The C/I cycle: ideation followed by positive and negative critical thinking, iterated to refine solutions¶

Theory · All theories
Evidence · 1 claim (1 for) · 1 study (1 design), q2 · 0 of 1 report an effect size · 1 claim rests on one study

Description¶

The article frames creativity as "a cognitive process involving both the retrieval of information and making novel associations and connections about this information," which must then be critically evaluated. This yields "a C/I cycle where ideation is followed by critical thinking (involving both positive and negative aspects of the ideas)." The authors stress that positive critical thinking — finding the positive aspects of an idea disguised with dysfunctional parts — is much less common than negative critique and needs deliberate practice in STEM. The cycle is operationalized in their six-step classroom process and can be run individually or in groups.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Practice applying both positive and negative critical thinking to recently learned content, with instructor awareness and modeling of positive criticism

Constraints¶

• Exposure to others' ideas can also produce a fixation effect reducing the novelty of group ideas; factors influencing C/I may interact rather than act independently

Target Learners¶

• undergraduate engineering physics students
• graduate physics students

Target Learning Objectives¶

• creativity and innovation in applying STEM fundamentals
• positive and negative critical thinking about ideas

Claims¶

• Ci Cycle Metric Guided Solution Quarry Problem [+M]

Related Theories¶

Examples¶

• Iterate and innovate on gameful assessment design in response to mixed engagement evidence
• Menu of techniques for generating new ideas in subsequent C/I iterations

Key Sources¶

• Kowalski, F.V., Kowalski, S.E., Kohl, P.B., and Kuo, V.H. (2013). Technology-Enabled Nurturing of Creativity and Innovation: A Specific Illustration from an Undergraduate Engineering Physics Course. https://arxiv.org/abs/1308.2434. doi:10.48550/arxiv.1308.2434