A Course in Creative Problem Solving

This paper briefly describes a three credit-hour undergraduate senior-level course, Creative Problem Solving, which has been taught for four years in the Department of Electrical Engineering at the University of Florida. Particular emphasis is placed on the techniques found successful for teaching a course in engineering creativity, since knowledge of such techniques has constituted a deterrent to many desiring to teach such a course. The purposes and typical examples of classroom and outside activities are presented. The activities deliberately contain strong student participation both individually and in small groups. The course described seeks to impart to students a workable approach to the technique of solving complex engineering problems. It simultaneously orients and develops the students' attitudes toward recognition of the role played by creativity in actual engineering problem solving. Though the present course is oriented toward electrical engineers, it is believed that the essential methodology used could, with some modifications, be adapted to other undergraduate engineering disciplines. An attempt is made to appraise the effectiveness of the overall course. Some of the unsolved teaching problems are also exposed.