Assessment / High Schools / Other Assessments / Grade 10-11 Thinking Skills

Critical Thinking, Problem Solving & Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS)

In our interdependent world, the development of competencies that serve local and global challenges is essential. To this end, the IEB has developed a learning experience for secondary school learners that requires the application of Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS)to resolve complex (‘wicked’) problems. The learning experience requires extraordinary problem-solving skills and challenges learners to develop a solution to a ‘wicked’ problem that fall within the goals of the National Development Plan (NDP) The IEB is motivated to develop young learners across South African schools that see themselves as people who can solve big problems – and help them understand that they have an active role to play in achieving the NDP Goals by 2030.


Collaborative Problem Solving skills which combine the capacities of collaboration, problem solving, critical thinking and communication are considered to be invaluable for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. This CPS challenge attempts to bring the development of these generic skills to the forefront by using the NDP as a driver of interest, and so improve the learning and assessment of these fundamental skills.

The IEB envisages that engagement with this challenge will achieve the following:

  • Create deeper awareness in learners of the inequalities present in South Africa.
  • Build responsibility and advocacy amongst learners for social change.
  • Enable learners to understand the importance and power of collaborative thinking in attaining stronger outcomes.
  • Engage learners in action-driven thinking and problem solving that is impactful and speaks to progress.

 

The IEB conducts thinking skills workshops around the country. The purpose of these workshops is to introduce schools to all matters pertaining to the teaching and assessment of these fundamental skills. The workshop sessions include: purpose of and need for Higher Order Thinking Skills and what is meant by Critical Thinking and Problem Solving.