Chevron Left
Back to Creative Problem Solving

Learner Reviews & Feedback for Creative Problem Solving by University of Minnesota

4.4
stars
2,327 ratings

About the Course

This course deals directly with your ability for creativity which is a critical skill in any field. It focuses on divergent thinking, the ability to develop multiple ideas and concepts to solve problems. Through a series of creativity building exercises, short lectures, and readings, learners develop both an understanding of creativity and increase their own ability. This course will help you understand the role of creativity and innovation in your own work and in other disciplines. It will challenge you to move outside of your existing comfort zone and to recognize the value of that exploration. This course will help you understand the importance of diverse ideas, and to convey that understanding to others. The principal learning activity in the course is a series of "differents" where you are challenged to identify and change your own cultural, habitual, and normal patterns of behavior. Beginning with a prompt, e.g. "eat something different", you will begin to recognize your own = limits and to overcome them. In addition, you are encouraged to understand that creativity is based on societal norms, and that by it's nature, it will differ from and be discouraged by society. In this course, the persistence of the creative person is developed through practice. At the same time, these exercises are constrained by concerns of safety, legality, and economics, which are addressed in their creative process....

Top reviews

EN

Jan 17, 2021

I really enjoyed this course, it was very informative and easy to follow. The videos were clear and the graded sections were great. The course as a whole was enjoyable and would recommend to others.

AF

Mar 1, 2016

SO INTERESTING AND FUN. Have you ever took a stranger'S secret and propose another stranger to take that secret in exchange of one of his? This course is an opportunity to do crazy stuff like that!

Filter by:

676 - 700 of 719 Reviews for Creative Problem Solving

By Ong J

Oct 11, 2020

Would appreciate if the lecturers' videos are more fun and interactive

By Claudia H

Sep 14, 2021

muy buen curso, me gusto mucho

By Vinod K Y

May 20, 2020

Good course.

By musaed r a s a

Sep 8, 2023

نgod

By Niti M

Jul 17, 2020

Ty

By AJ R

May 11, 2022

I find this course mediocre at best.

Given the vast amount of experience of Prof. Hokanson, he is just scrapping on the surface of the topic. Please upgrade the content and make it robust and valuable.

The title "Creative Problem Solving" led me to believe the course would be touching on the fundamentals of CPS (creative problem solving) as defined by Alex Osborn and Sid Parnes, but nothing of that kind is even mentioned here. Furthemore basics of design thinking or well know creative techniques spearheaded by gurus like De Bono aren't mentioned, and at least T. Buzanshould h ave been mentioned as the "father" of mindmapping !!

In all honestly if the goal of this course was to get me to sign up for courses with the University of Minnesota, it has actually done the opposite. If the goal was to get me to be more creative, or to provide a path on how to be more creative, definitely it hasn't.

I credit it though, for opening my eyes to the issue of creativity declines at schools/IBM CEOS report (though the report and NW article are over 12 years old). As of today (05/2022), and in California, most schools are cutting down art lessons, restricting them to once a month -and covered with parents volunteers- while promoting STEM subjects. Where this will lead our kids, it is nowhere good.

By Anita G

Feb 9, 2023

I felt that the videos could have been of better quality. Sound volume differed from one video to another. The quality of editing wasn't great. While I can respect people want to read from their notes, they should have it right in front of the camera and not down or off to the side. It makes it less authentic. I also would appreciate that when I put effort into the assignments, I shouldn't have to grade peer work that isn't complete. The amount of empty submissions is very discouraging and should automatically be eliminated. Makes the course feel lesser than.

By Nancy D

Jul 3, 2020

Decided to cancel the course as I didn't find myself learning much that I didn't already know, the method of teaching was fairly boring, and the class assignments were not set up so that you could actually do a good job. I understand the course is free, but I also find peer review to be a inept method of grading. I'm not sure how having non-experts grade my work, many of whom don't speak the same language as I do, is useful at all.

By Nadja F

Feb 5, 2021

the course starts very good, and the teachers try hard. Its interesting, but after a while they keep repeating the same and that makes it boring over time. For professionals that deal with creativity, I belive they can do better. However, I enjoyed the challenges and the overall course.

By DINESH P

Apr 14, 2022

Even The first introduction video seem to be very dull and i really lost interest in the Introduction Itself ... Maybe the course is helpful but how it's presented is not that good.

By Adsadang P

Nov 17, 2020

The activities are creative interesting but contents are too repetitive and vague. Even the useful content is appeared at very last.

By Dore B

May 27, 2020

The course video content is very poor and the instructor is not very engaging. This can benefit from an update.

By Abhishek G

Oct 29, 2016

Could have been better. It was little boring when this type of course should be super exciting

By Andrea M

Jun 12, 2020

I do not like this course because of boring lessons and strange tests

By Deleted A

Feb 1, 2021

Me resultó aburrido y no pude continuarlo.

By Augustine Q

Jun 9, 2016

I don't like pay to submit courses.

By Islom G

May 27, 2020

Npy quite engaging.

By Sulaiman A

Jan 14, 2022

The only unique thing about this course is the general scientific information you get about creative thinking, in that it really isn't unique and can be accessed through books written by scientists. You can get more in depth information from these said books and research papers, actual peer reviewed data. Not some wishy washy number about creativity increasing after people took this course. We should ask how they came by such data that the course works.

Also the dsd's are just ridiculous people do not increase creativity by eating new foods, giving somebody something and doing what you used to do as a child. Also I think you really cannot gauge the performance of students through the internet. Even if this guy honkason is legit(I researched him and did not find much) the course seems like a total waste of time.

Also why am i quizzed on irrelevant information like where a specific research took place. What matters is if the research methods were upto to the standards, the research were peer reviewed or not. The quizzes seemed useless.

By Inna B

Jun 12, 2021

This course is not about CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING, it's about doing some silly and almost stupid things and watching videos with creepy photos. I mean, the teacher said that in this course we will be taught to be creative, and then we watches a 16-minutes video of the PROPER way to take photos. And did I ask of video someone brushing their teeth?

By Chantel P

Apr 13, 2016

Lesson 1 - no longer available via PC

Lesson 1 no longer exist to do via PC on internet.Sugggested . It has been removed. Cannot go ahead without having the Lesson 1 information.

By Revathi R

Jan 19, 2016

Not a course that helps you solve wicked problems which do not have solutions that will come suddenly one fine day and ones that require more thought effort and brainstorming.

By Angel E

May 12, 2016

Creativity without a reason, without a real problem/question. Divergent thinking per se. Try to be divergent just to be divergent. Too simplistic, doesn't worth your time.

By Gabriela M

Sep 16, 2016

I don't see how the assignments would make me a more creative person. Some of the content was new and interesting but overall I din't think it was a good use of my time.

By sumaira

Apr 27, 2020

what I was thinking about this course it's not like that at all. I didn't find it useful so I am going to unsubscribe myself just after completed the first two weeks :(

By Sholanki G

May 26, 2020

Took this course for personal interest. I guess the professor was lecturing in a very boring way, made me lose interest in the process.