Develop and Extend Critical and Creative Thinking Skills

Develop and Extend Critical and Creative Thinking Skills

Describe different creative thinking techniques and how they work

There are a range of creative thinking techniques. They include the following

• Analysis
• Conceptualizing
• Defining
• Examining
• Inferring
• Listening
• Questioning
• Reasoning
• Synthesis

Creative thinking skills are used to evaluate information in a disciplined way, they are used to evaluate thoughts

and help us refine our thought processes. They also help us to think and assess information more comprehensively, and help us to be able to identify and reject false ideas.

Describe how creative thinking has developed over time and its impact on society

'I define creativity as the entire process by which ideas are generated, developed and transformed into value. It comprises what people commonly mean by innovation and entrepreneurship.' John Kao, 1997

'Creativity is about liberating human energy.' Howard Gardner

'Creativity is the process of developing ideas that are original and of value.  Creative intelligence is dynamic, diverse and distinct.' Sir Ken Robinson 2001

Creative thinkers throughout history have helped us develop through science, art, evolution, technology, design and mathematics.

Here are a few historical creative thinkers that have helped us develop over time

Leonardo Da Vinci

The design of a Military tank for warfare

Charles Darwin

He believed humans were descendants from apes and came up with theories relating to Evolution.

Albert Einstein

This is a famous Einstein quote

"Creativity is more important than knowledge"

Steven Hawkins

The theory of everything

Steve Jobs

Creator of Apple products eg: Iphone

Explain how creativity can apply in both creative and non-creative contexts

Creative thinking does not just apply to design, it also applys to science, invention, and technology. The process of creative thinking has led to many different developments in our society for example Louis Braille: he gave blind people an alphabet to allow them to read.

Creativity can mean different things to different people. For some it means being imaginative or inventive, taking risks or challenging convention. For others it is about original thinking or producing something that nobody has come up with before. Some believe that the term 'creativity' only applies only to those who possess artistic talents. 

Traditionally, creativity has been associated with the achievements of extraordinary people such as Mozart, Einstein and Leonardo Da Vinci, and a good deal of the early research into creativity has focused on the work of highly creative people or those considered to be geniuses. 

Focusing on extraordinary individuals, however, simply perpetuates the myth that creativity is about special people doing special things. Research shows that there is no specific personality type associated with creativity. It is possible to be creative in any activity that engages our intelligence because intelligence itself is essentially creative. Creative processes are rooted in the imagination and our lives are shaped by the ideas we use to give them meaning. We all have creative capacities but in many instances we do not know what they are or how to draw on them.

Broadening the meaning of creativity

In recent years researchers and educational writers have extended the general meaning of creativity so that it incorporates ideas about inventiveness and imagination.

This reflects a growing acceptance that creativity it is not simply about coming up with big ideas, but coming up with practical solutions to everyday problems and then applying them to real life situations. Everything around us - our homes, cities, medical services, transport and communication systems - are conceived and developed by practical people who know how to implement creative ideas. Creativity can be readily associated with a wide range of everyday tasks and activities, and the importance of creativity at a personal level is often greatly underestimated.

"All innovations [begin] as creative solutions, but not all creative solutions become innovations."

— Richard Fobes, 

Why aren’t adults as creative as children?

For most, creativity has been buried by rules and regulations. Our educational system was designed during the Industrial Revolution over 200 years ago, to train us to be good workers and follow instructions.

Explain the potential impact of creative thinking on individuals and businesses Creative thinking is important way to create ideas, problem solve and find solutions. It helps individuals and businesses to think outside of the square and come up with ways to develop and improve our society. Identify the techniques that can be used for filtering diverse information De Bono came up with a technique called the six thinking hats to help the process of creative thinking.

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