Problem Solving
Problem solving consists of applying the skills, attitudes, and behaviours needed to effectively generate and implement ideas to address a need or challenge. A problem-solver is resilient, makes decisions, and employs creativity, flexibility, and critical thinking to deliver solutions.
Each core competency is divided into three levels:
- Involved students know the indicator or the criteria for demonstrating it. They can talk about it, write about it, describe it or explain it.
- Engaged students can perform or demonstrate the indicator or criteria; that is, they can do it.
- Leading students are innovating, extending, transforming, showing initiative, integrating, or collaborating.
Below are indicators and examples of competency at each level.
Involved-level Competency
Competency Indicators
How might someone demonstrate this competency?
- Asks questions to identify the information available in a situation
- Recognizes the need for innovative problem-solving strategies
- Predicts that alternative consequences and setbacks may occur
- Describes the value of examining similar problems that have occurred and how they were solved
- Defines creative ideas and outside-the-box thinking
Examples
What are some specific ways this competency might be demonstrated?
- Asks if there are composting bins on campus and where they are
- Emails the student association to propose looking for a solution to the lack for composting on campus
- Talks to a friend about whether budget and convenience might be barriers
- Asks when and how the recycling bins on campus were implemented
- Calls a meeting to discuss brainstorming
Engaged-level Competency
Competency Indicators
How might someone demonstrate this competency?
- Summarizes the known information in a situation
- Analyzes problem-solving strategies for viability, feasibility, and desirability
- Recognizes that setbacks require resilience and can lead to growth
- Investigates what has and has not worked with similar problems in the past
- Explains how to generate creative ideas to solve problems individually or through collaboration
Examples
What are some specific ways this competency might be demonstrated?
- Collects information about composting and campus services
- Creates an online discussion to evaluate the pros and cons of various options
- Tells the group that even though some ideas may not work, they may lead to better solutions
- Investigates composting programs at other post-secondary institutions
- Tells the group how to use whiteboards to collect their thoughts and ideas
Leading-level Competency
Competency Indicators
How might someone demonstrate this competency?
- Explains available information and represents it in alternative ways
- Implements the most viable problem-solving strategy after analyzing alternative options
- Responds to setbacks by creating original solutions
- Hypothesizes a solution based on what has worked with similar challenges
- Generates creative ideas to solve problems individually and through collaboration
Examples
What are some specific ways this competency might be demonstrated?
- Uses collected data to create an infographic or other representation to explain the issue
- Forms a task team to implement an action plan for a pilot program
- Organizes a fundraiser when there is no budget for a composting program
- Creates a comparison of ideas in Excel and chooses which attributes to apply to the current project or idea
- Uses a combination of online surveys and whiteboard sessions to create ideas