Creative Problem Solving
Keep adding new skills with 10,000+ programs for $239 (usually $399). Save now.
Ask Coursera
2,435 reviews
2,435 reviews
Details to know
See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills
There are 4 modules in this 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.
Creativity is a skill that can be developed. It requires extensive work by learners, but the lessons, while not conveying traditional content, will change you in ways you do not foresee, but ways which are valuable. The course is a hybrid; it will involve reading, writing, discussions, as well as specific exercises designed to increase and improve your creative skills. You will do work online as well as in the real world; it is designed to be fun and to change your ability for creativity.
What's included
8 videos3 readings1 assignment1 peer review1 discussion prompt
8 videosβ’Total 44 minutes
- Welcome/Introductionβ’4 minutes
- Course Methods: Creative Skill Developmentβ’7 minutes
- Idea Generation: Brick Activityβ’5 minutes
- DSD General Introductionβ’5 minutes
- DSD 1 Eat introductionβ’2 minutes
- Critiquing and Making Improvementsβ’3 minutes
- Brief tutorial on shooting pictures for the classβ’16 minutes
- Dr. Sauman Chu: Programs Offered at the College of Designβ’3 minutes
3 readingsβ’Total 30 minutes
- Introduction - read this firstβ’10 minutes
- The Creativity Crisis [ published in Newsweek 2010 ]β’10 minutes
- Learn more about the College of Design, University of Minnesotaβ’10 minutes
1 assignmentβ’Total 30 minutes
- #1: Newsweekβ’30 minutes
1 peer reviewβ’Total 60 minutes
- DSD 1: Eat Something Different - turn in here and critique othersβ’60 minutes
1 discussion promptβ’Total 10 minutes
- Share and reflect on your work from DSD1 : Eatβ’10 minutes
In this unit we'll look as some of the ways we can describe creativity and examine the concepts of divergent and convergent thinking. We'll look at generating more ideas, how to critique and make improvements, and continue to practice our development of ideas. Practice and exploration continue as these are the means we will continue to improve our own creativity.
What's included
4 videos1 reading2 assignments1 peer review1 discussion prompt
4 videosβ’Total 36 minutes
- Divergent and Convergent Thinkingβ’10 minutes
- Play and Creativityβ’7 minutes
- DSD 2: Childβ’1 minute
- Steven JohnsonTED talk: Where Good Ideas Come Fromβ’18 minutes
1 readingβ’Total 10 minutes
- Steven Johnson - Where Good Ideas Come Fromβ’10 minutes
2 assignmentsβ’Total 5 minutes
- Originality Development Engine #1 [do this each week]β’5 minutes
- Where Good Ideas Come From Introduction β’0 minutes
1 peer reviewβ’Total 240 minutes
- DSD2: [Child]: Turn in your project and critique othersβ’240 minutes
1 discussion promptβ’Total 10 minutes
- Post and discuss Do Something Different 2 - Childβ’10 minutes
Sometimes, we need external methods to help us touch all the bases in our creative capability. Here, we'll look at a couple of good methods for helping us generate new ideas.There are a wide range of creativity exercises available; these are but a few. Finding and practicing the development of ideas is an important aspect to becoming more creative.
What's included
7 videos1 reading1 assignment1 peer review1 discussion prompt
7 videosβ’Total 23 minutes
- Applying Divergent and Convergent Thinkingβ’3 minutes
- Creativity and Motivationβ’5 minutes
- Mindmappingβ’3 minutes
- Beliefs, Habits, Skills and Knowledgeβ’3 minutes
- Give Differently Introductionβ’1 minute
- Attribute Listing: Observation and Applicationβ’5 minutes
- Bricolage + Exquisite Corpse as Creativity Techniquesβ’4 minutes
1 readingβ’Total 10 minutes
- Chapter 1: Developing Creative Thinking Skillsβ’10 minutes
1 assignmentβ’Total 5 minutes
- Originality Development Engine #2 [do this each week]β’5 minutes
1 peer reviewβ’Total 240 minutes
- DSD 3 [Give]: Submission and critique of othersβ’240 minutes
1 discussion promptβ’Total 10 minutes
- Do Something Different 3: Giveβ’10 minutes
A lot of the time, creativity can be spurred by something in the environment, triggering connections with new ideas. We react to things we have seen and our experiences; that is from where we build our new ideas. While much of this course has focused on ways to improve your own creativity, the larger goal of the course is for you to continue to develop your own creativity, in your own way and in your own life. This module continues the development creativity and give you the chance to begin planning your continued development.
What's included
7 videos2 readings1 assignment1 discussion prompt
7 videosβ’Total 31 minutes
- Creativity and Motivationβ’4 minutes
- Brush Your Teethβ’2 minutes
- Left Brain/Right Brain Thinkingβ’5 minutes
- Top 10 Things About Creativityβ’8 minutes
- Moving Forwardβ’5 minutes
- Conclusionβ’2 minutes
- Creativity Models and Theoriesβ’4 minutes
2 readingsβ’Total 30 minutes
- An external evaluation of your creative lifestyleβ’20 minutes
- Creativity Resources and Toolsβ’10 minutes
1 assignmentβ’Total 5 minutes
- Originality Development Engine #3 [do this each week] PCβ’5 minutes
1 discussion promptβ’Total 10 minutes
- Develop your own ideas for doing something differentβ’10 minutes
Instructors
Offered by
Explore more from Personal Development
- Status: Free TrialA
Arizona State University
Course
- Status: Free Trial
- Status: Free TrialI
Imperial College London
Course
- Status: PreviewT
The University of Sydney
Course
Why people choose Coursera for their career
Learner reviews
- 5 stars
66.37%
- 4 stars
19.99%
- 3 stars
6.36%
- 2 stars
2.46%
- 1 star
4.80%
Showing 3 of 2435
Reviewed on Sep 30, 2017
Excellent premise, good suggestions. Some technical issues with repeated videos & lack of experience w/talking to a camera instead of a person, but nothing too distracting.
Reviewed on Jun 24, 2020
I really loved the course. Duration, assignments, and sharp thinking techniques helped me to become more communicative and creative while with friends or strangers.
Reviewed on Aug 4, 2020
wonderful course! Helped me laern many skills to increase my creativity and the DSDs were amazing to take part in and interact with other people taking the course with me
Frequently asked questions
You'll learn how to strengthen your creativity as a skill and use creative problem-solving to generate, expand, and improve ideas. It starts with divergent and convergent thinking, then builds into observation, motivation, and habits that support creative work across different settings. You'll apply that through rapid idea exercises and Do Something Different assignments that challenge your usual routines.
No, you don't need prior creativity training or any special technical background to start. What matters more is being willing to try open-ended exercises, reflect on your experience, and take part in peer feedback. The course moves quickly into activities like documenting creative challenges with writing, photos, or video, rather than teaching a separate prerequisite first.
It is beginner-friendly if you're new to formal creativity study and comfortable with open-ended assignments. The early lessons explain core ideas like divergent and convergent thinking before asking you to use them in short exercises and peer review. It may feel less beginner-friendly if you prefer fixed right answers, because many tasks ask you to experiment and reflect.
More questions
Financial aid available,
ΒΉ Some assignments in this course are AI-graded. For these assignments, your data will be used in accordance with Coursera's Privacy Notice.
