Promoting Abduction – A Teaching Experiment on Creative Learning Processes in a High School Classroom Context

Abstract

This paper draws on a recent study of teaching experiments in a Danish gymnasium (upper secondary school) context. The aim of the study was to afford students time to devise creative solutions to specific problems in each subject area. For the purposes of the study, abductive reasoning, applied to ordinary subjects in the classroom in a high school context, was seen as a driver of creativity. This rather conservative approach to teaching creativity at secondary school level can be contrasted with more radical, reform-oriented traditions within the field of creative education. The paper discusses the advantages of the conservative teaching approach in relation to promoting students’ creativity in an upper secondary school context.

Appendix: Ten Abductive Openers

• 1. Explanation

  Explaining the connection behind observed phenomena. For example, by selecting a cause, rule or regularity that can explain or predict one or more individual situations.

  Examples:

• Why do some things sink while others float?

• Why are terrorists willing to die for their faith?

• What principle is … the common denominator in the following 5 sentences?

• Why do certain animals have the colours that they have?

• Why do we use proverbs and sayings and what do they do with the language?

• What would happen … in Afghanistan if … the Allies withdrew?

• 2. Interpretation

  Interpreting how a given message should/could be understood. For example, by finding meanings in situations where the understanding/meaning is not necessarily visible or follows from the pure linguistic meaning of the words.

  Examples:

• How can the following text excerpts be interpreted....?

• What does Hans Christian Andersen want to say with…?

• What is meant by the following English expressions: “To have ants in one’s pants”.

• What did Plato mean with his parable of the cave?

• 3. Analogy

  Comparing/describing/explaining “something” with “something else”. For example, transferring the characteristics of one context to apply in another context (e.g. the perception of society as an organism).

  Examples:

• Find a different context where knowledge about … “bipolar power” can be used.

• Describe democracy (to the ignorant) without using the following words: majority, all, part.

• Create an analogy that can explain the concept of “gravity”.

• Create mental recall rules for the chemical symbol for lead (PB) – for example, Plum Bum.

• 4. Definition

  Defining a concept – including the assembly of a number of individual cases into a new concept.

  Examples:

• Give a definition of the concept…. (energy, democracy, faith, adventure, etc.).

• What do you think characterizes the following concepts…. (energy, democracy, faith, adventure, etc.).

• Categorize the following individual cases into certain groups/concepts…: e.g. political attitudes, living beings, and chemical elements.

• 5. Investigation

  Devising a (new) way of investigating or experimenting with certain phenomena.

  Examples:

• Devise a method that can investigate/clarify… high school culture.

• Devise a method that can investigate/clarify… whether people are believers.

• Devise a method to investigate/calculate… the law of gravity.

• Devise a method to investigate the importance of getting… liquids, sleep, etc.

• Devise a method that can investigate… the meaning of life ☺.

• 6. Simplification

  Reducing complex phenomena and contexts. For example, by devising ideal types, models, heuristics (“rules of thumb”), examples or simplifications.

  Examples:

• Explain … the law of gravity to a child in kindergarten.

• Create a model of … what determines the positions of the political parties.

• Give rules of thumb for what typically explains … a person’s religious nature.

• Give examples of … what a street child must experience in a single day.

• Describe what characterizes a typical… high school pupil (or Muslim).

• 7. Problem

  Developing products, processes, laws, etc. that can solve specific challenges/problems.

  Examples:

• How can we solve the problem of … poverty, climate?

• How should you create … an economic system on a desert island (a new EU, a new religion)?

• How can you create … wind turbines that can operate in a desert landscape

• How should Obama tackle the relationship with Russia?

• Imagine … that you are Hitler and have to convince the people that they have to go to war.

• 8. Story

  Creating free stories. For example, on the basis of certain keywords or perspectives (stimuli).

  Examples:

• Create a meaningful narrative from the following 5 keywords…

• Create a story in a certain style… for example, a fairy tale…

• Imagine that you are…

  • an ethnologist who is observing how an unknown tribe worships their god (what happens?).

  • a researcher who discovers gravity on an alien planet (what characterizes it?).

  • God, who has to design atoms on a new planet (what characterizes them?).

• 9. Formulation

  To use one’s motor perceptual (silent) system to form certain thoughts, desires, goals, etc. or to reshape concrete/abstract knowledge into alternative forms of expression.

  Examples:

• Draw, paint, build, mime, dance, act out, etc. a concept (democracy), a theory, etc.

• Rewrite a message in a certain style, such as a political speech, newspaper, lyrical poem, etc.

• Write a free sentence (10–20 words), which uses the tone of a certain style.

• 10. Body

  Using one’s body in ways one has not previously done. For example, on the basis of certain keywords or perspectives (stimuli).

  Examples:

• invent a new dance, way of walking, double backhand, high jump technique, drum style, way of talking, sleeping, eating, etc.