“When students are taught how to use critical thinking to tap into their creativity to solve problems, they are more successful than other students when they enter management-training programs in large corporations.” 6Ī strong applicant should question and want to make evidence-based decisions. Using critical thinking an individual will not automatically accept information or conclusions drawn from to be factual, valid, true, applicable or correct. “Mentions of critical thinking in job postings have doubled since 2009, according to an analysis by career-search site .” 5 Making logical and reasoned judgments that are well thought out is at the core of critical thinking. These two skills are at the top of skills required of applicants by employers. Two of the major components of problem-solving skills are critical thinking and analytical reasoning.
Determination - A person who is persistent and do not give up easily.Resourcefulness - A person who will adapt to new/difficult situations and devise ways to overcome obstacles.Creativity - A person who is an original thinker and have the ability to go beyond traditional approaches.A person who looks for opportunities to make a difference. Initiative - A person who will step up and take action without being asked.Critical Thinking – A person who makes reasoned judgments that are logical and well thought out.Analytical Thinking - A person who can use logic and critical thinking to analyze a situation.
When an employer says they want employees who are good at solving complex problems, they are saying they want employees possessing the following skills: Acknowledging alternative explanations/viewpoints: How well does the applicant consider other options and acknowledge that their answer is not the only perspective?.Drawing conclusions: How well does the applicant form a conclusion from their analysis?.Analysis and Synthesis of information: How well does the applicant analyze and synthesize data and information?.Evaluation of information: How well does the applicant assess the quality and relevance of information?.So, helping students become a confident problem solver is critical to their success and confidence comes from possessing an efficient and practiced problem-solving process.Įmployers want employees with well-founded skills in these areas, so they ask four questions when assessing a job candidate 3: Whether solving a problem for a client (internal or external), supporting those who are solving problems, or discovering new problems to solve, the challenges faced may be simple/complex or easy/difficult.Ī fundamental component of every manager's role is solving problems. Center for Global Education and EngagementĮvery day, from an entry-level employee to the Chairman of the Board, problems need to be resolved.Formulation and Solution of Binary Optimization Problems Week 3 Application Assignment - Linear Optimization.Digital Marketing Application of Optimization Evaluating Scenarios and Visualizing Results to Gain Practical Insights What-if Analysis and the Sensitivity Report Adding Optimization to a Spreadsheet Model Identifying the Best Options - Optimization.Week 2 Application Assignment - Monte Carlo Simulation.Models with Correlated Uncertain Variables Using Historical Data to Model Uncertainty Defining Output Variables and Analyzing the Results
Adding Uncertainty to a Spreadsheet Model Dealing with Uncertainty and Analyzing Risk.Week 1 Application Assignment - Clustering.Register for Analytic Solver Platform for Education (ASPE).Preparing Data and Measuring Dissimilarities Data Exploration and Reduction - Cluster Analysis.
Learners participating in assignments will be able to get free access to the Analytic Solver Platform. The Analytic Solver Platform and basic knowledge of Excel is all you’ll need. What is really exciting about this course is that you won’t need to know a computer language or advanced statistics to learn about these predictive and prescriptive analytic models. Since businesses problems often have too many alternative solutions, you will learn how optimization can help you identify the best option. A key element of decision making is to identify the best course of action. You will then learn the basics of Monte Carlo simulation that will help you model the uncertainty that is prevalent in many business decisions. We will start with cluster analysis, a technique for data reduction that is very useful in market segmentation. In this course you will learn how to create models for decision making.