Creative Thinking: Techniques and Tools for Success

Go to Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/creative-thinking-techniques-and-tools-for-success

Introduction

**Review and Recommendation of the Course: "Creative Thinking: Techniques and Tools for Success" on Coursera** In an age where innovation is at the forefront of industries and workplaces globally, the ability to think creatively has become paramount. Enter the course "Creative Thinking: Techniques and Tools for Success" on Coursera—a robust offering tailored for anyone looking to enhance their creative dexterity. This course is precisely designed to arm learners with the necessary skills and methodologies to navigate challenges in a fast-paced and often overwhelming environment. ### Course Overview This course takes a deep dive into the principles of creativity, articulating its crucial role in addressing today's global challenges. In a world that demands constant adaptation and inventive problem-solving, the insights from this course will prove invaluable. The creators have packed this incredible journey into six comprehensive weeks, focusing on both theoretical knowledge and practical application. By the end, learners can expect to possess a rich toolbox for creative thinking that they can employ in professional and personal contexts. ### Detailed Syllabus Breakdown 1. **Introduction to the Principles of Creativity** - The course kicks off by laying the foundation of what creativity means and its significance in solving complex problems. You'll explore the nuances of lower and higher-level creativity, setting the stage for deeper exploration in the subsequent weeks. 2. **Creativity Tools** - Week two focuses on brainstorming—a pivotal technique for idea generation. This section highlights various brainstorming methods and emphasizes collaboration in group settings. Expect to actively engage with these techniques to enhance your ability to generate and refine ideas. 3. **Thinking Styles** - Understanding thinking styles is crucial for tailoring your creative approach. This section dives into different styles applicable at both individual and group levels in various scenarios, helping you increase your versatility in thought processes. 4. **Morphological Analysis** - Morphological Analysis offers a systematic approach to creativity. Learners will familiarize themselves with this tool and practice applying it in diverse scenarios, from design concepts to plot development in storytelling. 5. **TRIZ - the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving** - The fifth week introduces TRIZ, a fascinating approach to inventive problem-solving. You will learn how to utilize the TRIZ Contradiction Matrix to overcome obstacles, enhancing both individual and collaborative creativity. 6. **SCAMPER** - In week six, the course introduces SCAMPER—an acronym standing for Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to another use, Eliminate, and Reverse. This technique is invaluable for improving existing ideas and inspiring new ones, ensuring a comprehensive approach to creativity. 7. **Using the Tools in Combination** - The course concludes with a capstone week where you will be challenged to use the skills and tools you've acquired in combination. This final application will help reinforce your learning and encourage you to seamlessly integrate creative thinking into your workflow. ### Final Thoughts and Recommendations "Creative Thinking: Techniques and Tools for Success" is not just a course; it is an investment in one’s personal and professional development. The structured approach, combined with a multitude of practical exercises and collaborative opportunities, makes it highly applicable for anyone looking to enhance their creative capabilities. Whether you are a student, a seasoned professional, or simply someone eager to think outside the box, this course can empower you with the confidence and techniques to face challenges with a fresh perspective. ### Who Should Enroll I highly recommend this course for anyone working in dynamic fields requiring innovation, such as marketing, product development, design, education, or entrepreneurship. Moreover, even if you do not work in a traditionally 'creative' environment, the skills acquired through this course can enhance your problem-solving abilities, making you a more valuable asset in any job. In conclusion, if you are seeking to elevate your creative thinking skills and learn practical strategies to apply in various contexts, look no further than "Creative Thinking: Techniques and Tools for Success." Enroll now and embark on a transformative journey to unlock your potential and harness the power of creativity!

Syllabus

Introduction to the Principles of Creativity

In the first week, we focus on the basic principles of creativity and highlight its importance in tackling global challenges. Creativity is explored and applied at two different levels, lower and higher-level creativity.

In this week, we will look at how we can augment our creativity using different methods of Brainstorming, a creativity approach that aids the generation of ideas in solving a stated problem. We particularly focus on the application of brainstorming tools in group activities, with the aim of enabling you to understand, evaluate and apply different types of brainstorming techniques in your own context.

There are many thinking styles which can be helpful in creativity. We will focus on the principles as well as application of a variety of thinking approaches that can be used at both at an individual level and in a group, under various professional and personal situations, allowing you to develop competency and accelerate proficiency in the use of some different thinking styles.

You will become familiar with the Principles of Morphological Analysis and learn how to apply it in various life scenarios, from design to developing movie plot-lines, whilst developing a more systematic approach to idea generation.

In week 5, we continue to enhance your fluency, flexibility and originality of idea generation by introducing you to another creativity tool called the theory of inventive problem solving (TRIZ). We will particularly focus on application of TRIZ and the TRIZ Contradiction Matrix and how it can be used in problem, both at an individual and in group level.

This week, we will introduce you to the final creativity tool in the course and its importance in generation of ideas and improvement of the existing ones; SCAMPER. You will become familiar with the concepts of SCAMPER and gain proficiency in its application in various unusual, personal or professional situations, whilst inspiring related ideas.

Now that you have mastered a wide range of creativity tools and developed competency in their application over a wide range of situations and domains, we will wrap up by asking you to use these tool in combinations and apply these in context and scenarios that are also related to your own discipline or context. This will help you reinforce the concepts that you have learnt so far and enable you to use the creativity tools freely in problem solving and idea generation.