Teaching Hands On Inventive Problem Solving

This paper reports on a new undergraduate course at Florida Atlantic University titled: “Introduction to Inventive Problem Solving in Engineering”. Its goal is to enhance inventive thinking abilities of undergraduate students resulting in skills that can be used in science, math, engineering and technology. The course is based on: a) well established systematic and nonsystematic approaches to inventive problem solving, b) results from NSF support to FAU on unified frame for inventive problem solving strategies, c) proven successful methods that have been used in high-tech innovative industries, and d) on going E-teams projects sponsored by the National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance (NCIIA). One of the core ideas of the class is the Eight-dimensional methodology for inventive and innovative problem solving. It is a systematic approach that stimulates innovation by effectively using both sides of the brain. The methodology is a unified approach that builds on comprehensive problem solving knowledge from industry, business, marketing, math, science, engineering, technology, and daily life. It allows to quickly generate unique, and high-quality, multiple solutions in a short period of time. It is easy to teach, learn and use and may be used by individuals and teams in different setting such as brainstorming sessions. The new course uses hands-on problem-based learning and emphasizes expanding creativity and thinking skills of students. The activities include 3-D mechanical puzzles, games, mind teasers, LEGO® Mindstorms competitions, and design projects. These activities allow for self-paced, semi-guided exploration. They lead to out-of-the-box inventive thinking, imagination, intuition, common sense, and teamwork. The course and the use of the Eight-dimensional methodology have been recently evaluated with encouraging results. *This work has been supported in part by the National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance (NCIIA), and was supported in part by a grant from the National Science Foundation, Division of Information, Robotics and Intelligent Systems, Grant # IIS-9615688,. Proceedings of the 2001 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference and Exposition Copyright © 2001, American Society for Engineering Education P ge 646.1