Two experiments with a total of 37 college students showed that metacognitive training influenced strategic flexibility and metacognition of students. The studies also found it was much easier to enhance performance on closed problems than with open problems calling for creativity. (Author/DB)

The ability to develop new problem descriptions, called problem restructuring in architectural design, has been related to creativity. Looking at human creativity through problem restructuring is likely to offer more research results and questions and can benefit understanding of the role of creativity in professional practice and related decision…

Focuses on problem-based learning (PBL). Explains ill-defined problems of PBL and compares PBL with the typical problem solving approach. Lists 10 steps to involve students in constructing understanding for use with PBL. (YDS)

A company designs and delivers treasure and scavenger hunts for corporate and institutional clients. Groups are divided into teams that must solve puzzles for directions or clues. The hunts build creativity, teamwork, communication skills, and an appreciation of others' strengths. An insert includes a four-puzzle mini-treasure hunt. (TD)

Reviews studies on the cognitive mechanisms underlying creative thought and proposes a general model. This model holds that creative thought involves interactions among a number of distinct cognitive components. Some of the implications of this model for the design of effective educational programs are discussed. (Author/CR)

The generation of new ideas is a complex demanding activity involving multiple processing operations. As is the case in other forms of complex cognition, biases in process execution can induce errors that limit peoples' ability to generate viable new ideas. In the present effort, the nature of these biases, and their impact on creative thought,…

Art educators have acknowledged for a long time the importance of the study of images and visual elements in the lives of children and the field of art education. This is even more evident today as the discipline moves to embrace notions of "visual culture," which emphasize exploring and studying all the things that visibly shape lives. In spite…

The authors identified factors affecting problem finding depending on degree of structure of problem situation--either ill or moderately structured. Fifth-grade students (N = 115) were randomly assigned to 2 groups: Group 1 (n = 60) accomplished the ill-structured task; Group 2 (n = 55) performed the moderately structured task. Results indicated…

We investigated the effects of divergent thinking training (with explicit instruction) on problem-solving tasks in a sample of Third Culture Kids (Useem and Downie, 1976). We were specifically interested in whether the children's originality and fluency in responding increased following instruction, not only on classroom-based worksheets and the…

In this article, the authors describe a varied day of stimulating mathematics with key stage 2 learners--all revolving around chocolate. They used a variety of stimuli organized around the chocolate theme. A whole day was spent on using and applying mathematics, and the exercise proved to be enjoyable for both staff and pupils. The children…

Intuition is knowledge of something without the conscious use of reasoning. The question of where intuitive knowledge comes from may be addressed from neurophysiological, spiritual, or philosophical perspectives. In some cases, hunches may be traced to the unconscious processing of immediate sensory input with previous knowledge. In other cases,…

A catalytic leader brings together diverse individuals from multiple agencies to address intractable public problems. Strategies for promoting catalytic leadership are explored. The book opens with a review of the problems facing public leaders, emphasizing the complexity and interconnectedness of problems in the public sphere. The book highlights…

This paper on the nature of expertise discusses implications of findings of an earlier study into the problem-solving, problem-finding and thought processes of 3 groups: 20 professional artists (experts), 20 semiprofessional artists (non-experts), and 20 non-artists (novices), each group consisting of 10 male and 10 female adults. Subjects were…

Author presented a theory of thinking designed to multiply our power as thinkers, problem-solvers and learners. (Author/RK)