101 Activities For Teaching Creativity And Problem Solving

46. Skybridging

Background

This technique involves working both forward and backward when generating ideas.

Engineers call this method “reverse engineering.” Doug Hall (1994) calls it Skybridging. It

is based on a general definition of a problem as a gap between a current and a desired

state of affairs. That is, we examine “what is” and “what should be” and then try to close

the gap by working toward the goal and then back toward the current problem state.

Thus, there may be many different roads to an objective.

Objectives

• To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible


• To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas

Participants

Small groups of four to seven people each

Materials, Supplies, and Equipment

• For each group: markers, two flip charts, and masking tape for posting flip-chart
  sheets


• For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots
  (^1 ⁄ 2 ” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it®Notes

Handout

• Skybridging Handout

Time

20 minutes

204 101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving

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