Haibo’s lecture was well-structured with a clear line of argument. He mentioned 5 bulletpoints:
- How to come up with an problem
- How to filter the idea
- How to validate the idea
- How to evaluate the idea
- How to communicate the idea
Today at soccer practise (that’s why I’m late with the hand-in, hope that is okay anyway) we did an exercise we do 4 times a week 8 months a year (we do it lots of times in other words…). However, today I thought of doing it in another way. The exercise is basically to throw yourself and catch the ball as soon as possible. I’m a goalkeeper. We usually talk about the angle of the foot when throwing yourself (‘jumping’?) and the hand’s position, etcetc. Today, however, I thought of what my friend looks like when she does it. She usually keep her arms straight when catching the ball. I tried to keep my arms straight and I managed to catch the ball faster than before.
I don’t know if this makes any sense if you’re not a soccer goalie but I do think I did - in someway - what Haibo wanted and solved the problem differently by defining the problem (“to catch the ball asap”) in a new way. Another great character besides Johnny English is a boy from my favorite book called "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" - he also has the ability to define problems and ideas in other ways than the most obvious.
To finish up, I would like to add the knowledge I’ve gained on chilling and not think too many steps ahead. You don’t need to solve problems that haven’t arisen yet. In this way, perhaps the problems won’t even arise.
Excellent comments, Emelie. Good connexion to football practice.
SvaraRaderaHello!
SvaraRaderaI also liked Haibo's lecture. And as you say the clip with Johnny English was really brilliant when showing that solving a problem can be so much easier than what we think.
As you said, probably most people would benefit from trying to improve their problem definition instead on just focusing on the actual solution. I also believe that students/researchers should try to find the "easiest" solution and not just be most "cool"-looking. Especially, us technology students that want to solve everything with the newest and coolest technology but sometimes it's better to not over-complicate things and just as you say - take a step back and look at what the problem really is...
Good reflection! :) /Stephanie
I also think his lecture were very useful. Earlier I have not thought that much about what the problem is, but rather about how to solve it, and I have not even reflected about this behaviour, it’s just something I do. I think most of the people I have worked with have done it in the same way, and maybe this is why I myself not have reflected on it, because I saw it as the “only” way to do it.
SvaraRaderaBtw, I really like that you bring up personal experiences in you texts, because it makes them interesting to read! :)
Leif, thank you. :)
SvaraRaderaSteph, I agree with you on that one! Since you're also taking the SSE course in marketing, perhaps you also like the lectures held there? I think they are doing a great job by teaching marketing and management in a way where they're selling the concept to us. Sometimes it's a bit too american styled... Haha. However in general I like it very much. It would be cool if KTH proffessors could learn something from that ;)
Thank you for your comment!
Sofie, thank you for your comment! I think we share the same aha-experience (among other things!) on this subject. I also have experienced groupwork where now after studying this, we were too narrow sighted and didn't put enough time to think "how to define the problem" rather than try to solve it immidiately. I think you usually think of other solutions and defining options after the work is done. For example I've been reflecting a lot on the essay (kexjobb) we wrote this spring. It feels like I often want to do the project again in order to do it in another (better, more well-thought out) way.Again, thank you for your comment! :)
I love your connection to your soccer-practice and I kine of understand. You tried a new way by thinking more and doing less tests and it worked! Congratts! Can we do so in other things to? Maybe how we discuss courses (what are good and what are bad) and really understand how and why we feel different about the courses. Or can we study differently? Like structure the work before doing it? Many things can be change and maybe that's an important knowledge we both gained. I think Haibo's lecture was the best one in this course and I know many others thought the same. He was really great!
SvaraRaderaJust do it! Love your post this week! Good reflections. Keep on going!