1.3 Problem Solving: reflect transcript
Page one: the problem
Step one:
Think of a problem you had in the past and needed to solve. It can be anything, big or small. The outcome may or may not have been satisfactory.
Example:
While working on a group project at university, my group fell behind with our work and I wasn’t sure we were going to get it finished by the deadline.
Page two: describe it
Step two:
Write down a description of the particulars of the problem without going into extensive detail – Who was involved? Where and when did it happen? What were the circumstances that caused the problem?
Example:
The problem was in the second semester of the first year of my degree. I was in a group with three other students. We saw each other on campus one day each week and we communicated occasionally in a group chat. We’d discussed ideas for the project, but hadn’t set specific tasks, so nobody knew what to work on.
Page three: your actions
Step three:
Write a few lines detailing what steps you took to overcome the problem. Did you use any specific problem-solving strategies? Did you have a plan to tackle the issue, or did you improvise?
Example scenario:
When I realised we were nearing the deadline and not much work had been done, I asked all the group members if we could meet on campus the next day to figure out how we could finish the project on time. In that meeting, we created a document with a list of tasks that needed to be done, and together we assigned them to different group members. We also set deadlines for each task. We agreed to meet one extra time per week face-to-face and we created a shared document folder where all of our work could be uploaded.
Page four: the outcome
Step four:
What was the outcome? Were you satisfied, dissatisfied or extremely displeased with the result? Write a few lines explaining the result.
Example scenario:
I was pleased that once I’d got things going by voicing the problem and organising the meeting, the other group members were also keen to make a plan. In the end, we still had to rush to get our work done, and we didn’t get the best mark for the project, but we were happy that we’d eventually organised the work as a team and submitted it on time.
Page five: lessons learnt
Step five:
What did you learn from the situation? If you could go back in time, what would you do the same? Would you use a specific problem-solving strategy or principle? What would you change? How can this situation be useful to you in the future?
Example scenario:
I learnt how important it is to be organised from the very beginning of a project, especially for group projects. None of the people in my group were against the idea of doing the work, it was just that nobody wanted to be the first to make a plan and set deadlines. I wasn’t aware of it at the time, but the approach I took was a bit like the working backwards strategy because we broke the process into parts and set deadlines. I will definitely use that strategy again to set timeline expectations — but I’ll make sure to do it earlier in the process!
