THINKING

Imagination

Imagination is the capacity to conceive of what is not and the ability to conjure new realities and possibilities, or in John Dewey’s words, “to look at things as if they could be otherwise.”

Synthesis

Our new age demands the ability to see relationships between seemingly unrelated fields, to detect broad patterns, to put together the pieces, and to invent something new by combining elements nobody else thought to pair.

Creativity

Creativity requires both deep knowledge and technical expertise with one area and broad knowledge of many apparently unrelated areas. It depends on being able to combine disparate elements in new ways and relies heavily on synthesis, the ability to see patterns where others see only chaos.

Design

Design thinking is a process combining empathy, creativity and rationality for solving problems and discovering new opportunities. Unlike critical thinking, which is a process of analysis and is associated with the 'breaking down' of ideas, design thinking is a creative process based around the 'building up' of ideas.

Metacognition

Thinking about what you’re thinking while you’re thinking it. Metacognition consists of two basic processes occurring simultaneously: monitoring your progress as you learn, and making changes and adapting your strategies if you perceive you are not doing so well. It's about self-reflection, self-responsibility and initiative, as well as goal setting and time management.