FACULTY OF EDUCATION AND LANGUAGES

SBFS1103

THINKING SKILLS AND PROLEM SOLVING

ASSIGNMENT TITLE: PROBLEM SOLVING FOR Ro Mystar College (RMC)

Name: Ahmad Farouq Bin Omar

Matric number: 911212045225001

Telephone number: 0193285061

E-mail address: Far_rock91@yahoo.com

Tutor’s name: NINI YUSNIDA MUDA

Learning Centre: Seremban

JANUARY 2013 Semester

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CONTENT

Introduction 3

Importance Of Decision Making 4

Problem Solving Strategies 5-7

Problem Solving Tools 8-10

Decision Making Strategies 11

Decision Making Tools 12

Discussion In The Context Of Creative

Thinking

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Conclusion 14

References

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INTRODUCTION

Problem solving is a mental process that involves discovering, analyzing and solving

problems. The ultimate goal of problem-solving is to overcome obstacles and find a solution that

best resolves the issue. The best strategy for solving a problem depends mostly on the unique

situation. In some cases, people are better off learning everything they can about the issue and

then using factual knowledge to come up with a solution. In other cases, creativity and insight

are the best options. Problem solving also known as cognitive processing directed at achieving a

goal when no solution method is obvious to the problem solver.

Decision making is a prime process of management executive. It is like sharpening the

knife before cutting the fish. If decision is effective and efficient you can accomplish your

objective with lesser cost, pressure and time. Besides that, it is also the thought process of

selecting a logical choice from the available options. When trying to make a good decision, a

person must consider the positives and negatives of each option, and consider all the alternatives.

For effective decision making, a person must be able to predict the outcome of each option as

well, and based on all these items, determine which option is the best for that particular situation.

Decision making is a process of selection from a set of alternative courses of action,

which is thought to fulfill the objectives of the decision problem more satisfactorily than others.

It is a course of action, which is recognize chosen for achieving a desired result. A decision is a

process that takes place prior to the actual performance of a course of action that has been

chosen. In terms of managerial decision making, it is an act of choice, where the manager selects

a particular course of action from the available alternatives in a given situation. Managerial

decision making process involves establishing of goals, defining tasks, searching for alternatives

and developing plans in order to find the best answer for the decision problem. Life is full of

choices at every moment of time. There are various of possibilities in front of you to choose

from. You need to select one course of action from all available options based on your judgment.

That is what form making a decision. If you think about it, life is a series of decisions and

consequences that follow them. Smart decisions are the success of judgment while bad decisions

are opportunities to learn from and correct our strategy. The importance of the decision process

in life is big, as what we eventually become, is a consequence of the decisions we made in the

past. We are what our choices and decisions make us to be.

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IMPORTANCE OF DECISION MAKING

When you are young, you are not worried about taking instant important decisions when

it matters as these things will be done by parents. You will not realize how important it is to be

able to take quick correct decisions. But once you grow up, these things matters a lot as you can

no longer depend on anyone to take these crucial decisions on your behalf and if you do take

others help on this regard it might be an negative point for you throughout your life as you will

suffer of not being able to take any decisions on your own. So, somehow you have to learn this

art of taking quick decisions on crucial matters and once you take decision you should not look

back at all. Making decisions in our daily lives and in the workplace can be one of the most

overlooked processes. The daily routine presents us with hundreds of decisions, many quite

small, but every now and then comes the big decisions that seem to turn life upon its head

depending on the path we choose. Each of us in making decisions must choose which path we

will travel by. We do not have to choose blind paths to take the road less traveled by, but we do

have to take paths that require courage in making decisions. For example, sometimes we are

faced with decisions about personal relationships that have a great effect on work, school, or

whatever responsibilities may be placed upon us.

The issue that RonMystar college face is the achievement and performance of this college

have decreased . Besides that, RMC also have issue with their internal crisis. As a new college,

all of this problem they have to face. This learning institute brings next generation educational

experiences to young people wherever they are ready to learn. Engineering education has seen a

remarkable growth in the recent years as reflected in the steep rise in the number of institutes

offering programs in engineering at various levels. These institutions of higher learning (IHL)

which offers engineering education, need to play a major role in producing the right quality and

quantity of engineer to meet the requirements of marketplace. As a consultant appointed by

RMC, I have to identify the internal problem and prohibitive factor that exist.

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PROBLEM SOLVING STRATEGIES

There are 9 problem solving strategies. First is problem decomposition. The strategy of

problem decomposition abounds in utility. There are endless refinements to it. Skill in the

application of this strategy is a fundamental trait of good problem solvers. This skill can be

developed just like any other, by combining personal experiences of use with posited

explanations about use in a reflective manner. Problem Decomposition involves a series of steps

by means of which a set of needs is obtained from which the requirements are derived. Second

strategies are working backwards. Working Backwards in which you start with your customer

and work your way backwards until you get to the minimum set of technology requirements to

satisfy what you try to achieve. The strategy of working backwards entails starting with the end

results and reversing the steps you need to get those results, in order to figure out the answer to

the problem. The goal is to drive simplicity through a continuous, explicit customer focus. The

Working Backwards product definition process is all about is fleshing out the concept and

achieving clarity of thought about what we will ultimately go off and build. One can work

backwards not only from the final goal but also from intermediate goal state, especially in

circumstances where there is a way to identify these intermediate states.

The next strategies are hill climbing. A graph search algorithm where the current path is

extended with a successor node which is closer to the solution than the end of the current path.

In simple hill climbing, the first closer node is chosen whereas in steepest ascent hill climbing all

successors are compared and the closest to the solution is chosen. Both forms fail if there is no

closer node. This may happen if there are local maxima in the search space which are not

solutions. Steepest ascent hill climbing is similar to best first search but the latter tries all

possible extensions of the current path in order whereas steepest ascent only tries one. Next

strategies are means-end analysis. Means-end analysis is application of systems thinking to

planning whereby the overall goal is broken down into objectives which in turn are broken down

into individual steps or actions. Means-end analysis is based on the concept that every attainable

end is in itself a means to a more general end.

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The fifth strategies are forward chaining. Forward chaining is one of the two main

methods of reasoning when using inference rules and can be described logically as repeated

application of modus ponens. Forward chaining is a popular implementation strategy for expert

systems, business and production rule systems. The opposite of forward chaining is backward

chaining. Forward chaining starts with the available data and uses inference rules to extract more

data until a goal is reached. An inference engine using forward chaining searches the inference

rules until it finds one where the antecedent is known to be true. When such a rule is found, the

engine can conclude, or infer, the consequent resulting in the addition of new information to its

data. Inference engines will iterate through this process until a goal is reached. The next

strategies are considering analogous problem. Considering analogous problem is a cognitive

process of transferring information or meaning from a particular subject the analogue or source

to another particular subject the target, and a linguistic expression corresponding to such a

process. In a narrower sense, analogy is an inference or an argument from one particular to

another particular, as opposed to deduction, induction, and abduction, where at least one of the

premises or the conclusion is general. The word analogy can also refer to the relation between

the source and the target themselves, which is often, though not necessarily, a similarity, as in the

biological notion of analogy. Specialization and generalization is one of the problem solving

strategies. generalization and specialization are important relationships that exist between a

higher level entity set and one or more lower level entity sets. Generalization is the result of

taking the union of two or more lower level entity sets to produce a higher level entity sets.

Specialization is the results of taking subsets of a higher level entity set to form a lower level

entity sets. In generalization, each higher level entity must also be a lower level entity. In

specialization, some higher level entities may not have lower-level entity sets at all.

Specialization is a Top Down process where as Generalization is Bottom Up process. Another

strategy that has in problem solving strategies are considering extreme cases and mixing

strategies.

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The suitable problem solving strategies that RMC can use are working backwards. By

using these strategies it starting with the end results and reversing the steps you need to get those

results, in order to figure out the answer to the problem. So, by using these strategies we can

find the solution to a problem by starting with the answer and using inverse operations to undo

the steps stated in the problem.

PROBLEM

RMC have problem with their student

performance and achievement. The result of

their student exam is decreased.

SOLUTION

RMC can use working backwards strategies

to solves this problem. They have to check

about the lecturer that teaching student and the

qualifying of the lecturer. Besides that they

also have to check back about the schedule

whether it is suitable or not with the current

learning purpose.

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PROBLEM SOLVING TOOLS

There are 6 types of problem solving tools. There are Brainstorming, Benchmarking,

Cause and Effect Diagrams, Flow Charts, Swot Analysis and Prioritisation Matrix. The suitable

problem solving tools are brainstorming and benchmarking.

The advantage of brainstorming problem solving tools is brainstorming session is often

the last resort when other techniques and methods do not deliver the desired solutions. There are

only a few basic rules to follow. These are easy to learn and perform. Once the rules are accepted

by all, any barriers to creativity fall quickly. In addition, the costs for a brainstorming session are

very low in relation to the output. With this tool, it is completely free and even faster to organize.

The biggest advantage is the high amount of generated ideas. At best, participants with different

knowledge and different experiences come together. The advantage of the “outsider ideas” is

multiplied when you use this tool. An online brainstorming can spread through social networks

and further.

This way you reach people with whom you would otherwise never come into contact. In the

end, there are ideas from people who participated in your brainstorming, you don´t even know,

because the ideas are not criticized or rejected during a brainstorming session, interesting

proposals can be refined gradually. The participants of the brainstorming build their solutions on

the ideas of others, “think them up” and improve them. This synergy effect allows that better and

better ideas are generated. Finally, joint brainstorming improves the working atmosphere.

Working creatively motivates participants. The solutions found are generally more accepted by

the team and will be implemented with more support in the organization. It is different with

benchmarking problem solving tools. Benchmarking encourages a company to become open to

new methods, ideas, processes, and practices to improve effectiveness, efficiency and

performance. A benchmarking study results in valuable data that can stimulate thought-

provoking discussions with key stakeholders. The results provide answers to the following key

questions:

- How well are we performing compared to other companies?

- What are the best practices?

- What improvement opportunities should we focus on?

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Companies who benchmark their performance report the following benefits:

- Identifies specific problem areas and eliminates guesswork

- Builds confidence when gut feel assumptions are validated

- Helps to prioritize improvement opportunities

- Shifts internal thinking from inputs to outputs

- Serves as an excellent baseline report card

- Makes it easier to increase performance expectations and raise the bar

- Creates a sense of competitiveness and a real desire to improve

- Challenges people to work smarter instead of working harder.

The process of benchmarking can be just as important as the results; especially if you plan to

engage several people to help implement improvements. By including executives and other key

stakeholders throughout the benchmarking process, you minimize resistance to change, and win

their support.

Companies who involve their team throughout the benchmarking process report the following

benefits:

- Accelerates understanding and agreement on the real problem areas

- Educates on the latest practices being used and performance being achieved

- Motivates the team to work collaboratively internally to surpass external benchmarks

- Removes emotion from the discussion.

- Most importantly, regular benchmarking encourages a culture of continuous evaluation

and improvement.

PROBLEM

1) RMC had a problem with their

management. They are lack in

SOLUTION

1) The suitable tools that can be used to

solve this problem are brainstorming

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communication.

2) RMC had a problem with the intake of

the student. The intake has been

decreased.

solving tools. With this tools, all staff

in the management can speak out their

opinion and indirectly all staff will

communicate with each other.

2) The suitable tools that can be used to

solve this problem are benchmarking.

With this tools they can analyzing the

problem about the intake of the student.

They can discuss about the benchmark

of the student intake. After that, they

present the result to the management,

set the new target and use the result in

the process of improvement.

DECISION MAKING STRATEGIES

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Decision-making is an essential skill for operational team leaders. Applying a systematic

method to solve problems is critical to team performance and the safety of operations. Team

members share the responsibility for solving problems by contributing timely and valuable

information to the team leader. The suitable decision making strategies for RMC is optimizing.

PROBLEM

RMC had a problem with their intake of the

student. The intake has been decreased.

DECISION MAKING STRATEGIES

The suitable decision making strategies that

can be used are optimizing. It considers a wide

range of choices and weighs each of the

consequences. By using this strategies, they

can detect what sort of problem they had. This

is a strategies that assume unlimited resources

and capability to solve any particular problem.

DECISION MAKING TOOLS

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The suitable decision making tools that RMC can used are PMI. PMI is an acronym for Plus,

Minus, Interesting. It takes the Scored Pro & Con a step further by forcing us to think about

“what is interesting” about the choice.

- Plus are the pros. What’s good about the idea.

- Minus are the cons, the bad points of the idea.

- And finally, Interesting. What is interesting? What are the possibilities?

PLUS MINUS INTERESTING

- Attract new student (3)

- College will more

efficient and

innovative (5)

- Long term profit (3)

- Cost will be increased

(-2)

- College have to hire

and train new educator

(-3)

- Produce many choice

for student to learn (3)

- College will be well-

known. (4)

11 -5 7

SHOULD RonMYSTAR College ADD NEW COURSE?

DISCUSSION IN THE CONTEXT OF CREATIVE THINKING

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There are 6 method that can be used in this creativity thinking. It is taking an innovative

and new approach, devising or changing a process system, coming up with a new product or

service, searching for new uses for existing things, improvising on existing things and

discovering or redefining a concept. The suitable method that can be used in applying creative

thinking in RMC issue are taking an innovative and new approach, coming up with a new

product or services, searching for new uses for existing things and improvising on existing

things.

By using taking an innovative and new approach, RMC can make sure their college is

good enough and innovative. Besides that new approach can make the new surrounding and

attract more attention to the college. RMC also can coming up with a new product or services.

They can provide new services that are more efficient than before. Maybe they can use online

submission for the assignment. Searching for new uses for existing thing is another creative

thinking that can be used. For example RMC can produce student that expert in engineering and

education as well. The last method that suitable in this creative thinking method is improvising

on existing things. For example, RMC produce learner in engineering field. So they can enrich

their student with a lot of new input of engineering field, like engineering in food and

engineering in building hybrid transport.

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CONCLUSION

As a conclusion, I have been use working backwards in problem solving strategies in

RMC issue. Besides that, for problem solving tools in RMC issue I have choose brainstorming

and benchmarking as problem solving tools. For decision making strategies, optimizing is the

best strategies in RMC issue and for decision making tools I have been use plus, minus,

interesting (PMI) to deal with RMC issue. For the last part, the discussion in the context of

creative thinking I have choose taking an innovative and new approach, coming up with a

new product or service, searching for new uses for existing things and improvising on

existing things.

REFERENCES

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1) http://psychology.about.com/od/problemsolving/f/problem-solving-steps.htm

2) http://www.mbaknol.com/management-concepts/decision-making-meaning-and-its-

characteristics/

3) http://www.education.com/reference/article/problem-solving1/

4) Tudge, Jonathan- Caruso, David. (1989). Cooperative Problem Solving in the

Classroom. http://www.ericfacility.net/ ericdigests/ed310881.html

5) Open University thinking skills and problem solving book version December 2011

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