[MUSIC] In the last lesson, we looked at how we can use other theories, formulas or similar problems to help us solve different kinds of problems. In this lesson, we will be looking at how we can use another outside resource, people. People can often be our biggest resource when it comes to problem solving for a number of different reasons. If you have a difficult problem, you can often get stuck by thinking about it in a specific way. One commonly suggested strategy in these situations is to change your perspective. However, as a strategy, this is sometimes about as helpful as being told to just solve the problem. Changing your own perspective, especially when you've been stuck on a problem for a while can be incredibly difficult. So, what's an easy way to get another perspective? Ask someone else what they think about the problem. The first reason for this is simply that as common wisdom and experts on problem solving suggests, two heads are better than one. Other people, particularly those who have different backgrounds, cultures, genders, experiences or interests to us will often see a problem completely, differently. If they're an expert in the field, they might be able to point out aspects that you have failed to consider or they can give you a hint. On the other hand, amateurs or even children might see a connection that you missed or prematurely dismissed. Another reason that people can be helpful resources is that Cryer suggests, combining ideas, knowledge or theories from different fields can often stimulate completely new ways of thinking about a problem. Each field or discipline of study has an incredible depth of knowledge. But often, the specificity of our field means that it is very difficult to build bridges between them. However, there are countless examples of how interdisciplinary collaboration works amazingly well. For example, studying how ant populations moved and organize themselves has been applied to everything from Improving traffic control to data transmission. As another example, Francis Crick, one of the four people responsible for the development of the double-helix for DNA began his academic life as a physicist. Cryer suggests that without this background, Crick and Watson might not have dared to propose their model for DNA. Therefore, a good strategy to help you change your perspective is to talk about it with others or work on it with someone from another discipline. Lastly, explaining a problem and talking about over the issues involved can help to stimulate your own creativity. Other people can help us change perspective by giving us input from their own ideas, knowledge or theories from their discipline. But as Cryer suggest, it can do much more than that. In fact, the very act of talking seems to stimulate ones own thinking. Sometimes, all we need is a sounding board for our ideas. All of these strategies are backed up by evidence. Education research and theories of how we learn all indicate that we learn better by, and through our interaction with other people. Asking for help, working in groups and engaging in discussions are all highly valued in the university. In fact, as Brick's suggest, one of the central ideas of academic culture is that knowledge develops through debate and argument. In the next few lessons, we will give you some useful strategies and examples of how you can use the people around you to improve your problem solving capabilities. One important thing to note here is that if someone help you considerably, you may need to reference their assistance. If you're unsure, ask your lecturer or tutor for their advice. [MUSIC]
