit, les dimensions de la gestion, les fondements psychologiques individuels, les opportunités d’une démarche intégrative mais aussi les limites et risques liés à la méthode de médiation). Le travail tient également compte de l’évolution personnelle du chercheur, de sa pratique de médiateur, des échanges avec d'autres professionnels ainsi que ses constats de réalisabilité (conseils de mise en pratique, organisation logistique, outils concrets pour les différentes phases, et restitution des étapes clés d’un cas pratique).Mots clés : accompagnement, arbitrage, compréhension mutuelle, confidentialité, consensus, dialoguer, doubler, écoute active, empathie, facilitation de communication, gestion de conflit effective et constructive, impartialité, médiation, méthodes alternatives de règlement de conflit, modération, négociation intégrative, prévention/traitement auto-responsable de futures conflits, résolution créative de problèmes, solutions « pareto optimales », rétablissement de la paix, gestion des processus, rapprochement, réconciliation, science décisionnelle, supervision, zone d’accords possibles / This work aims to provide a multidisciplinary approach - historical, socio-political, economic, and psychological - to understand the general interest of constructive conflict management, and in particular the opportunities related to the method of mediation. The thesis reflects the path taken - from deconstruction to reconstruction of the subject - beginning with a theoretical analysis (origins, specificities, differences with other methods, values and principles) and considering the individual and collective phenomena inherent to each conflict and its management (levels of conflict, management dimensions, individual psychological foundations, opportunities of integrative bargaining, but also the limits and risks associated with the method of mediation). The present work also takes into account the personal evolution of the researcher, her practice as a mediator, exchanges with other professionals on this behalf and her personal findings of feasibility (practical advice, logistical organization, concrete tools for the various phases, and the restitution of the key steps of a practical case). Key words : active listening, alternative dispute resolution, arbitrary, communication facilitation, conciliation, confidentiality, consensus, constructive and effective conflict management, creative problem-solving, decision science, dialogue, empathy training, empowerment, Harvard negotiation model, impartiality, integrative bargaining, looping, mediative solutions, moderation, negotiation, “pareto optimal” solutions, peacemaking, process management, reconciliation, reframing, settlements, supervision, therapy, understanding, zone of possible agreements

Since the dawn of humanity design has influenced human life. Today, facing the depletion of the socio-ecological system, increasing complex problems threaten humanity’s existence. Design has been a contributor to creating such problems, yet with appropriate tools can become a source for solutions. Design Thinking (DT) was identified as a possible approach that could contribute to Strategic Sustainable Development (SSD). The purpose of this thesis is to examine potential contributors and hindrances of the DT process with regards to SSD, and create a prototype for an integrated process that could help achieve more strategic and sustainable outcomes. With the use of the Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development (FSSD) as a lens to examine the above, along with interviews, Action Research and expert feedback, an integrated process was created. Results of the interviews and FSSD analysis helped shape two prototypes that were examined through the mentioned methods. It was indicated by participants of the Action Research and by experts that the prototype could help reach a strategic and sustainable outcome, and further refinement should be pursued. The final prototype is presented as part of the discussion, suggesting additional tools and actions that if included could create a possible Sustainable DT (SDT) process.

At some point during a creative action something clicks, suddenly the prospective problem solver just knows the solution to a problem, and a feeling of joy and relief arises. This phenomenon, called Eureka experience, insight, Aha moment, hunch, epiphany, illumination, or serendipity, has been part of human narrations for thousands of years. It is the moment of a subjective experience, a surprising, and sometimes a life-changing event. In this thesis, I narrow down this moment 1. conceptually, 2. experientially, and 3. temporally. The concept of emerging solutions has a multidisciplinary background in Cognitive Science, Arts, Design, and Engineering. Through the discussion of previous terminology and comparative reviews of historical literature, I identify sources of ambiguity surrounding this phenomenon and suggest unifying terms as the basis for interdisciplinary exploration. Tracking the experience based on qualitative data from 11 creative practitioners, I identify conflicting aspects of existing models of creative production. To bridge this theoretical and disciplinary divide between iterative design thinking and sequential models of creativity, I suggest a novel multi-layered model. Empirical support for this proposal comes from Dira, a computer-based open-ended experimental paradigm. As part of this thesis I developed the task and 40 unique sets of stimuli and response items to collect dynamic measures of the creative process and evade known problems of insightful tasks. Using Dira, I identify the moment when solutions emerge from the number and duration of mouse-interactions with the on-screen elements and the 124 participants' self-reports. I provide an argument for the multi-layered model to explain a discrepancy between the timing observed in Dira and existing sequential models. Furthermore, I suggest that Eureka moments can be assessed on more than a dichotomous scale, as the empirical data from interviews and Dira demonstrates for this rich human experience. I conclude that the research on insight benefits from an interdisciplinary approach and suggest Dira as an instrument for future studies.