Synectics & Creativity Ted Kahn

Towards a Creative Thinking & Towards a Creative Thinking & Innovation Pavilion for aInnovation Pavilion for a

Virtual Museum of the Future: Virtual Museum of the Future:Synectics, “Everywhere,” and …?Synectics, “Everywhere,” and …?

NMC Creativity Symposium inNMC Creativity Symposium in

Second LifeSecond Life

Ted M. Kahn, Ph.D. DesignWorlds for Learning, Inc. &

DesignWorlds for College

NMC Fellow© 2007 by DesignWorlds for Learning, Inc© 2007 by DesignWorlds for Learning, Inc..

What is DesignWorlds?What is DesignWorlds?

10-year old company dedicated to developing and supporting new kinds of collaborative, creative learning & knowledge-making communities

Web-based Lifelong Learning Collaboratories

DesignWorlds for College, Grad School and DesignWorlds for College, Grad School and CareersCareers

““Every great advance in science has Every great advance in science has issued from a new audacity of the issued from a new audacity of the

imagination”imagination”—John Dewey—John Dewey

““Imagination is more important Imagination is more important than knowledge.”than knowledge.”—Albert Einstein—Albert Einstein

““Reality leaves a lot to the Reality leaves a lot to the imagination.”—John Lennonimagination.”—John Lennon

““The best way to predict the The best way to predict the future is to invent it.”future is to invent it.”

Dr. Alan Kay, visionary creator of the Dr. Alan Kay, visionary creator of the first personal computer (Xerox PARC)first personal computer (Xerox PARC)

Why Man Creates…Why Man Creates…

Views of LearningViews of Learning

Illustration © 1991-1996

Gary Lund


Gary Lund

Creativity Research:Creativity Research:1950’s: J.P. Guilford (USC)1950’s: J.P. Guilford (USC)120 Different Intellectual Skills120 Different Intellectual Skills

The Act of CreationThe Act of CreationArthur Koestler:Arthur Koestler:

The Act of CreationThe Act of CreationArthur Koestler:Arthur Koestler:““Bissociation”Bissociation”

Creativity Research: 1960’sCreativity Research: 1960’sCreative Personality and Creative Personality and

Development of Creative Thinking Development of Creative Thinking in Educationin Education

• • Institute for Personality Institute for Personality Assessment & ResearchAssessment & Research (Psychology (Psychology Dept., U.C. Berkeley)--funded by Dept., U.C. Berkeley)--funded by Carnegie CorporationCarnegie Corporation

• • Development of Creative Thinking Development of Creative Thinking Curricular Products for K-12Curricular Products for K-12 (e.g, Edward (e.g, Edward de Bono, Covington, Crutchfield, de Bono, Covington, Crutchfield, et al.)et al.)

• • Creative Thinking TestsCreative Thinking Tests (e.g, Paul (e.g, Paul Torrance)Torrance)

Creativity: 1970’sCreativity: 1970’s

• • Computer models/simulation of Computer models/simulation of creative thinking and problem-solving creative thinking and problem-solving (e.g., Newell & Simon’s General (e.g., Newell & Simon’s General Problem-Solver (GPS) programProblem-Solver (GPS) program

• • Birth of Cognitive Science--and Birth of Cognitive Science--and dominance of Information Processing dominance of Information Processing Models of all kinds of thinking and Models of all kinds of thinking and cognitive taskscognitive tasks


• • Intrinsic Motivation and social psychology Intrinsic Motivation and social psychology of creativity (Teresa Amabile, now at of creativity (Teresa Amabile, now at Harvard Business School)Harvard Business School)

• • Creative expression tools and Creative expression tools and explorations using personal computersexplorations using personal computers


• • Creativity and Creative Thinking are Creativity and Creative Thinking are situatedsituated activitiesactivities: : Social, Temporal Social, Temporal and Environmentaland Environmental (IRL/Lave & Wenger: (IRL/Lave & Wenger: Situated Learning and Cognition; Situated Learning and Cognition; “Communities of Practice”)“Communities of Practice”)

• • Systems views of Creativity and “Flow”: Systems views of Creativity and “Flow”: Interactions between Knowledge Interactions between Knowledge Domains and Social Practices (Mihalyi Domains and Social Practices (Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi)Csikszentmihalyi)

Most everyday “real world” Most everyday “real world” learning and professional learning and professional

development are development are socialsocial, , informalinformal, and situatedsituated

activitiesactivities Informal Learning at WorkInformal Learning at Work


Gary Lund


Gary Lund

CommunicationCommunication

CommunityCommunity

CreativityCreativityLearningLearning

“Lehrhaus” Building a Creative Learning Community

“Lehrhaus” Building a Creative Learning Community

CommunicationCommunication

CommunityCommunity

CreativityCreativity

SynecticsSynecticsW. J. J. Gordon & Tony Poze W. J. J. Gordon & Tony Poze

(1940’s - 1970’s)(1940’s - 1970’s)

Synectics Analogies:Synectics Analogies:Making the Strange Familiar and Making the Strange Familiar and

Making the Familiar StrangeMaking the Familiar Strange

• • Direct AnalogiesDirect Analogies

• • Personal/Fantasy AnalogiesPersonal/Fantasy Analogies

• “• “Compressed Conflict” or ”Book Compressed Conflict” or ”Book

Title” Title”

(e.g., oxymoron phrases, such as (e.g., oxymoron phrases, such as “deafening silence”)“deafening silence”)

Making the Familiar Strange…Making the Familiar Strange…

Synectics Groups:Synectics Groups:The Process (George Prince)The Process (George Prince)

EverywhereEverywhere(Moshe D. Caspi, 1977)(Moshe D. Caspi, 1977)

• • Different spaces have different Different spaces have different qualities to develop and stimulate qualities to develop and stimulate thinking and creative self-education:thinking and creative self-education:

• • Fantasy RoomFantasy Room

• • Common Sense RoomCommon Sense Room

• • Room of digging into the pastRoom of digging into the past

• • Room of projecting into the futureRoom of projecting into the future

• • Connections/analogy roomConnections/analogy room

• • etc..etc..

Towards a Virtual Museum of the Towards a Virtual Museum of the Future Future

A Futures Community-based A Futures Community-based learning & learning & knowledge garden knowledge garden — — co-designed and co-designed and

maintained by teens & college studentsmaintained by teens & college students

Some Important Related WebSome Important Related WebLinks & ResourcesLinks & Resources

• • For more information on the Virtual Museum of For more information on the Virtual Museum of the Future and Creativity in Education, the Future and Creativity in Education, Synectics and “Everywhere”:Synectics and “Everywhere”:

Email: Email: [email protected]@designworlds.comWeb: Web: http://www.designworlds.com/creativity/http://www.designworlds.com/creativity/

Dr. Ted M. KahnDr. Ted M. KahnDesignWorlds for Learning, Inc. DesignWorlds for Learning, Inc.

(408) 252-2285(408) 252-2285