decision-making: a neglected skill for 21st century learners
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Decision-Making: A Necessary and Neglected Skill for 21st Century LearningDescription: The world is filled with problems to be solved and decisions to be made. The curriculum, typically, is not. Too often schools present the world as a mass of facts and concepts to be remembered rather than as an arena in which to apply what's being learned. Thanks to the internet, schools now have access to current dilemmas and choices facing humanity in every discipline. How can you create a more active learning environment by finding opportunities for students to practice decision making in math, social studies, even English? Some decision-making techniques scaled down from the corporate world will be presented as ways to engage your learners more deeply.TRANSCRIPT
Decision-Making: Decision-Making: A Neglected Skill for A Neglected Skill for 21st Century Learning21st Century Learning
Bernie Dodge, PhDSan Diego State University
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Adult life is full of Adult life is full of decisionsdecisions
Adult life is full of Adult life is full of decisionsdecisions
Adult life is full of Adult life is full of decisionsdecisions
Adult life is full of Adult life is full of decisionsdecisions
Adult life is full of Adult life is full of decisionsdecisions
Max Planck Society – April 14, 2008
Decisions we allow kids to Decisions we allow kids to makemake
Which book would you like to do your report on?
Do you want to be the record-keeper, the spokesperson or the artist?
Color the sky with whatever crayon you like
A decision A decision II have to make… have to make…
First….First….
Ask yourself, when do adults need to apply this content?
Second…Second…
Look for (or create) disequilibrium
Strategy 1: Create an Strategy 1: Create an OpportunityOpportunity
Identify (or make up) an opportunity for action that requires choosing from among alternatives.
Strategy 2: Recommend a SolutionStrategy 2: Recommend a Solution
Identify a real problem over which there is strong disagreement and decide on what to recommend.
Strategy 3: Change the Strategy 3: Change the SituationSituation
Change the situation to create new problems that someone needs to decide how to respond to.
Create an OpportunityCreate an Opportunity
Create an OpportunityCreate an Opportunity
Create an OpportunityCreate an Opportunity
Recommend a SolutionRecommend a Solution
Change the SituationChange the Situation
To summarize, look for one of To summarize, look for one of these:these:
Opportunity for improvementResponding to an existing problem
Responding to a new situation
…and pick situations that require learning what you need them to learn.
Teaching decision-making Teaching decision-making skillsskills
Should occur in context, not isolation
Should provide reusable techniquesUltimately should be internalized by repeated practice
PMI TechniquePMI TechniqueMake a list of aspects of the choice to be made.
Mark each one as Plus, Minus or Interesting
Optionally, put a number from 1 to 10 to indicate how important each aspect is
Total up the number of items in each column
http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTED_05.htm
Bernie’s Plasma TVBernie’s Plasma TV
Plus Minus Interesting
Should I go ahead and have the set repaired?
Bernie’s Plasma TVBernie’s Plasma TV
Plus Minus Interesting
Less expensive than replacing it with a new one
If it lasts 3 years, the replacement will be bigger, better and cheaper
Should I go ahead and have the set repaired?
Bernie’s Plasma TVBernie’s Plasma TV
Plus Minus Interesting
Less expensive than replacing it with a new one
Won’t be ready for Spring Break
If it lasts 3 years, the replacement will be bigger, better and cheaper
It may break again in 18 months or less
We could get a new one immediately
Should I go ahead and have the set repaired?
Bernie’s Plasma TVBernie’s Plasma TV
Plus Minus Interesting
Less expensive than replacing it with a new one
Won’t be ready for Spring Break
Repairman says LCD is better than plasma
If it lasts 3 years, the replacement will be bigger, better and cheaper
It may break again in 18 months or less
We could get a new one immediately
Should I go ahead and have the set repaired?
Bernie’s Plasma TVBernie’s Plasma TV
Plus Minus Interesting
Less expensive than replacing it with a new one (+5)
Won’t be ready for Spring Break(-3)
Repairman says LCD is better than plasma
If it lasts 3 years, the replacement will be bigger, better and cheaper(+7)
It may break again in 18 months or less(-4)
We could get a new one immediately(-4)
12 -11
Should I go ahead and have the set repaired?
Another technique: Decision TreesAnother technique: Decision Trees
Useful for decisions more complicated than yes/no.
Breaks down big decisions into a series of smaller ones.
Allows you to evaluate the end points to see which path is best.
Bernie’s Plasma Decision TreeBernie’s Plasma Decision Tree$1800
$2400
$800
7/10
10/10
10/10
Other Techniques to TryOther Techniques to Try
Pareto AnalysisGrid AnalysisForce Field Analysis
A Great ResourceA Great Resource
http://www.mindtools.com
A practice problem…
What shall we do?What shall we do?
First, count off by 6’s.
6 Thinking Hats6 Thinking Hats
1. Blue Hat1. Blue Hat
Hat worn by people chairing meetings.
Pays attention to the process and directs the other hats to pitch in
2. White Hat2. White Hat
focus on the data available.
look at the information you have, and see
look for gaps in your knowledge, and either try to fill them or take account of them.
3. Green Hat3. Green Hat
stands for creativity. This is where you can develop creative solutions to a problem.
freewheeling way of thinking, in which there is little criticism of ideas.
4. Red Hat4. Red Hat
looks at problems using intuition, gut reaction, and emotion.
tries to think how other people will react emotionally.
tries to understand the responses of people who do not fully know your reasoning.
5. Yellow Hat5. Yellow Hat
the optimistic viewpoint that helps you to see all the benefits of the decision and the value in it.
helps you to keep going when everything looks gloomy and difficult.
6. Black Hat6. Black Hatlooks at all the bad points of the decision.
tries to see why it might not work.
highlights the weak points in a plan.
You have 7 minutes to decide on what we should do
Time’s up!
In conclusion…In conclusion…
Look for decisions your kids can make as part of learning what they need to learn
Create an opportunityRecommend a solution to an existing problemChange the situation
Scaffold that decision-making experience by providing techniques that they can use outside of classPMIDecision treesSix Thinking Hats
Decision-Making: Decision-Making: A Neglected Skill for A Neglected Skill for 21st Century Learning21st Century Learning
Bernie Dodge, PhDSan Diego State University
