According to the cognitive psychologist Robert J. Sternberg, creativity can, in a general way, be defined as "the process of producing something that is both original and worthwhile." Creativity means finding new ways to solve problems and approach situations. It is not a skill limited to artists, musicians, or writers; it is a useful skill for people of all horizons. If you have already thought about stimulating your creativity, there are certain steps you can take to achieve it
Divergent thinking
A key term that is used frequently in relation to creativity is divergent thinking. Divergent thinking is a mental process or method used to generate creative ideas by exploring many possible solutions. It is often used in conjunction with convergent thinking, which follows a certain number of logical steps to arrive at a solution, which in certain cases is the "correct" solution. Divergent thinking tends to occur spontaneously and freely, so that many ideas are generated in an emergent cognitive way. A multitude of possible solutions are studied in a short time, and unexpected links are created. Once the thinking process is finished, the ideas and information are organized and structured thanks to convergent thinking.The diagram below was taken from the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking (TTCT). The person who passes the test is asked to imagine what this shape can represent. For example, a bruised spider, a three-dimensional molecule, a windshield impact, etc. The ability to provide as many answers as possible is a reflection of divergent thinking, an ingredient of creativity.
FORMATION OF DIVERGENT THINKING
Divergent thinking alone is not enough to make creativity effective; it must be associated with mental flexibility. The goal is not simply to multiply the number of ideas, but to be able to change the angle of attack, to free yourself from your habits of thought. For example, mental flexibility is necessary when trying to form four equilateral triangles with six matches. This ability is an indication of flexibility and mental mobility.
The formalization of divergent thinking
Our training explores the different techniques that allow individuals to tap into their creative potential, and shed outdated and pressing habits that hinder their ability to solve problems. Through video presentations, role-playing games and exercises, participants will discover what Julia Cameron calls The Golden Vein, that is, an innate creativity that sleeps within us and whose activation can enrich us beyond our imagination.
DIVERGENT LEARNING
It is the unique and peculiar way of learning to do things that leads to learning different from what is common to others.
That we all do not learn in the same way or at the same speed is a generally accepted fact. Learning, understood as a process of assimilation of knowledge, is largely influenced by the strategies and methods that we use.
The way we learn, determines and at the same time is conditioned by our Predominant Learning Style. And as teachers, our style of learning often corresponds, according to many authors, to the way we teach. Despite the fact that the knowledge of one's own learning style and the recognition of the one that predominates among students offers attractive suggestions for improving the effectiveness of the teaching-learning process, the reality is that they are generally unknown to those of us who practice university teaching..
With the intention of knowing: How do our teachers learn? We have applied to 32 of them, the inventory of Learning Styles designed by David Kolb
In relation to the way in which individuals learn from experience, Kolb described four predominant styles of learning: Convergent, Assimilating, Divergent, and Accommodating; based on combinations of the types of learning defined by the author and that determine the learning strategies used during the knowledge cycle.
The following graph shows the results: among the respondents, three of the four learning styles described by Kolb are present and there is a predominant learning style: Most turned out to be divergent. Among many other definitions, a person is considered divergent if “they tend not to coincide with the ideas and social, cultural or economic tendencies of another or others”.
Analyzed from the point of view of the theories that analyze and describe the learning processes, learning according to a divergent style means, emphasizing concrete experience and reflective observation, as ways of learning, it also means that there are attitudes and behaviors that determine a way of learning based on cognitive, affective and social traits, which define people with a divergent style:
- They are usually individuals with great imagination Able to analyze each experience from various points of view Interested in working with people They tend to apply observation rather than action They are Kinesthetic: they learn with movement They are experimental: they usually reproduce what they have learned
These characteristics are usually present to a greater or lesser degree among the majority of university professors of Health Sciences, they determine that we are good in situations that need to generate a wide range of alternative ideas, they allow us to identify health problems and understand people who suffer from them.
Dra. Violeida Sánchez Socarrás.
Physiotherapy and Podiatry Studies.
Bibliographic references.
- Brown, T., Cosgriff, T., French, G. Learning style preferences of occupational therapy and speech pathology students: a comparative study. The Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice. July 2008; 6 (3): 1–12. Gomez del Valle, M. et al. Identification of the predominant learning styles in teaching students of the Faculty of Education Sciences of the University of Cadiz. Interuniversity Electronic Journal of Teacher Training, 2003; 6 (2). Milanese S., Gordon S., Pellatt A. Profiling physiotherapy studint preferred learning styles within a clinical education context. 2013; 99 (2): 146–152 Drain MLM. Adaptation of Kolb's learning style inventory. Psychology. 1992; 11 (1): 127–142.
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