Framing

Web-Based Tutorial

Introduction Identifying Framing Resolving

Re-Addressing Exercises Evaluation Form

Tutorial for Optimizing and Documenting Open-Ended Problem Solving Skills

Ó January 2000, Cindy Lynch, Susan Wolcott, and Greg Huber

Permission is granted to reproduce this information for noncommercial purposes. Please cite this source: Lynch, C. L., Wolcott, S. K., & Huber, G. E. (2000, January). Tutorial for optimizing and documenting open-ended problem solving skills [On-line]. Available: http://home.apex.net/~leehaven

Framing an Open-Ended Problem

Parts of this "Framing" section of the tutorial

Framing Exercises

Definition

Framing an open-ended problem means exploring the problem and related information as thoroughly as time and other resources permit. Framing includes three primary tasks:

Recognize and control for personal preferences and assumptions
Conduct a thorough analysis of the problem subparts; analyze important information by making legitimate, qualitative interpretations of relevant information from different points of view
Organize the available information into a meaningful description of the problem's complexities

As the stair-step illustration of the problem solving process (Figure 1) suggests, strong performance in framing an open-ended problem increases the likelihood of adequately resolving the problem.

Preferences and Assumptions

When we address an open-ended problem, we begin with some ideas or preconceived notions about the problem. Initial preferences and assumptions affect our personal point of view about the problem, impact how we perceive related information, and influence our conclusions.

Often, our initial preferences about an open-ended problem are based on ideas we have adopted without careful thought and exploration of alternatives. This is not strong open-ended problem solving, and those unexamined preferences might be called biases. The dictionary defines bias as "a highly personal and unreasoned distortion of judgment" or as a "prejudice" (Merriam-Webster, 1984, p. 147).

Assumptions often underlie our preferences and biases. An assumption is something that is accepted as true without verification. For example, in the past people assumed that the earth is flat, and many people assume that their way of thinking or doing things is correct or best.

Assumptions allow us to move ahead in our thinking in the absence of evidence. However, assumptions become problematic when we are not aware of them. They can cause us to fail to consider important issues, misinterpret information, and act inappropriately. Awareness of our assumptions allows us to deliberately accept or reject them and to reconsider our ideas as new information becomes available.

When we consider the arguments others offer about the best solution to an open-ended problem, recognizing their assumptions can be difficult because assumptions are often unstated. Recognizing our own assumptions can be even more difficult.

To think clearly and carefully about an open-ended problem, we must take the time and effort to minimize the impact of our initial assumptions and preferences or biases. We must learn to think beyond what is stated and try to understand the underlying ideas and related evidence more clearly.

Exercise 6--Preferences and Assumptions provides an opportunity to think about your own initial preferences and assumptions.

Looking Beyond Your Initial, Personal Perspective

We tend to "jump to conclusions" and simply stack up evidence in support of what we already believe (King & Kitchener, 1994). We also tend to ignore information that contradicts what we assume to be true. To be most effective, however, we must look beyond our initial impressions and try to analyze the problem more objectively from a variety of perspectives.

In the framing phase of the problem solving process, our primary goal is to expand our initial, personal perspective to include a better understanding of how other people view the problem and related evidence.

Analyzing Information

Different people can perceive the same information in different ways. For example, when eye witnesses of a crime are interviewed, they often provide very different accounts of what happened. Even such "objective facts" as the color of someone's hair or clothing are remembered differently by different people. When information is more abstract, such as evidence about economic trends or different ways of teaching, the likelihood of different perceptions or interpretations increases tremendously.

When you think about an open-ended problem, you evaluate information and evidence from your own perspective, which is affected by your experiences and beliefs. Other people who evaluate the same information may think about it in a very different way.

Analyzing a wide range of available information is one of the most time consuming parts of open-ended problem solving. It requires mentally coordinating criteria for interpreting information with the information itself.

Exercise 7--Analyzing Information From Different Points of View provides opportunities to practice this important framing skill.

Exploring a Problem's Complexities

If you have completed Exercises 1 through 7, you have categorized much information about your problem. You have considered reasons for uncertainties, assumptions made by different persons, and how evidence might be interpreted by different people. You've also made notes about factors to consider and characteristics of the problem and affected persons. All of these are part of the complexities of the problem's context, the "interrelated conditions in which [it] occurs" (Merriam-Webster, 1984, p. 283).

Sometimes, considering so much information can seem overwhelming. Bill Watterson, in his comic strip "Calvin & Hobbes" (Sept. 21, 1993) captured this feeling with a sense of humor. Young Calvin says to his tiger friend Hobbes, "The more you know, the harder it is to take decisive action. Once you become informed, you start seeing complexities and shades of gray. You realize that nothing is as clear and simple as it first appears. Ultimately, knowledge is paralyzing. Being a man of action, I can't afford to take that risk." Hobbes rolls his eyes and replies, "You're ignorant, but at least you act on it."

People with strong skills for addressing open-ended problems respond differently than Calvin. They are courageous. They look beyond seemingly "obvious" answers and grapple with difficult questions. They work to become informed and to consider important problems carefully. They do not become paralyzed or fall back on their initial impressions, despite the complexities the problem presents.

Exercise 8--Exploring a Problem's Complexities gives you an opportunity to step back and think about how the relevant information fits into the problem's "big picture."