By Riley Reuter
Introduction
Retaining information from lectures can be a tiring task, especially when you have multiple long lectures back-to-back. Trying to find meaning to the words presented to you via a power point can be more difficult some days than others, especially if your professor is going through the slides too fast. Finding the meaning of the information you are given and how to achieve a better understanding while you are studying for big exams is everyone’s goal in the classroom. But how exactly should one go about it? Well sometimes you need to “think outside of the box” to really connect to the information you are trying to learn. This could also be known as divergent thinking.
What is Divergent Thinking?
The term divergent thinking was coined by J.P. Guilford during the 1950s. Guilford used the term divergent thinking to describe the processes of deconstructing a topic into parts and then creating as many varied productions as possible within a short period of time 1. Divergent thinking allows one to have a variety of perspectives and allows one to have multiple pathways to answering a problem 2. Divergent thinking is also known to be one of the many ingredients of creativity 3.
Divergent Thinking and Intelligence
Divergent thinking has also been linked with intelligence over the years. People who do better on intelligence tasks also tend to do better on divergent thinking tasks. This correlation is often broken down to knowledge and how the information you know is needed for creative tasks 4. Divergent thinking also has a correlation with academic success 3. There has even been evidence found that shows that creativity tests can also work as a predictor for academic success in certain cases. IQ scores may vary between intelligence students and those who are highly creative, but there is no difference within academic success 5.
Divergent Thinking in Students
Divergent thinking helps students apply tools to fulfill the goal that is becoming more knowledgeable and gaining from their academics 1. Divergent thinking can help students with attaining concepts, developing vocabulary, making connections across curriculum, generating examples, and a deeper exploration of course content 1. Divergent thinking skills will help students control their own thinking and once they start to think it should lead to more thoughts and start a cycle of self-generation 1.
How to Apply Divergent Thinking Into your Learning Habits:
- Give yourself time to think
You will not be able to develop and process your thoughts unless you give yourself the uninterrupted time you need to digest knowledge. The more time you spend on learning the information the first time will allow you to keep focusing on present information rather than having to go back in the future because you did not grasp the concept the first time arround1. Everyone needs time to organize their thoughts, so be patient with yourself and find time to digest difficult concepts.
- Use your resources/explore outside resources
Professors will give you multiple resources for you to engage with throughout the course. If you engage with these sources, you may develop the urge to pursue outside resources. If you are seeking more information, then you will have the information you need to make multiple connections to a concept 1.
- Interact with your peers
Feedback from your peers will help you develop new ideas on topics that you may not have developed on your own. Not only would they help you, but you would get the chance to share your ideas and help them as well. Overall, you will both be getting affirmation and constructive feedback from one another that will help you grow knowledge on a topic 1.
- Remember that unique thoughts are not “wrong
Digesting concepts is different for everyone, so you may use different methods to reach the same conclusion as your peers or professor. You should not rely too much on others’ train of thought and have professors spoon feed your difficult concepts as it may hinder your understanding. If you remain confident in your curiosity, it can be a strength and can even contribute to developing a deeper connection with concepts 1. That said, you should still go to your professor with your thoughts and get feedback to ensure you are on track.
- Inspire yourself
Once you produce new ideas, you should think about these ideas to inspire more ideas 1. Do not be afraid to dive into your own thoughts to produce more connections to concepts. The more connections you make with your own thoughts, the more confidence you will have in your own knowledge.
Conclusion:
Divergent thinking is a powerful tool that we all have. Finding connections with information you already know and using it to aid you in either learning new information or finding solutions to problems is a skill you can use not only in the classroom but in your day-to-day life. When using divergent thinking in the classroom, you will deepen your understanding of topics which will help you prepare for your coursework and future career. So next time a professor asks you to produce an example of a course concept, breathe and use those divergent thinking skills.
References
- Gallavan, N. P., & Kottler, E. (2012). Advancing Social Studies Learning for the 21stCentury with Divergent Thinking. The Social Studies, 103(4), 165–170. https://doi.org/10.1080/00377996.2011.605641
- Chin, C. (2013). Cultivating divergent thinking: conceptualization as a critical component of artmaking. Art Education, 66(6), 28–33. https://doi.org/10.1080/00043125.2013.11519247
- Abrahams, J. J. (2018). Working memory and divergent thinking as predictors of academic achievement: exploratory study. https://wiredspace.wits.ac.za/handle/10539/28360
- Silvia, P. J. (2015). Intelligence and creativity are pretty similar after all. Educational Psychology Review, 27(4), 599–606. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-015-9299-1
- Bentley, J. C. (1966). Creativity and academic achievement. The Journal of Educational Research, 59(6), 269–272. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220671.1966.10883353