Jan 16, 2016
Dr John Willison School of Education [email protected]
Communication for Problem Solving
Today: Communication is a tool used in problem solving
1. Without communication, problems are rarely solved to people’s satisfactionCommunication is a process that allows solutions to be ‘optimal’Final products are communication heavy
• Eg building life-cycles
• Repair manuals
2. Problem Solving Framework
3. Engineering solutions frequently give rise to further problemsProblem :Time to deliver documentsSolution: internet and emailProblem: proliferation of net scams
5
Your Problem Solving Skills
Should I click on ‘Complete Formular’ to get my tax return?
Each pair/trio has 2 minutes to list as many indicators of credibility as possible
Group with the highest number of indicators reads them out.
6
Positive indicators- reasons to believe
Negative indicators- reasons to not believe
7
What skills did you use to do that?
OPS Facets Your Analysis
A. Define & Specify problem
B. Find & Reflect
C. Generate & Evaluate
D. Organise & Manage
E. Analyse & Synthesise
F. Communicate & apply
Find & Reflect
Optimising Problem Solving (OPS)
Generate &
Evaluate
Organise &
manage
Analyse &
Synthesise
Com
mun
icat
e &
App
lyDefine & Specify
Problem
When in doubt, go to the centre…
OPS designed by Mechanical Engineering Communications Tutors, University of Adelaide, 2014Based on www.rsd.edu.au
Something on each facet?
Apollo 13s problem
Problem
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2YZnTL596Q
Solution
http://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=annotation_433156&feature=iv&list=PLC7F1DD960EC4EE94&src_vid=KhoXFVQsIxw&v=Zm5nUEG5Bjo
List the OPS skills NASA Engineers used
OPS Facets Your Analysis % time
A. Define & Specify problem
B. Find & Reflect
C. Generate & Evaluate
D. Organise & Manage
E. Analyse & Synthesise
F. Communicate & apply
13
• progressive revisiting same skills in varying contexts
Optimising Problem Solving
Problem Solving
‘Out of clutter, find simplicity.’ Albert Einstein
• No, definitely common through work. I know all the other graduates in this job are doing it as well and I know that other engineers have to sort of write these reports and do the investigation, and they need to be able to research to do this, yes.
• Graduate Engineer
First of all it was actually in the area which I am actually studying; at the same time I'm currently using it for inspecting basically what other people are doing within my current field and things that people are doing outside my current field that could potentially relate to my actual field at the moment. Then obviously documentation skills and also planning skills.