BBUS 3611: Open Thinking
This competency-based, paced course examines "open thinking," as well as good strategic thinking and creative thinking. Neither is separate from the other. Students explore open thinking by practicing techniques that encourage creativity, identifying strategies to broaden their approach to issues, and analyzing the context within which they traditionally think.
Learning outcomes
- Apply curiosity by encouraging constant inquiry.
- Reflect on the value of questioning.
- Focus on the concept of active listening.
- Learn the value of mistakes.
- Identify your negative beliefs.
- Leverage your positive affirmation.
- Experiment with risk taking.
- Create effective questions.
- Identify some of the "lenses" that have an impact on your perception of the world.
- Learn how these "lenses" operate.
- Demonstrate your understanding of a paradigm shift.
- Assess some basic personality types.
- Conduct a Strength, Weakness, Opportunities, Threat (SWOT) analysis.
- Examine the validity of statements.
- Recognize signs, symbols, and signification.
- Deconstruct received information.
- Gain a better understanding of some of the functions of your brain.
- Compare approaches for interpreting and documenting information, ideas and thoughts.
- Apply the techniques of meditation, brainstorming, radiant thinking, and mind mapping.
- Appraise the effectiveness of meditation, brainstorming, radiant thinking, and mind mapping as a tool for problem-solving and decision making.
- Remember how visual metaphor help people retain ides, thoughts, and concepts.
- Analyze situations from different perspectives.
- Learn how to negotiate change, chaos, and paradox.
- Investigate the role intuition plays in solving problems and making decisions.
- Learn about complex adaptive systems and the four basic rules that govern them.
- Identify strategically innovative companies and actions.
- Review various strands of open thinking.
- Begin to practice integrated open thinking.
- Demonstrate, through the integration of conceptual resources (theory) with practice, your competence with the key concepts and learning outcomes described in this course.
Course topics
Module 1: Introduction
Module 2: Creating Openness
Module 3: Removing Barriers
Module 4: Introduction to Radiant Thinking
Module 5: Moving Towards Whole
Required text and materials
The following materials are required for this course:
- Gelb, Michael J. How To Think Like Leonardo da Vinci: Seven Steps to Genius Every Day.
Dell Books, 2000.
Type: Textbook. ISBN: 0440508274
- Buzan, Tony and Barry Buzan. The Mind Map Book: How to Use Radiant Thinking to Maximize
Your Brain's Untapped Potential. Penguin Books USA, Penguin Group, 1996.
Type: Textbook. ISBN: 0452273226
Assessments
To successfully complete this course, students must achieve a passing grade of 50% or higher on the overall course, and 50% or higher on the final mandatory project.
Students taking this course and applying it towards an Advanced Certificate or Advanced Diploma in Management must obtain a minimum 70% average in the course overall.
| Module 1 Assignment | 0% |
| Module 2 Assignment | 5% |
| Module 3 Assignment | 20% |
| Module 4 Assignment | 10% |
| Module 5 Assignment | 15% |
| Final Project (mandatory) | 50% |
| Total | 100% |
Open Learning Faculty Member Information
An Open Learning Faculty Member is available to assist students. Students will receive the necessary contact information at the start of the course.
