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Module 4: Introduction to Critical and Creative Thinking

Section 2: The CoRT Techniques

What's my motivation? It's all good and well talking about critical and creative thinking, but let's get on with it and see some tools to help you engage your students with entertaining approaches to developing their skills.

The CoRT (Cognitive Research Trust) Thinking Techniques are a collection of simple yet powerful tools developed by Dr. Edward de Bono which can help optimise thinking, decision making and problem solving. The CoRT techniques are based on the principle that thinking is a skill which can be improved by training. In this sense thinking is a bit like learning to type on a keyboard, most people can type with two fingers, and with all the practice in the world they can still only become very fast two-fingered typists, whereas with the proper training they can use all their fingers. The CoRT Thinking Techniques provide a collection of tools to train the mind towards better thinking and provide a practical way to teach critical thinking skills. These tools are like carpenters tools, each one has its own pre-defined function, and the skilled carpenter knows which tools to use at any point in order to achieve the desired effect. In the exact same way each tool in the CoRT toolbox has its own defined function and each is a simple but powerful way to structure thinking. The seven tools that are in the CoRT I toolbox are; 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. PMI: Plus, Minus, Interesting CAF: Consider All Factors OPV: Other Peoples Views APC: Alternatives, Possibilities, Choices AGO: Aims, Goals, Objectives FIP: First Important Priorities C&S: Consequences and Sequel

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The first three (PMI, CAF and OPV) are excellent to get started off with, and once you have your confidence built up you should go onto the latter four. Examples of outputs for exercises are given for the first three CoRT techniques.

From the horse's mouth... "This is something I'm going to carry. I'm going to take this with me and I'm going to remember doing this in school. When I look back in ten, fifteen years I'm going to think 'Yeah, I remember doing that and I remember doing the six hats, sitting in class discussing these topics." - Student comment on CoRT "The techniques gave them structures for thinking, and this is not often done in teaching" - School Principal comment on CoRT Teachers report that the use of these techniques had helped students to develop better general thinking skills. They reported significant improvements in ability to debate and to think through an issue. One teacher described it: "They probably have more organised thinking. It helps with essay writing, they have clearer ideas. It helped in their decision making, it provided strategies" The techniques were also seen as particularly useful for students with special needs. One teacher thought the challenge of the thinking activities was useful, saying that "They tend to get things handed to them, so they need to be challenged". Another teacher felt that the "focus on the verbal helped", as it bypassed the difficulties with literacy that many of the students experience. - Evaluation of CoRT techniques in practice

1: PMI: Plus, Minus, Interesting

One of the most common flaws in traditional thinking is the use of it to back up an opinion that has already been formed (based usually on first impression). The PMI is an attention-directing tool that can help to prevent this. In doing a PMI attention is first directed towards the Plus points, then towards the Minus points, and finally towards the Interesting points. This is done in a very deliberate and disciplined manner over a short period of time. The PMI is a powerful thinking tool that is very simple, but is almost unlearnable, since everyone thinks that they use it anyway. The PMI is the first CoRT tool to learn since it sets up the mood for objectivity and scanning. A PMI exercise occurs as follows, the students are required to take out a piece of paper (or use the form given) and divide it into three sections (one for P, one and M and one for I), they are presented with a topic for discussion (usually something humorous to start with e.g. What if I had a third eye in the back of my head?) and they are required to critically evaluate that topic in the following sequence; First in Positive phase, they must spend 2 to 3 minutes focusing only on the positives of a particular

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topic (if they come up with any Minus points or Interesting points, they are not allowed to write them down, the only section they can write into during this phase is the P section). Next is the Minus phase where they have to focus on the negative issues relating to the topic for 2 to 3 minutes, again if they come up with any Interesting points they are not allowed to write them down, and if they come up with any Positive points it's too late the Positive phase is over) Finally the Interesting Phase where they have to focus on exploring the topic outside the judgement framework to see what is interesting about the idea or where it leads to. During this phase hopefully one interesting idea will lead to another and generate a momentum. Again this phase is for 2 to 3 minutes and any Positive or Minus points should not be added in, it's too late those phases are over. The key points about using the PMI are, first, that it requires a student to focus their thinking completely in one particular direction and, secondly, by keeping each phase to a short period of time it helps to encourage some creative stress. To begin with group-based PMIs should be undertaken, that is to say that the entire class does a PMI together and once the exercise is over the teacher asks each student in turn "Tell me a P that you came up with..." all of which are written on the board, followed by a request for everyone's M's and finally their I's.

From the horse's mouth... "We did a PMI. It really made us think about the way we study and how we could do it better and plan it out more efficiently. You could look at things from all aspects, and you sit back and say 'Yeah, I've only been looking at it from this angle'. It really helped when I applied this kind of theory to my studies." - Student comment on the PMI "Everyone got their say. That gives people great confidence" - Teacher comment on the PMI Many of the teachers reported student-instigated use of PMI. When it came to an essay on recycling, someone said, "Lets do a PMI on it". Another teacher reported, "You often hear 'can we do a PMI on that'." Students also used the PMI in planning their face-to-face meeting and other activities. - Evaluation of CoRT techniques in practice

PMI Examples
The following is a PMI from a senior class. The theme of the PMI was "Going back to school"

PMI - GOING BACK TO SCHOOL

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PLUS
Meet all your friends New Classroom Learning to be independent Learning new things Being Seniors

MINUS
Getting up early Getting on/off the bus Homework Traffic Have to be more organised

INTERESTING

New Classrooms New Furniture

This is a PMI from a junior class. The class had just watched the film "Finding Nemo" and were asked to do a PMI on Nemo's first day of school

PMI - NEMO'S FIRST DAY ATSCHOOL PLUS MINUS INTERESTING

Why did Nemo say he hates his dad? Do the fish get homework? Do they eat lunch? Are there bullies in the class?

He could make new friends He could learn things

He got taken away He shouldnt have swum out too far

2: CAF: Consider All Factors

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Like the PMI this is an attention-directing tool, in other words a tool to make concrete what would otherwise remain a general intention to look broadly around an issue. Doing a CAF means considering all factors associated with a situation. There is no attempt to evaluate these factors. In doing a CAF the emphasis is on "What has been left out?" and "What ought we also consider?" A CAF exercise occurs as follows, it normally begins with deciding on the number of factors and not stopping until that number of factors is identified. So, for example, the teacher may require 15 factors about a specific topic. The students are required to take out a piece of paper (or use the form given), they are presented with the topic for discussion or the decision to take (usually something humorous to start with, e.g. Reasons for choosing your hairstyle) and they are required to list a range of factors that they consider relevant to that topic or decision. This tool help overcome normal mental laziness, generally when people are taking a decision they come up with 3 or 4 factors which they consider relevant, but the CAF forces them to look beyond the obvious factors and may help uncover less obvious but extremely significant factors. To begin with group-based CAFs should be undertaken, that is to say that the entire class does a CAF together and once the exercise is over the teacher each student in turn "Tell me a factor that you came up with that is different from the ones we've come up with already" all of which are written on the board.

CAF Examples
This CAF was done by a senior class. The CAF was used to consider all the things that had to be done for the class project on 'The Homeless.'

CAF - our Project on the Homeless

The Internet Newspapers Pamphlets Simon Community

Make a display board

Guest Speaker

Prepare the Venue Make a Powerpoint Presentation

Set up Committees Folders for our jobs Collection for the Homeless

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Organise a visit to a homeless shelter

Get Permission from the School Principal

Technology

Camera Computer Consult with ICT co-ordinator E-mail

VIDEO CONTENT Click here to see video footage of a CAF in the classroom. This Video is also available on your course DVD. This video will open in a new window

This is a CAF done by the students in a junior class. The theme of the CAF was planning a holiday.

CAF Planning A Holiday

Where to go? House, B&B, hotel? Is the accommodation wheelchair accessible? What type of holiday? E.g. sightseeing, shopping, relaxing? Who is going with you?

At Home

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Abroad

Which country to go to? Get holiday brochures/look up the net Plane journey might be too long Weather? Whether you like the heat Get there by plane or boat? What airport do you have to go from? How long would you go for? How much will it cost?

What to bring?

Tickets Bag/case Clothes Passport Binoculars Sunscreen

3: OPV: Other People's Views

In using the OPV the thinker tries to put themselves in the other person's shoes in order to look at the world from that position. There are two parts to this tool; the first part involves the identification of the other people who are part of a given situation, and the second part involves getting into the "shoes" of all the other people. Doing an OPV does not mean putting into the mouths of all parties involved rational arguments of the sort one might hold oneself. But rather it means objectively trying to look at the world from their point-of-view and perhaps learning from that to add what is thought by others to one's own point of view. An OPV exercise occurs as follows, the students are presented with a topic for discussion and they identify who the stakeholders are in this topic (usually something humorous to start with or something of immediate relevance, e.g. A boy misbehaves in class and the teacher sends them to the principal, the principal sent the boy home to his parents, how do the stakeholders feel? - The boy - The teacher - The principal - The parents - The boy's classmates). Then they take out a piece of paper and divide it into sections for each stakeholder and they spend 2 to 3 minutes focusing on each particular stakeholder's perspective and write a sentence or phase to express that particular perspective. To begin with group-based OPVs should be undertaken, that is to say that the entire class does an OPV together and once the exercise is over the teacher each student in turn "Tell me what phase you came up with to describe the perspective of the first stakeholder", and then the second stakeholder, and so on. An OPV attempts to objectively look at the world from each stakeholder's point of view, and bring the

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realisation that in most situations multiple perspectives are present and are valid.

OPV EXAMPLES

Video Content Click here to see video footage of a OPV in the classroom. This Video is also available on your course DVD. This video will open in a new window

This OPV was done in the same class as the 'Finding Nemo' PMI. Again the topic chosen was Nemo's first day of school.

OPV Nemos First Day of School People

Nemo

Views
I shouldnt have gone out into the water Nemo thought his dad was mean

Teacher

I must help them solve their problems Oh these noisy children! Felt guilty when the children got lost

Nemo's Daddy

Trying to keep Nemo safe

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Diver

May have felt guilty for taking Nemo

This OPV is again from the junior class. The topic for this OPV was 'Jesus on the Cross'

OPV Jesus on the Cross People

Apostles

Views
Sad

Mary

Annoyed

Joseph

Angry at the soldiers

Pilate

Scared Didn't want people to know

4: APC: Alternatives, Possibilities & Choices

The APC is the process of deliberately trying to find alternatives. The APC is an attempt to focus attention directly on exploring all the alternatives or choices or possibilities - beyond the obvious ones. It applies not only to action but also to explanations. The APC can by used by deciding on the number of alternatives and not stopping until the number of alternatives are identified. An APC exercise occurs like a CAF exercise, it normally begins with deciding on the number of alternatives and not stopping until that number of alternatives is identified. So, for example, the teacher may require 10 alternatives about a specific topic or scenario. The students are required to take out a piece of paper, they are presented with the topic or scenario for discussion (usually something humorous to start with) and they are required to list a range of alternatives that they consider relevant to that topic or scenario.

5: C&S: Consequence & Sequel

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The C&S is about thinking ahead, it is an attention-directing tool focusing directly on the future. The intention is to enlarge the view beyond the immediate effect of that action. An action may seem worthwhile if the immediate effect is good but if one makes a deliberate effort to look at longer term consequences, the action may not be worthwhile at all. Conversely, an action that has good long-term consequences may not seem very enticing at the moment. This is done by dividing the future into a number of periods; Short-term Consequences Medium-term Consequences Long-term Consequences A C&S exercise works like a PMI exercise, the students are required to take out a piece of paper (or use the form given) and divide it into three sections (one for short-term, one and medium-term and one for long-term), they are presented with a topic for discussion (usually something humorous to start with) and they are required to critically evaluate that topic for a fixed period of time.

6. AGO: Aims, Goals & Objectives

The AGO helps focus directly and deliberately on the intention behind actions (in order to achieve something). It emphasizes the idea of purpose, and identifies three perspectives: Aims, Goals and Objectives . The Aim is the general direction, the Goal is an ultimate destination and the Objectives are recognizable points of achievement along the way. An AGO exercise works like a PMI exercise, the students are required to take out a piece of paper (or use the form given) and divide it into three sections (one for aims, one and goals and one for objectives ), they are presented with a topic for discussion (usually something humorous to start with) and they are required to critically evaluate that topic for a fixed period of time under those headings.

7. FIP: First Important Priorities

The FIP is the process of picking out the most important elements from a list. This technique is used in conjunction with other techniques; the lists can consist of factors (CAF), objectives (AGO), consequences (C&S) or choices (APC) which must be pruned in a deliberate manner. The FIP is a judgment situation and there are no absolute answers. The FIP can be done by a group by voting on most popular elements in the list or by an individual who ranks them in terms of their priority, and pruning the less important elements. An FIP exercise occurs as follows, after a CAF (for example) is done and all the factors are on the board, the teacher points to the first factor and asks for a hands-up as to how many people thought of this factor, and so on for each factor. The top five most voted for factors are considered to be the First Important Priorities.

Further reading on CoRT

The Edward de Bono Foundation http://www.edwarddebonofoundation.com/cortforschools.htm Edward de Bono's Website http://www.edwdebono.com/

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http://www.edwdebono.com/debono/cort.htm http://www.edwarddebono.com/concept1.htm Department of Technology in Education Education Division, Floriana CMR02, Malta http://schoolnet.gov.mt/thinkingskills/thinkingtools.htm Project IDEELS http://www.ideels.uni-bremen.de/about_cort.html Constructive thinking and reconstructive thinking: some thoughts about de Bono's thoughts http://www.dialogueworks.co.uk/dw/wr/dbono.html Wikipedia: CoRT Entry http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_Research_Trust All material copyright Inclusive Learning Group 2006. All Rights Reserved. You may print out this material for your own personal use.

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