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Different Ideas, Lots Of Ideas: A Design Course That Enhances The Creative Abilities Of College Students, Jody Nyboer, Brad Hokanson

Learn X Design Conference Series

Creative thinking is the ability to generate a wide and detailed range of responses to a given stimulus. It is not a fixed skill; it can be improved through practice. Creative Problem Solving (CPS) is a design course that fosters these abilities. The challenge-based course utilizes a generative learning approach. Students are given a series of assignments that prompt them to ‘do some-thing differently’ (i.e., eat something different). In their quest towards designing unique solutions, the students are forced to define the contextual meaning of each challenge, and to question how cultural, social, and personal norms limit their ideas. The …