Edward de Bono’s Thinking Hats
An approach to enhancing creativity and critical thinking in formative peer
feedback
Yasmin Kulasi Claude Littner Business School
Our students…
h"ps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2P6MCosNv4
Outline
• ImportanceofcriDcalthinking
• ParallelThinking
• deBono’sSixThinkingHats
• PracDcalacDviDes
CriDcalThinkinginanutshell
• CriDcalthinkingisacDvenotpassive• CriDcalthinkinginvolvessolvingproblems
• CriDcalthinkingisnotnegaDve• Psychologicalhabits• CriDcalthinkingmustbeexplicitlytaught(Pohl,1997;VanGelder,2005)
Employerswant…
• EmoDonallymatureemployees
• CollaboraDve/creaDve
• DealwithambiguiDes
• Solveproblems/resolveconflicts
• Clearlycommunicate
(Kuruczleki,2016)
ParallelThinking(deBono,1985)
Traditional vs. Parallel Thinking
• Argument/adversarial thinking
• Partial exploration of subject/problem
• Concerned with ‘what is’ • Involves analysis/judgement/
argument • Thinks about too many
aspects/things at a time
• Open-ended thinking • Full exploration of subject/
problem • Concerned with ‘what can
be’ • Involves constructive/
creative thinking and designing a way forward
• Deal with only one aspect at a time
Edward de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats
• A method based on concept of parallel thinking
• Six different colour imaginary hats that can be put on/taken off
• Hat colour identifies type/direction of thinking • The main idea is to have the the group wear
only one hat a time
SixThinkingHats
AcDvity1–ShouldtherebestricterregulaDontodealwiththe(mis)useofsocialmediaamong
youngpeople?
h"ps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/educaDon-48692953
AcDvity1(4-5mins)–ShouldtherebestricterregulaDontodealwiththe(mis)useofsocial
mediaamongyoungpeople?
• Pleasetakehandout3andacolouredcard• Handout3alsoavailableonBBCsiteh"ps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/educaDon-48692953
• Pleaseread/researchandthendiscusstheaboveissuewithyourgroupusingthedirecDonofthecolouredcarde.g.Blackcardtableshouldonlybediscussingthelogical,cauDous,negaDveaspectsonly(takebriefnotes)
AcDvity2(5-6mins)
• Bluecardholderspleasegotodifferenttableswithyourcardandplaceontable
(Onebluecardateachtable)• Allothercardholdersdothesameandputcardontable
• Eachtableshouldhaveamixofallthecolouredcards
• Bluecardtoleadthenewdiscussionandtheorderofcolours.
UsingAcDvity3forpeerfeedback
• Give/allowstudentstoselecta‘realworld’problemtothinkthroughusingthehats
• StudentsdiscussandcapturetheirresponsesinwriDng(possiblybluehatdoesthis)
• Studentspresenttheirideastopeers(anothergroup/wholeclass)
• PeersusethethinkinghatstoprovidefeedbacktothepresenDnggroup
AcDvity3-Howcanwechangethefastfashionhabittomakethefashionindustry
moresustainable?
h"ps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A08egKEQ5-c
AcDvity3(7-8mins)• Asetofhatspertable• Startwiththebluehat• BluehattodecidetheDmeforthinkingandsequenceofhatsfordiscussion
• Notallhatshavetobediscussedifyoudon’tthinktheyarerelevanttoyourdiscussion
Feedback
• Ausefulmethodofdevelopingthinkingskills?• AgoodwaytostructurecollaboraDveworkingandpeerfeedback?
• UsefulinyourteachingpracDce?
Benefits of Six Thinking Hats Method
• FostercollaboraDvethinking• Focusedthinking• ImprovedexploraDon• improvedcreaDvityandinnovaDon• Helpspeopleworkagainsttype,preference• Providesacommonlanguage• Removalofegofromdecisions(reduceconfrontaDons)• Allowsaswitchinthinkingwithoutthreateningego
ReferencesBlythman, M., Orr, S. & Blair, B. (2007) Critiquing the crit. Available at: URL: www.adm.heacademy.ac.uk/projects/adm-hea-projects/learning-and-teachingprojects/critiquing-the-crit [Accessed 2 July 2010] de Bono, E. (1985) Six thinking hats: An essential approach to business management. New York: Little, Brown, & Company de Bono, E. (1999) Six thinking hats. New York: Little, Brown & Company Grove-White, A., (2011) AllintheSameDirecDon,AllattheSameTimeAnApproachtoEnhancingCreaDvity.CollectedEssaysonLearningandTeaching,Vol4DOI:h"ps://doi.org/10.22329/celt.v4i0.3264 Kivunja, C., (2015) Using de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats Model to Teach Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Skills Essential for Success in the 21st Century Economy. Creative Education, 6 380-391. http.//dx.doi.org/10.4236/ce.2015.63037 Kuruczleki, E., Pelle, A., Laczi, R. & Fekete, B. (2016) The readiness of the European Union to embrace the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Management. Vol. 11(4): 327-347 Mill, J., (1988) Six Thinking Hats: An Exercise to Combat Confusion and Develop Thinking Skills. Developments in Business Simulation and Experiential Exercises, Volume 15 1988. Rittel, H.W.J. & Webber, M.M. (1973) Dilemmas in a general theory of planning. Policy Sciences, 4(2):155-169 Van Gelder, T. (2005). Teaching Critical Thinking: Some Lessons from Cognitive Science. College Teaching, 53(1), 41-46.
