Exercise: Creative Problem Solving

robot, n. The word ‘robot’ was first used in Karel Čapek’s play R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots), a science fiction play in the Czech language in 1921.

This exercise simulates a creative-problem-setting-solving-setting etc in teams.
Objective: Understanding theory, principles and guidelines for group brainstorming sessions.

Materials
"Lego Mindstorms" Robot Base (1 per group of 4 to 7 people).
Creativity Assessment Sheet.
One hour to run.

Technology Familiarisation Stage
1. Introduce the robot and programming tools.
2. Allocate 7 minutes for individuals to take turns familiarising with the robot's capabilities.

Play Prototype then Try 
Part 1 
1. Turn the robots OFF.
2. Problem 1 is set.
3. Allocate approximately 3 minutes for initial exploration and solution working individually. Individuals working alone write a program to solve the problem on paper.
4. Allocate approximately 5 minutes for group discussion and determination of group program.
5. Robots can now be turned ON.
6. Allocate approximately 5 minutes to program the robots and 3 minutes for the teams to demonstrate.

Part 2
1. Turn the robots OFF.
2. Problem 2 is set.
3. Robots can now be turned ON.
4. Allocate approximately 15 minutes for groups to determine own approach to solve challenge.
5. Allocate approximately 5 minutes to program the robots and 3 minutes for the teams to demonstrate.

Reflection and discussion
Was leadership difficult?
Could you put yourself forward, could you step back?
How did the team feel?
How did the team perform? On the task, overall?
Comment on behaviours that reinforced or diverged.
Was failure evident? How often? Personalised or not?
If you feel you failed do you think you learned more or less than if you hadn't?
Comment on risk taking.
Comment on the workspace.
Describe your ideal workspace; what things would be present, how would space be arranged?
Are you an 'insider', an 'outsider'?
Was 'talk time' shared? If not who didn't speak and why? If not who spoke most and why?
Does physical control of the 'things' limit collaboration?
What behaviours enable collaboration?
What is your motivation?

Additional links
In defense of brainstorming by Scott Burkin, blog post (link)
My creative process workshop 2010 (link)
A student solution (link)
UCD-TCD Innovation Academy has a module on Creative Thinking (link); Also see the module "Inspiring Creative Thinking: Didactic methods in practice" (link)

Results

Class of 2012/13 

Group ID	Test 1	Test 2	Test 3	Test 4
a	OK	-	OK	-
b	OK	X	OK	-
c	OK	X	OK	-
e	1/2	1/2	OK	-
f	1/4	1/2	OK	-
g	1/2	1/2	1/2	-
h	OK	1/2	OK	-
i	OK	X	OK	-
j	OK	1/2	OK	-

Class of 2012 

Group ID	Test 1	Test 2	Test 3	Test 4
1	OK	X	X	X
2	X	X	1/2	1/2
3	OK	OK	X	X
4	X	X	1/2	1/2
5	OK	OK	X	X
6	OK	X	X	X
7	X	X	X	1/2
8	OK	OK	X	X

The blame is not for failure

Jørgen Vig Knudstorp: At LEGO, Growth and Culture Are Not Kid Stuff
"The blame is not for failure, it is for failing to help or ask for help"

Grant Freeland interviews Jørgen Vig Knudstorp (Boston Consulting Group video)

Exercise: Construction

DesignConstruction from Allen Higgins on Vimeo.

Preamble:

1. Do the Lego Mindstorms familiarisation exercise first (see slides)
2. Then have individuals make their own sketches of a lego robot that can guard a "base",

Objective:
To experience the different activities and issues that can arise in teams constructing a shared object in accordance with a well specified design.
To enable people to get to grips with a particular technology ecosystem to enable reasoned judgement and design thinking relevant to other related exercises.

Preparation:

1x copy of the design/construction document per group.

1x LM construction box.

Index cards, pencils, paper.

Instructions (45”):

e.g. A group race to construct a driving base.
Provide a brief introduction to the construction environment and capabilities of the tools used. 

Outputs:

A completed driving base.

Interjections:

• At intervals team members have to 'rotate' around the workbench. 
• About 15' into the exercise pause and reflect how they have ended up organising themselves. Would you choose a different arrangement? Roles? Spatial arrangement? Move things around? Leadership? Democratic?
• About halfway to completion offer the colour booklet.
• About 30' into the exercise pause and reflect. Ask 'what is the design? The guide? Which page? The finished product? The small details? The ideas? Did anyone notice errors? What was the impact of colour? Any improvisation? Coping with missing parts?

Debrief:

See Exercise: follow up on construction

Previous results:

Class of 2014/15 FT 

Group ID	Time (mins)
a	1 hr 13'
b	non-finish

Class of 2013/14 PT 

Group ID	Time (mins)
a	24'
b	non-finish
c	29'
e	27'
f	non-finish
g	non-finish
h	non-finish
i	23'
j	non-finish

Class of 2013/14 FT 

Group ID	Time (mins)
a	non-finish
b	non-finish
c	non-finish
e	20'
f	non-finish
g	'1'? non-finish
h	non-finish
i	31'
j	non-finish

Class of 2012/13 

Group ID	Time (mins)
a	20
b	35
c	40
e	29
f	non-finish
g	42
h	47
i	40
j	34

Class of 2012 

Group ID	Time (mins)
1	non-finish
2	non-finish
3	33
4	40
5	33
6	25
7	28
8	34

I couldn't resist "Why Your Employees Should Be Playing With Lego Robots"

Arguing for play-like activity in work (not just using Lego to communicate ideas) by Colin Lewis...

"Participants from all backgrounds gain key team building skills through collaborating closely at every stage of ideation, innovation, deployment, evaluation and scaling. At the end of the training teams are required to present their ideas and results, building effective communication skills." (Lewis, 2014)