computer skills advanced creative problem solving · computer skills advanced creative problem...

Computer skills advancedcreative problem solving

Prof. Raffaella FOLGIERI

DEMM, Department of Economics, Management and quantitative Methods

aa 2012/2013

•Creativity and Problem solving– Representations– An example of application

•Problem solving and project management– Representations– An example: application to a marketing plan

•Computational thinking•Algorithmic problem solving

– Representations – Application to PIL

OutlineProf. R

affaella Folgieri –

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• From Greek πρόβλημα (próblēma) = "obstacle", from the verb προβάλλω (probállō) = "put in front of", from the prefix προ- (pro-) = "in front" + βάλλω (bállo) = "put, throw".

• A problem is, generally speaking, an obstacle making difficult to reach an objective or satisfy a need, standing between the individual will and the objective reality.

• A problem is every situation or unsolved condition presenting difficulties in finding a solution.

Problems: etymologyProf. R


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• Also in creative activities the representation came after the analysis (or they often coincide)

• Among the techniques used to define a problem– Brainstorming (also used in project management)– Mental maps– Cause-effect diagrams

• They are ways to organize creativity• Other techniques useful for the economic/financial

or process/decisions/project fields are:– Deming cycle– 8D method

• Other common diagrams:– Pyramid diagram– Onion diagram– Decision tree

Problem solving and creativityProf. R


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Brainstorming

• It is a semi-structured group activity • Often used to develop new ideas or to face a

problem concerning innovation/improvement• Group members are encouraged to freely express

their ideas• Collective intelligence• 3 fundamental rules:

– Participants are encouraged (no idea is stupid)– No judge on ideas before the end of the process– Each one must develop ideas of the others, generating

combinations and exploring unexpected directions.

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Brainstorming: the generic process

Give boundaries indications(Current situation, symptoms, actions)

Problem definition(in form of question)

Generation of ideas(no discussion)

Selection of ideas(group, name, priority, selected ideas)

Advantages and disadvantages(no discussion)

Construction critic(how to… desiderata…)

Action plan and implementation

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The mental maps

• Popular tool used for brainstorming and learning technique based on the visible organization of the ideas and of the interconnection among ideas

• It always starts from a problem or question positioned in the centre of the map

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The mental map

• Many applications: communication, problem analysis, efficient presentations, learning

• Also useful to solve complex problems• Many free software at disposition in the Internet

Main ideas in the centre Preferable use images Use a large space (allowing to

expand the map) Use colours and capital letters

where it is useful Find relationships Detect secondary centres for

secondary themes

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Online tools to create mental maps

• There are many tools– Both for local (on your PC) installation– And useful to create maps directly on line

• Totally free, or free for some features and with paying for the full version

• MindMeister: http://www.mindmeister.com/• Mind42.com: http://www.mind42.com/• Wisemapping: http://www.wisemapping.com/c/home.htm• Exploratree: http://www.exploratree.org.uk/• Mindomo: http://www.mindomo.com/it/• SpinScape: http://www.spinscape.com/• Text 2 Mind Map: http://www.text2mindmap.com/• Cmap (you need to download it):

http://cmap.ihmc.us/download/

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Tools on line for mental maps: MindMeisterhttp://www.mindmeister.com/

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Tools on line for mental maps: Mind42.comhttp://www.mind42.com/

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Tools on line for mental maps: Wisemappinghttp://www.wisemapping.com/c/home.htm

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Tools on line for mental maps: Exploratreehttp://www.exploratree.org.uk/

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Tools on line for mental maps: Mindomohttp://www.mindomo.com/it/

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Tools on line for mental maps: SpinScapehttp://www.spinscape.com/

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Tools on line for mental maps: Text 2 Mind Maphttp://www.text2mindmap.com/

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Tools on line for mental maps: Cmap (need to be downloaded)

http://cmap.ihmc.us/download/

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From theory to practice

Analysis of students' data,indices and pivot tables

(case study 2, 3, 4)Prof. R


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Mental maps: a case studyStudents' data analysis• We wish to analyse the data collected from a University for

different aims: management, rates, organization…

• The aim of the analysis is to consider the students' data organizing them from a socioeconomic point of view.

• If considered together, the variables, set on school results and on the previous career, will allow us to group students followingcommon characteristics, if there are any.

– This statistic technique is called SEGMENTATION and it itsuseful not only to describe and explore data but also for decision making and planning processes.

• We will use the mental maps to organize aims and steps neededto achieve the correct set of data and the detection of the toolsfor the following analysis.

Case study 2Prof. R


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The collected data

• The data have been collected from different entities, so that they do not result homogeneous.

• We have quantitative and qualitative data, which need to be treated differently.

• We need a DBMS (DataBase Management System) to manage and save data, but we will use statistic tools (for example functions from Excel) to analyse them.

• With the term VARIABLES we indicate qualitative or quantitative features collected by a generic statistic unit (a column in Excel, called “field” in ICT)

• A statistic unit is a row in a matrix of data (called “record” in ICT).

Case study 2Prof. R


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Data description

• In a data set we have anagraphical data, information on previous schools, the examination results(expressed in CFU and scores) grouped for Facultyand collected by the registration office. Data are related to academic year 2011/2012.

• Considering our aims, we will try to describe boththe data and the process trough a mental map.

Case study 2Prof. R


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Our first mental map

• We will use Text 2 Mind Map, totally free, simple to use directly online, giving the possibility to save the map.

• It is sufficient to write the outline (on the left) and after click on Convert to Mind Map. After that, we can customize the map and save it (in jpg format).

Case study 2http://www.text2mindmap.com/

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Mental maps to express the data organization

• Here is the result

• The map expresses the organization of the collected data

Case study 2Prof. R


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Mental map to express the analysis process

Now we will describe the data analysis process, using, also in this case, a mental map.

Case study 2Prof. R


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• Once composed the outline, with the button Convert to Mind Map we will obtain the map.

Mental map to express the analysis processCase study 2

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Here is the map that express how to solve the problem, If the map is well-constructed, it will be easy to translate all in Excel (or in another chosen tool) with the operations described in the following (to complete the argument, but which you must already know)...

Mental map to express the analysis processCase study 2

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• Begin with the data.• We need to import them into Excel (if they aren’t in XLs

format)– Tab DATI, pulsante DA TESTO

Translation of the mental maps in Excel (1)Case study 2

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• Now control the data format (tab HOME, menu FORMATO).


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• Now order data (ex. for matricola), with the button Ordinamento personalizzato from the menu Ordina e filtra from the tab HOME (in the appearing windows chose matricola).

• Now data are ready.


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• We have translated one of the branches of the mental map of the process…

Translation of the mental maps in Excel (4)

• …to realize what we have detected in the data organization map.

Case study 2Prof. R


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• To translate the other branches, that is to calculate the position and variability indices, we will use the right Excel functions (see figure).

• You can access functions form the tab FORMULE, choosing the button ALTRE FUNZIONI and selecting FUNZIONI STATISTICHE, as in the figure.


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• At least, to group data following positions or variability indices, we will use a pivot table (button TABELLE PIVOT from tab INSERISCI).

• Select data from the window that appears and after indicate which ones will be the columns, the rows, and the central data of the pivot table.

Translation of the mental maps in Excel (6)

In the sheet we will obtain the pivot table.

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Case study 4Prof. R


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The two maps are completely realized. If you learn to proceed first approaching the problem with problem solving techniques (in this case mental maps), after choosing the right tool (in our case Excel) and at least translating the maps, all the process will be well-approached, simply and efficient.


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Mental maps are useful for many activities and disciplines.It is also possible to make research on Wikipedia using mental maps (http://www.wikimindmap.org )Try to select Wikipedia Italia and try to find the map corresponding to the topic INFORMATICA.

A web application on mental mapsProf. R


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In the figure you can see what we have obtained. The map is expandable, explorable and downloadable.

A web application on mental mapsProf. R


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computer skills advanced creative problem solving · computer skills advanced creative problem...

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