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many people from their goal of attending college. How would you begin to or-
ganize a group to solve this problem?
In 1910, John Dewey, a philosopher and educator, identified a method of prob-
lem solving that he called reflective thinking.^5 Many groups have adapted his
multistep method as a way to organize the process of solving problems. Here are
the steps Dewey recommended: (1) Identify and define the problem, (2) analyze
the problem, (3) generate possible solutions, (4) select the best solution, and (5)
test and implement the solution. Although not every problem-solving discussion
has to follow these steps, reflective thinking does provide a helpful blueprint that
can relieve some of the uncertainty that exists when groups try to solve problems.- Identify and Define the Problem
Groups work best when they define their problem clearly and early in their
problem-solving process. To reach a clear definition, the group should consider
the following questions:
• What is the specific problem that concerns us?
• What terms, concepts, or ideas do we need to understand in order to solve
the problem?
• Who is harmed by the problem?
• When do the harmful effects occur?
Policy questions can help to define a problem and identify the course of ac-
tion that should be taken to solve it. As you recall from Chapter 16, policy ques-
tions often begin with a phrase such as “What should be done about.. .” or
“What could be done to improve... .” Here are some examples:
• What should be done to improve security at U.S. airports?
• What should be done to increase employment in our state?
• What steps can be taken to improve the U.S. trade balance with other countries?
If your group were investigating the high cost of pursuing a college educa-
tion, for example, after defining key terms such as “higher education” and “col-
lege” and gathering statistics about the magnitude of the problem, you could
phrase your policy question this way: “What could be done to reduce the high
cost of attending college?” - Analyze the Problem
Ray Kroc, founder of McDonald’s, said, “Nothing is particularly hard if you di-
vide it into small jobs.” Once the group understands the problem and has a well-
worded question, the next step is to analyze the problem. Analysis is a process
of examining the causes, effects, symptoms, history, and other background in-
formation that will help a group to eventually reach a solution. Analysis breaks
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