Creative Thinking

This course is designed to help students learn how to think creatively on demand. The two main themes of the material in the course are developing the ability to create new ways of looking at and solving problems, and developing their own innate and powerful problem solving capabilities. Much of the creative thinking material in the course has been developed from the classical works on lateral thinking and thinking modes articulated originally by Edward de Bono but also on the subsequent work on creativity (generation of new ideas) and innovation (application of new ideas). Students are taught a range of proven exercises to help them develop their creativity as well as how to set up their own work habits and patterns to foster long term creative and innovative thinking. The other main theme of the course deals with the actual physiological mechanisms people use in problem solving. This has been called "breakthrough" thinking because it is often characterized by sudden flashes of insight that solve difficult problems that people have been struggling with. The specific cognitive mechanisms of how this sort of sudden problem solving works have been a focus of research for years and, while there is still a lot that is unknown, a number of insights have been gleaned that have led to an understanding of how to actually use this process on demand in both learning new skills and knowledge and in solving problems. During the course, students are taught a number of attested techniques to improve their breakthrough problem solving abilities and their ability to acquire new knowledge and skills.