Inventive Problem Solving Course
in a Graduate School
Rebuilding Japan by Education
as a Nation of Leading Technology
Akihiko Ikeda:
SONY Corp./Kanagawa Institute of Technology
Masao Ishihama:
Kanagawa Institute of Technology
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How we started this course.
• Ikeda and Ishihama met at the 2nd TRIZ Symposiumin 2006.
• Exchanged information on TRIZ education at the 5thTRIZ Symposium in 2009.

Expectation from university teaching staff:• Let our graduate student have skill of creative useof technological knowledge and their brain.

Evaluation at this moment:• Surpassed our expectations. Proper teaching staff
need to have teaching skill and experience.
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Speaker’s Background• Working Experience
Joined SONY. ‘1983
Product Design Engineer. 20 years.
In-house consultant and trainer. 7 years.
• Academic Experience
Lecturer/ Graduate School of Kanagawa Inst. Tech.
Member/ Education with TRIZ Study Group, Japan TRIZ
Society• License
CompTIA(U.S.A.), CTT+lecturer, Personal Profile DiSC
authorized consultant.

Policy as a lecturer: Support growth and happiness ofpeople
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Request to Today’s Participants• Let’s try finding answers to the two questions
below while listening to this presentation!

1. How can we improve people’s skill of inventive
problem solving?
2. How can we contribute to this challenge?

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Syllabus
Title
Objectives
Expectedoutcome
Evaluation
Studyingfocus

Inventive Problem Solving
Systematic study through problem definition,
problem analysis and solution search for future
research and business.
Aquire ability of solving daily problems using
basic problem solving skill.
Grade is evaluated on exercise reports in classrooms and homeworks.
From knowledge to wisdom through positive
participation to class works.

No. of students:

2nd year Master candidates 3
1st year Mater candidates 13Senior
2Duration: 7 weeks of 3 hour classes.
Heavy emphasis on both individual and team practices.
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Syllabus –continuedWeek
What to learn
1 Overview of this course
2 How to break down objectives. S-curve analysis.
3 Tracing back cause and result chains. Week 1
4 Tracing back cause and result chains. Week 2
5 Function analysis Week1
6 Function analysis Week2
7 40 Inventive Principles Week1
8 40 Inventive Principles Week2
9 Identifying technical contradictions Week1
10 Identifying technical contradictions Week2
11 Identifying physical contradictions Week1
12 Identifying physical contradictions Week2
13 Trend of evolution Week1
14 Trend of evolution Week2
15 Methods of promoting inspiration. Brain storming.

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A Message from the Teachers to the students.

• Our lives are full of “Problem Solving”

We ask our students a question:“What is the decisive factor in making our lives
happy or unhappy?”
Teacher’s message:• “Inventive Problem Solving Ability”
of each person is.
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Brain Power = Inventive Problem Solving Ability
Purpose-Target
Challenge-Problem

Imagination
Analysis

Observation

Brain Power
Information
Specialized
Knowledge

Defining problems
Persistence
Clear description
Etc.

Multiple Viewpoints
Experiences
Teamwork
Self-recognition
Partner-recognition
Group dynamics
Process

Background Knowledge

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“Brain Power”: The focus of this course

Embed

Formal knowledgeof creativity

Brain Power

creativity into“human”

Brain Power Enhancement is more important
than giving knowledge.
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Points in Enhancing “Brain Power”
A. Bringing out students’ latent “perception” withthree steps.
1. Individual

2. Small group

3. Whole class

B. Learn by repeating: Let the students step up
three levels of knowledge.
1. To know

2. To understand3. To use

C. Focusing on a point:
In a simple and systematic way.
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1. Three steps of bringing out students’
perception.
1. Individual thinking
Let a student have his/her own idea.

2. Presentation & discussion ina small group
Let a student have others’ viewpoint.

3. Presentation & discussion ina whole class
Let a student have multiple viewpoints.
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A Snap Shot in the Course
1. Individual thinking

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Students’ VoiceA Snap Shot in the Course

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2. Presentation & discussion in a small group
Each student presents his/her idea and receives
feedback from the group members.

The teacher continuously walks around the students
and gives advices to them.

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A Snap Shot in the Course
3. Presentation & discussion in a whole class
Let a student have multiple viewpoints.

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Points in enhancing “Brain Power”
A. Bringing out students’ latent “perception” withthree steps.
1. Individual

2. Small group

3. Whole class

B. Learn by repeating: Let the students step up
three levels of knowledge.
1. To know
2. To understand3. To use
C. Focusing on a point:
In a simple and systematic way.
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Method of Stepping-up the Three
Levels of Knowledge
Knowledge Levels

To use

Brain
Power

To understandTo know
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Methods
Repeated
Application

Exercise &Application
Text & Lecture
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To Use(EntranceLevel)
To
UnderstandOutlineMain Teaching Points

Repeating Process in Class
Next week: Review &Additional Exercise

To KnowWhat’s Next?

！Dig deep.
！
！
Extract points not
fully understood
Organize points

Answer to Questionnaire
Supplementary Lecture

Exposed tovarious！ viewpoints andget perception

Presentation in whole classGroup Exercise
Individual Exercise

Students’ Voice

LectureLearn by Listening

Home Assignment

Learn by Thinking

Pre-hand out text

Learn by Reading

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Contents of the Questionnaire
Asked at the End of Every Class

Objectives of this questionnaire:
For students; Draw a clear line between what are understood andwhat are not.
For teachers; Prepare for the next class by knowing the effect oftoday’s class and weak points of the students.
Questionnaire Card on Today’s Lecture & Exercise
Date: December 8,
Student Name: _____________
Content: “Definition of Physical Contradiction”
1. What are the most impressive points to you?
2. What subjects are hard to understand? Do you have any specificquestions?

“It is hard to use the inventive principle “Separation in Space.”

3. Please write your impression and comments for our futureclasses.

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An Example of Review & Additional Exercise
A number of students in this class answers to thequestionnaire in the last week as - - -“It is hard to use the inventive principle“Separation in Space.”“Let’s exercise it once more!”

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An Example of Additional Exercise
Contradiction among the functions of a cup:
Parameter: Temperature (of the container)
Desire to increase the parameter (+):
“hot” (to keep the content warm)
Desire not to increase the parameter (-):
“not hot” (for easy handling)“Separation in space”:
Where on a cup do we need the parameter increased?
Where do we need the parameter decreased?
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An Example of Additional Exercise
Contradiction among the functions of a car body:
Parameter: Stiffness (of the body)
Desire to increase the stiffness (+):
to withstand against weather, dent and roll over accident.
Desire not to increase the stiffness (-):
to protect pedestrians in collision.
“Separation in space”:
Where on a body do we need the stiffness increased?
Where do we need the stiffness decreased?
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An Example of Additional Exercise
Contradiction in drinking habit (of alcohol lovers):
Parameter: Desire to drink
Desire to increase the parameter (+):“To become happy”
Desire not to increase the parameter (-):“To be healthy”“Separation in space”:
Where on our body do we need the parameter increased?
Where do we need the parameter decreased?

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Points in enhancing “Brain Power”
A. Bringing out students’ latent “perception” withthree steps.
1. Individual

2. Small group

3. Whole class

B. Learn by repeating: Let the students step up
three levels of knowledge.
1. To know
2. To understand3. To use

C. Focusing on a point:
In a simple and systematic way.
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Focusing on a point:

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In a simple and systematic way
Identifying thesubject

Analyzing objectives: Identify the purpose andset a goal.
S-Curve analysis: Identify current status.

Root cause analysis by cascade queries:Analyzing theLogical digging & development.
subject
Function analysis: Inter-element analysis.
(Both positive and negative effects.)
40 Principles of Invention
Evolution trend
Generating ideas
Technical contradiction
Physical contradiction
Approach to inspiration: Control of thinking.
Brain-storming: Team work skill+
Human skill: Know-how on individual and group
activities.
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Outline

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Voice of the Students: Answer to thequestionnaire

Q1. Did the class stimulate you in problem
analysis and enhancing creativity?

Comments:“Got a reliable tool at my hand.”“My horizon became wide.”“Accustomed to thinking.”“Combination of individual and groupstudies grew my ability.”“Have already used in my research.”

No. of responses

1210864
20Yes,indeed!

Yes.

Can't say Not somuch.
yes orno.
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Voice of the Students: Answer to the questionnaire
Q1. What tool did you feel useful?
All the TRIZ tools were recognized as useful.
Inspiration promotion
Evolution trend
Inventive principles
Physical contradiction
Technical contradiction
Function analysis
Root cause analysis
S-curve analysis
Object identification
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10
15
No of responses
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Voice of the Students: Answer to thequestionnaire

Q3. Is this course necessary in university
education?

Comments:“Without creativity, we can makenothing.”“Will be applied in project based teamlearning.”“Necessary in high schools or in lower
education institutes.

NeverNot so necessary
Can't say yes or no.
Necessary
Absolutely necessary
02468No. of responses

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Voice of the Students: Answer to thequestionnaire
Other notable comments from the students.
•By understanding the goal of the course at the beginning,
I didn’t lost my way till the end.
•Reviewing the last lecture each time removed my hazyunderstandings and led me to the next step.
•By proceeding from individual thinking to group activities,
I was able to organize my idea.
•Because the lecturer was an active manager in industry, his own
experiences gave me fresh impression.
•Learned what I cannot learn in regular other courses.
•Hope the lecturer advise me in thesis research.
•I was happy to attend this course.
•The best course I’ve ever had since my childhood.
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Lessons the Lecturer Obtained・Every person has a seed of creativity.
We can let such a seed germinatedand grow. Important point is how towater it.
seed
・The younger the bigger it
grows. (At least before its fullgrowth.)

Engineer in industry, already grown.

seedYoung sprout・Sprouts grow better when they aretangled each others.
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Challenges Remaining•How can we water “many” seeds?
•When and how should we water?
•What kind of water?
seed
seed

seed

•Know how of operatinga class of many student.

seed

seed
seed

seed

seed

seed

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Proposals•Implementing creativity education that inspires
students’ perception systematically.

！
！
！

•Building a creativity education structure fromkinder garden to university, and further to industry.

•Let’s tangle our sprouts to pushcreativity education forward.
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Thank you for listening.

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