Taking Advantage of Potential: Interdisciplinary Teamwork to Solve Problems

Recognizing possibilities and developing original approaches are crucial in today's globalized environment. The purpose of this group activity is to encourage participants to engage in deep reflection as they work together to identify possibilities and brainstorm potential solutions to pressing problems. Participants will collaborate in pairs to investigate a shared interest, such as hunger, homelessness, poverty, miscommunication, or world peace.

Choose a Conversational Partner and Discuss a Topic

Find someone to work with with the same interest in the subject matter as you do, ideally someone in your class. When you've settled on a topic of mutual interest, it's time to meet online or in person. The context of the issue or opportunity will be gleaned from this exchange.

Analysis of the Problem's Context and Stakeholders

Discuss the topic by delving into the nitty-gritty of the problem setting. Learn the intricacies and difficulties of the situation. As you dig, list everyone who might be affected by or involved in fixing the issue. Individuals, groups, communities, businesses, and government entities are all examples of possible stakeholders.

Constructing Hypothetical Resolutions using Modeling and Foresight

Use a creative brainstorming session to come up with solutions to the problem. To think of something unique and original, use creation logic. To do so, you must think outside the box and create creative answers to problems. Conceptual innovation is fuelled by creative logic's prodding of "outside-the-box" thinking.

At the same time, use prediction logic to assess the viability and prospective outcomes of the proposed solutions. When making a prediction, it's important to use critical thinking skills and consider the resources needed, potential roadblocks, and influence on stakeholders. By taking such a rational approach, you can be sure that your recommended solutions will work in practice.

Writing Down Your Thoughts

After debriefing with your partner, take some time to compose a two- to three-page Word document in which you share your thoughts on the interaction. Please respond to the following questions to provide a detailed account of your experience working together to solve a problem:

1. Who did you end up with? Describe your partner's function in the exercise.
2. To which question did you respond? Indicate which of the options was selected.
3. Where does this issue or window of opportunity exist in the larger society? Explain the background of the problem and focus on the most pressing concerns.
4. Identify the possible parties involved: Determine who has a stake in finding a solution and list them.
5. Give a quick summary of the possible fixes: Outline the novel ideas discussed and their outcomes.
6. Give an instance of your team applying the principles of creation: Explain how you used creation logic to generate one or more unique concepts.
7. Describe how your team has used prediction reasoning in the past. Show how the use of prediction logic helped assess a solution's viability and likely outcomes.
8. Tell me about your takeaways from this exercise. Think about how working together helped you solve problems and how the practice changed your perspective.

Participating in this exercise is a one-of-a-kind chance to tap into the potential of teamwork, originality, and analysis. Participants contribute to innovative problem-solving approaches that can promote good change in various industries by spotting opportunities and developing alternative solutions. This exercise provides participants with useful abilities that may be applied to a variety of real-world issues through debate, application of creation and prediction reasoning, and reflection.