What Is Problem Solving? How Software Engineers Approach Complex Challenges

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From debugging an existing system to designing an entirely new software application, a day in the life of a software engineer is filled with various challenges and complexities. The one skill that glues these disparate tasks together and makes them manageable? Problem solving . 

Throughout this blog post, we’ll explore why problem-solving skills are so critical for software engineers, delve into the techniques they use to address complex challenges, and discuss how hiring managers can identify these skills during the hiring process. 

What Is Problem Solving?

But what exactly is problem solving in the context of software engineering? How does it work, and why is it so important?

Problem solving, in the simplest terms, is the process of identifying a problem, analyzing it, and finding the most effective solution to overcome it. For software engineers, this process is deeply embedded in their daily workflow. It could be something as simple as figuring out why a piece of code isn’t working as expected, or something as complex as designing the architecture for a new software system. 

In a world where technology is evolving at a blistering pace, the complexity and volume of problems that software engineers face are also growing. As such, the ability to tackle these issues head-on and find innovative solutions is not only a handy skill — it’s a necessity. 

The Importance of Problem-Solving Skills for Software Engineers

Problem-solving isn’t just another ability that software engineers pull out of their toolkits when they encounter a bug or a system failure. It’s a constant, ongoing process that’s intrinsic to every aspect of their work. Let’s break down why this skill is so critical.

Driving Development Forward

Without problem solving, software development would hit a standstill. Every new feature, every optimization, and every bug fix is a problem that needs solving. Whether it’s a performance issue that needs diagnosing or a user interface that needs improving, the capacity to tackle and solve these problems is what keeps the wheels of development turning.

It’s estimated that 60% of software development lifecycle costs are related to maintenance tasks, including debugging and problem solving. This highlights how pivotal this skill is to the everyday functioning and advancement of software systems.

Innovation and Optimization

The importance of problem solving isn’t confined to reactive scenarios; it also plays a major role in proactive, innovative initiatives . Software engineers often need to think outside the box to come up with creative solutions, whether it’s optimizing an algorithm to run faster or designing a new feature to meet customer needs. These are all forms of problem solving.

Consider the development of the modern smartphone. It wasn’t born out of a pre-existing issue but was a solution to a problem people didn’t realize they had — a device that combined communication, entertainment, and productivity into one handheld tool.

Increasing Efficiency and Productivity

Good problem-solving skills can save a lot of time and resources. Effective problem-solvers are adept at dissecting an issue to understand its root cause, thus reducing the time spent on trial and error. This efficiency means projects move faster, releases happen sooner, and businesses stay ahead of their competition.

Improving Software Quality

Problem solving also plays a significant role in enhancing the quality of the end product. By tackling the root causes of bugs and system failures, software engineers can deliver reliable, high-performing software. This is critical because, according to the Consortium for Information and Software Quality, poor quality software in the U.S. in 2022 cost at least $2.41 trillion in operational issues, wasted developer time, and other related problems.

Problem-Solving Techniques in Software Engineering

So how do software engineers go about tackling these complex challenges? Let’s explore some of the key problem-solving techniques, theories, and processes they commonly use.

Decomposition

Breaking down a problem into smaller, manageable parts is one of the first steps in the problem-solving process. It’s like dealing with a complicated puzzle. You don’t try to solve it all at once. Instead, you separate the pieces, group them based on similarities, and then start working on the smaller sets. This method allows software engineers to handle complex issues without being overwhelmed and makes it easier to identify where things might be going wrong.

Abstraction

In the realm of software engineering, abstraction means focusing on the necessary information only and ignoring irrelevant details. It is a way of simplifying complex systems to make them easier to understand and manage. For instance, a software engineer might ignore the details of how a database works to focus on the information it holds and how to retrieve or modify that information.

Algorithmic Thinking

At its core, software engineering is about creating algorithms — step-by-step procedures to solve a problem or accomplish a goal. Algorithmic thinking involves conceiving and expressing these procedures clearly and accurately and viewing every problem through an algorithmic lens. A well-designed algorithm not only solves the problem at hand but also does so efficiently, saving computational resources.

Parallel Thinking

Parallel thinking is a structured process where team members think in the same direction at the same time, allowing for more organized discussion and collaboration. It’s an approach popularized by Edward de Bono with the “ Six Thinking Hats ” technique, where each “hat” represents a different style of thinking.

In the context of software engineering, parallel thinking can be highly effective for problem solving. For instance, when dealing with a complex issue, the team can use the “White Hat” to focus solely on the data and facts about the problem, then the “Black Hat” to consider potential problems with a proposed solution, and so on. This structured approach can lead to more comprehensive analysis and more effective solutions, and it ensures that everyone’s perspectives are considered.

This is the process of identifying and fixing errors in code . Debugging involves carefully reviewing the code, reproducing and analyzing the error, and then making necessary modifications to rectify the problem. It’s a key part of maintaining and improving software quality.

Testing and Validation

Testing is an essential part of problem solving in software engineering. Engineers use a variety of tests to verify that their code works as expected and to uncover any potential issues. These range from unit tests that check individual components of the code to integration tests that ensure the pieces work well together. Validation, on the other hand, ensures that the solution not only works but also fulfills the intended requirements and objectives.

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Evaluating Problem-Solving Skills

We’ve examined the importance of problem-solving in the work of a software engineer and explored various techniques software engineers employ to approach complex challenges. Now, let’s delve into how hiring teams can identify and evaluate problem-solving skills during the hiring process.

Recognizing Problem-Solving Skills in Candidates

How can you tell if a candidate is a good problem solver? Look for these indicators:

  • Previous Experience: A history of dealing with complex, challenging projects is often a good sign. Ask the candidate to discuss a difficult problem they faced in a previous role and how they solved it.
  • Problem-Solving Questions: During interviews, pose hypothetical scenarios or present real problems your company has faced. Ask candidates to explain how they would tackle these issues. You’re not just looking for a correct solution but the thought process that led them there.
  • Technical Tests: Coding challenges and other technical tests can provide insight into a candidate’s problem-solving abilities. Consider leveraging a platform for assessing these skills in a realistic, job-related context.

Assessing Problem-Solving Skills

Once you’ve identified potential problem solvers, here are a few ways you can assess their skills:

  • Solution Effectiveness: Did the candidate solve the problem? How efficient and effective is their solution?
  • Approach and Process: Go beyond whether or not they solved the problem and examine how they arrived at their solution. Did they break the problem down into manageable parts? Did they consider different perspectives and possibilities?
  • Communication: A good problem solver can explain their thought process clearly. Can the candidate effectively communicate how they arrived at their solution and why they chose it?
  • Adaptability: Problem-solving often involves a degree of trial and error. How does the candidate handle roadblocks? Do they adapt their approach based on new information or feedback?

Hiring managers play a crucial role in identifying and fostering problem-solving skills within their teams. By focusing on these abilities during the hiring process, companies can build teams that are more capable, innovative, and resilient.

Key Takeaways

As you can see, problem solving plays a pivotal role in software engineering. Far from being an occasional requirement, it is the lifeblood that drives development forward, catalyzes innovation, and delivers of quality software. 

By leveraging problem-solving techniques, software engineers employ a powerful suite of strategies to overcome complex challenges. But mastering these techniques isn’t simple feat. It requires a learning mindset, regular practice, collaboration, reflective thinking, resilience, and a commitment to staying updated with industry trends. 

For hiring managers and team leads, recognizing these skills and fostering a culture that values and nurtures problem solving is key. It’s this emphasis on problem solving that can differentiate an average team from a high-performing one and an ordinary product from an industry-leading one.

At the end of the day, software engineering is fundamentally about solving problems — problems that matter to businesses, to users, and to the wider society. And it’s the proficient problem solvers who stand at the forefront of this dynamic field, turning challenges into opportunities, and ideas into reality.

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Lesson 27 of 33 By Hemant Deshpande

An Ultimate Guide That Helps You to Develop and Improve Problem Solving in Programming

Table of Contents

Coding and Programming skills hold a significant and critical role in implementing and developing various technologies and software. They add more value to the future and development. These programming and coding skills are essential for every person to improve problem solving skills. So, we brought you this article to help you learn and know the importance of these skills in the future. 

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Topics covered in this problem solving in programming article are:

  • What is Problem Solving in Programming? 
  • Problem Solving skills in Programming
  • How does it impact your career ?
  • Steps involved in Problem Solving
  • Steps to improve Problem Solving in programming

What is Problem Solving in Programming?

Computers are used to solve various problems in day-to-day life. Problem Solving is an essential skill that helps to solve problems in programming. There are specific steps to be carried out to solve problems in computer programming, and the success depends on how correctly and precisely we define a problem. This involves designing, identifying and implementing problems using certain steps to develop a computer.

When we know what exactly problem solving in programming is, let us learn how it impacts your career growth.

How Does It Impact Your Career?

Many companies look for candidates with excellent problem solving skills. These skills help people manage the work and make candidates put more effort into the work, which results in finding solutions for complex problems in unexpected situations. These skills also help to identify quick solutions when they arise and are identified. 

People with great problem solving skills also possess more thinking and analytical skills, which makes them much more successful and confident in their career and able to work in any kind of environment. 

The above section gives you an idea of how problem solving in programming impacts your career and growth. Now, let's understand what problem solving skills mean.

Problem Solving Skills in Programming

Solving a question that is related to computers is more complicated than finding the solutions for other questions. It requires excellent knowledge and much thinking power. Problem solving in programming skills is much needed for a person and holds a major advantage. For every question, there are specific steps to be followed to get a perfect solution. By using those steps, it is possible to find a solution quickly.

The above section is covered with an explanation of problem solving in programming skills. Now let's learn some steps involved in problem solving.

Steps Involved in Problem Solving

Before being ready to solve a problem, there are some steps and procedures to be followed to find the solution. Let's have a look at them in this problem solving in programming article.

Basically, they are divided into four categories:

  • Analysing the problem
  • Developing the algorithm
  • Testing and debugging

Analysing the Problem

Every problem has a perfect solution; before we are ready to solve a problem, we must look over the question and understand it. When we know the question, it is easy to find the solution for it. If we are not ready with what we have to solve, then we end up with the question and cannot find the answer as expected. By analysing it, we can figure out the outputs and inputs to be carried out. Thus, when we analyse and are ready with the list, it is easy and helps us find the solution easily. 

Developing the Algorithm

It is required to decide a solution before writing a program. The procedure of representing the solution  in a natural language called an algorithm. We must design, develop and decide the final approach after a number of trials and errors, before actually writing the final code on an algorithm before we write the code. It captures and refines all the aspects of the desired solution.

Once we finalise the algorithm, we must convert the decided algorithm into a code or program using a dedicated programming language that is understandable by the computer to find a desired solution. In this stage, a wide variety of programming languages are used to convert the algorithm into code. 

Testing and Debugging

The designed and developed program undergoes several rigorous tests based on various real-time parameters and the program undergoes various levels of simulations. It must meet the user's requirements, which have to respond with the required time. It should generate all expected outputs to all the possible inputs. The program should also undergo bug fixing and all possible exception handling. If it fails to show the possible results, it should be checked for logical errors.

Industries follow some testing methods like system testing, component testing and acceptance testing while developing complex applications. The errors identified while testing are debugged or rectified and tested again until all errors are removed from the program.

The steps mentioned above are involved in problem solving in programming. Now let's see some more detailed information about the steps to improve problem solving in programming.

Steps to Improve Problem Solving in Programming

Right mindset.

The way to approach problems is the key to improving the skills. To find a solution, a positive mindset helps to solve problems quickly. If you think something is impossible, then it is hard to achieve. When you feel free and focus with a positive attitude, even complex problems will have a perfect solution.

Making Right Decisions

When we need to solve a problem, we must be clear with the solution. The perfect solution helps to get success in a shorter period. Making the right decisions in the right situation helps to find the perfect solution quickly and efficiently. These skills also help to get more command over the subject.

Keeping Ideas on Track

Ideas always help much in improving the skills; they also help to gain more knowledge and more command over things. In problem solving situations, these ideas help much and help to develop more skills. Give opportunities for the mind and keep on noting the ideas.

Learning from Feedbacks

A crucial part of learning is from the feedback. Mistakes help you to gain more knowledge and have much growth. When you have a solution for a problem, go for the feedback from the experienced or the professionals. It helps you get success within a shorter period and enables you to find other solutions easily.

Asking Questions

Questions are an incredible part of life. While searching for solutions, there are a lot of questions that arise in our minds. Once you know the question correctly, then you are able to find answers quickly. In coding or programming, we must have a clear idea about the problem. Then, you can find the perfect solution for it. Raising questions can help to understand the problem.

These are a few reasons and tips to improve problem solving in programming skills. Now let's see some major benefits in this article.

  • Problem solving in programming skills helps to gain more knowledge over coding and programming, which is a major benefit.
  • These problem solving skills also help to develop more skills in a person and build a promising career.
  • These skills also help to find the solutions for critical and complex problems in a perfect way.
  • Learning and developing problem solving in programming helps in building a good foundation.
  • Most of the companies are looking for people with good problem solving skills, and these play an important role when it comes to job opportunities 
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Problem solving in programming skills is important in this modern world; these skills build a great career and hold a great advantage. This article on problem solving in programming provides you with an idea of how it plays a massive role in the present world. In this problem solving in programming article, the skills and the ways to improve more command on problem solving in programming are mentioned and explained in a proper way.

If you are looking to advance in your career. Simplilearn provides training and certification courses on various programming languages - Python , Java , Javascript , and many more. Check out our Post Graduate Program in Full Stack Web Development course that will help you excel in your career.

If you have any questions for us on the problem solving in programming article. Do let us know in the comments section below; we have our experts answer it right away.

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About the author.

Hemant Deshpande

Hemant Deshpande, PMP has more than 17 years of experience working for various global MNC's. He has more than 10 years of experience in managing large transformation programs for Fortune 500 clients across verticals such as Banking, Finance, Insurance, Healthcare, Telecom and others. During his career he has worked across the geographies - North America, Europe, Middle East, and Asia Pacific. Hemant is an internationally Certified Executive Coach (CCA/ICF Approved) working with corporate leaders. He also provides Management Consulting and Training services. He is passionate about writing and regularly blogs and writes content for top websites. His motto in life - Making a positive difference.

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10 Steps to Solving a Programming Problem

Tips for new developers staring at a blank screen, unsure of where to start.

Valinda Chan

Valinda Chan

Some of the feedback I hear from new developers working on a programming problem revolves around uncertainty of where to start. You understand the problem, the logic, basics of the syntax, etc. If you see someone else’s code or have someone to guide you, you can follow along. But maybe you feel uncertain about doing it yourself and have trouble turning your thoughts into code at first even though you understand the syntax or logic. Here’s my process and some tips to tackling a sample problem that hopefully some of you may find helpful in your journey.

1. Read the problem at least three times (or however many makes you feel comfortable)

You can’t solve a problem you don’t understand. There is a difference between the problem and the problem you think you are solving. It’s easy to start reading the first few lines in a problem and assume the rest of it because it’s similar to something you’ve seen in the past. If you are making even a popular game like Hangman, be sure to read through any rules even if you’ve played it before. I once was asked to make a game like Hangman that I realized was “Evil Hangman” only after I read through the instructions (it was a trick!).

Sometimes I’ll even try explaining the problem to a friend and see if her understanding of my explanation matches the problem I am tasked with. You don’t want to find out halfway through that you misunderstood the problem. Taking extra time in the beginning is worth it. The better you understand the problem, the easier it will be to solve it.

Let’s pretend we are creating a simple function selectEvenNumbers that will take in an array of numbers and return an array evenNumbers of only even numbers. If there are no even numbers, return the empty array evenNumbers .

Here are some questions that run through my mind:

  • How can a computer tell what is an even number? Divide that number by 2 and see if its remainder is 0.
  • What am I passing into this function? An array
  • What will that array contain? One or more numbers
  • What are the data types of the elements in the array? Numbers
  • What is the goal of this function? What am I returning at the end of this function? The goal is to take all the even numbers and return them in an array. If there are no even numbers, return an empty array.

2. Work through the problem manually with at least three sets of sample data

Take out a piece of paper and work through the problem manually. Think of at least three sets of sample data you can use. Consider corner and edge cases as well.

Corner case : a problem or situation that occurs outside of normal operating parameters, specifically when multiple environmental variables or conditions are simultaneously at extreme levels, even though each parameter is within the specified range for that parameter. Edge case : problem or situation that occurs only at an extreme (maximum or minimum) operating parameter

For example, below are some sets of sample data to use:

When you are first starting out, it is easy to gloss over the steps. Because your brain may already be familiar with even numbers, you may just look at a sample set of data and pull out numbers like 2 , 4 , 6 and so forth in the array without fully being aware of each and every step your brain is taking to solve it. If this is challenging, try using large sets of data as it will override your brain’s ability to naturally solve the problem just by looking at it. That helps you work through the real algorithm.

Let’s go through the first array [1]

  • Look at the only element in the array [1]
  • Decide if it is even. It is not
  • Notice that there are no more elements in this array
  • Determine there are no even numbers in this provided array
  • Return an empty array

Let’s go through the array [1, 2]

  • Look at the first element in array [1, 2]
  • Look at the next element in the array
  • Decide if it is even. It is even
  • Make an array evenNumbers and add 2 to this array
  • Return the array evenNumbers which is [2]

I go through this a few more times. Notice how the steps I wrote down for [1] varies slightly from [1, 2] . That is why I try to go through a couple of different sets. I have some sets with just one element, some with floats instead of just integers, some with multiple digits in an element, and some with negatives just to be safe.

3. Simplify and optimize your steps

Look for patterns and see if there’s anything you can generalize. See if you can reduce any steps or if you are repeating any steps.

  • Create a function selectEvenNumbers
  • Create a new empty array evenNumbers where I store even numbers, if any
  • Go through each element in the array [1, 2]
  • Find the first element
  • Decide if it is even by seeing if it is divisible by 2. If it is even, I add that to evenNumbers
  • Find the next element
  • Repeat step #4
  • Repeat step #5 and #4 until there are no more elements in this array
  • Return the array evenNumbers , regardless of whether it has anything in it

This approach may remind you of Mathematical Induction in that you:

  • Show it is true for n = 1 , n = 2 , ...
  • Suppose it is true for n = k
  • Prove it is true for n = k + 1

4. Write pseudocode

Even after you’ve worked out general steps, writing out pseudocode that you can translate into code will help with defining the structure of your code and make coding a lot easier. Write pseudocode line by line. You can do this either on paper or as comments in your code editor. If you’re starting out and find blank screens to be daunting or distracting, I recommend doing it on paper.

Pseudocode generally does not actually have specific rules in particular but sometimes, I might end up including some syntax from a language just because I am familiar enough with an aspect of the programming language. Don’t get caught up with the syntax. Focus on the logic and steps.

For our problem, there are many different ways to do this. For example, you can use filter but for the sake of keeping this example as easy to follow along as possible, we will use a basic for loop for now (but we will use filter later when we refactor our code).

Here is an example of pseudocode that has more words:

Here is an example of pseudocode that has fewer words:

Either way is fine as long as you are writing it out line-by-line and understand the logic on each line.

Refer back to the problem to make sure you are on track.

5. Translate pseudocode into code and debug

When you have your pseudocode ready, translate each line into real code in the language you are working on. We will use JavaScript for this example.

If you wrote it out on paper, type this up as comments in your code editor. Then replace each line in your pseudocode.

Then I call the function and give it some sample sets of data we used earlier. I use them to see if my code returns the results I want. You can also write tests to check if the actual output is equal to the expected output.

I generally use console.log() after each variable or line or so. This helps me check if the values and code are behaving as expected before I move on . By doing this, I catch any issues before I get too far. Below is an example of what values I would check when I am first starting out. I do this throughout my code as I type it out.

After working though each line of my pseudocode, below is what we end up with. // is what the line was in pseudocode. Text that is bolded is the actual code in JavaScript.

I get rid of the pseudocode to avoid confusion.

Sometimes new developers will get hung up with the syntax that it becomes difficult to move forward. Remember that syntax will come more naturally over time and there is no shame in referencing material for the correct syntax later on when coding.

6. Simplify and optimize your code

You’ve probably noticed by now that simplifying and optimizing are recurring themes.

“Simplicity is prerequisite for reliability.” — Edsger W. Dijkstra, Dutch computer scientist and early pioneer in many research areas of computing science

In this example, one way of optimizing it would be to filter out items from an array by returning a new array using filter . This way, we don’t have to define another variable evenNumbers because filter will return a new array with copies of elements that match the filter. This will not change the original array. We also don’t need to use a for loop with this approach. filter will go through each item, return either true , to have that element in the array, or false to skip it.

Simplifying and optimizing your code may require you to iterate a few times, identifying ways to further simplify and optimize code.

Here are some questions to keep in mind:

  • What are your goals for simplifying and optimizing? The goals will depend on your team’s style or your personal preference. Are you trying to condense the code as much as possible? Is the goal to make it the code more readable? If that’s the case, you may prefer taking that extra line to define the variable or compute something rather than trying to define and compute all in one line.
  • How else can you make the code more readable?
  • Are there any more extra steps you can take out?
  • Are there any variables or functions you ended up not even needing or using?
  • Are you repeating some steps a lot? See if you can define in another function.
  • Are there better ways to handle edge cases?
“Programs must be written for people to read, and only incidentally for machines to execute.” — Gerald Jay Sussman and Hal Abelson, Authors of “Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs”

This step really should be throughout the process. Debugging throughout will help you catch any syntax errors or gaps in logic sooner rather than later. Take advantage of your Integrated Development Environment (IDE) and debugger. When I encounter bugs, I trace the code line-by-line to see if there was anything that did not go as expected. Here are some techniques I use:

  • Check the console to see what the error message says. Sometimes it’ll point out a line number I need to check. This gives me a rough idea of where to start, although the issue sometimes may not be at this line at all.
  • Comment out chunks or lines of code and output what I have so far to quickly see if the code is behaving how I expected. I can always uncomment the code as needed.
  • Use other sample data if there are scenarios I did not think of and see if the code will still work.
  • Save different versions of my file if I am trying out a completely different approach. I don’t want to lose any of my work if I end up wanting to revert back to it!
“The most effective debugging tool is still careful thought, coupled with judiciously placed print statements.” — Brian W. Kernighan, Computer Science Professor at Princeton University

8. Write useful comments

You may not always remember what every single line meant a month later. And someone else working on your code may not know either. That’s why it’s important to write useful comments to avoid problems and save time later on if you need to come back to it.

Stay away from comments such as:

// This is an array. Iterate through it.

// This is a variable

I try to write brief, high-level comments that help me understand what’s going on if it is not obvious. This comes in handy when I am working on more complex problems. It helps understand what a particular function is doing and why. Through the use of clear variable names, function names, and comments, you (and others) should be able to understand:

  • What is this code for?
  • What is it doing?

9. Get feedback through code reviews

Get feedback from your teammates, professors, and other developers. Check out Stack Overflow . See how others tackled the problem and learn from them. There are sometimes several ways to approach a problem. Find out what they are and you’ll get better and quicker at coming up with them yourself.

“No matter how slow you are writing clean code, you will always be slower if you make a mess.” — Uncle Bob Martin, Software Engineer and Co-author of the Agile Manifesto

10. Practice, practice, practice

Even experienced developers are always practicing and learning. If you get helpful feedback, implement it. Redo a problem or do similar problems. Keep pushing yourself. With each problem you solve, the better a developer you become. Celebrate each success and be sure to remember how far you’ve come. Remember that programming, like with anything, comes easier and more naturally with time.

“Take pride in how far you’ve come. Have faith in how far you can go. But don’t forget to enjoy the journey.” — Michael Josephson, Founder of Joseph and Edna Josephson Institute of Ethics

Thanks Gavin Stark

Valinda Chan

Written by Valinda Chan

Product & UX Design

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Problem Solving

Foundations course, introduction.

Before we start digging into some pretty nifty JavaScript, we need to begin talking about problem solving : the most important skill a developer needs.

Problem solving is the core thing software developers do. The programming languages and tools they use are secondary to this fundamental skill.

From his book, “Think Like a Programmer” , V. Anton Spraul defines problem solving in programming as:

Problem solving is writing an original program that performs a particular set of tasks and meets all stated constraints.

The set of tasks can range from solving small coding exercises all the way up to building a social network site like Facebook or a search engine like Google. Each problem has its own set of constraints, for example, high performance and scalability may not matter too much in a coding exercise but it will be vital in apps like Google that need to service billions of search queries each day.

New programmers often find problem solving the hardest skill to build. It’s not uncommon for budding programmers to breeze through learning syntax and programming concepts, yet when trying to code something on their own, they find themselves staring blankly at their text editor not knowing where to start.

The best way to improve your problem solving ability is by building experience by making lots and lots of programs. The more practice you have the better you’ll be prepared to solve real world problems.

In this lesson we will walk through a few techniques that can be used to help with the problem solving process.

Lesson overview

This section contains a general overview of topics that you will learn in this lesson.

  • Explain the three steps in the problem solving process.
  • Explain what pseudocode is and be able to use it to solve problems.
  • Be able to break a problem down into subproblems.

Understand the problem

The first step to solving a problem is understanding exactly what the problem is. If you don’t understand the problem, you won’t know when you’ve successfully solved it and may waste a lot of time on a wrong solution .

To gain clarity and understanding of the problem, write it down on paper, reword it in plain English until it makes sense to you, and draw diagrams if that helps. When you can explain the problem to someone else in plain English, you understand it.

Now that you know what you’re aiming to solve, don’t jump into coding just yet. It’s time to plan out how you’re going to solve it first. Some of the questions you should answer at this stage of the process:

  • Does your program have a user interface? What will it look like? What functionality will the interface have? Sketch this out on paper.
  • What inputs will your program have? Will the user enter data or will you get input from somewhere else?
  • What’s the desired output?
  • Given your inputs, what are the steps necessary to return the desired output?

The last question is where you will write out an algorithm to solve the problem. You can think of an algorithm as a recipe for solving a particular problem. It defines the steps that need to be taken by the computer to solve a problem in pseudocode.

Pseudocode is writing out the logic for your program in natural language instead of code. It helps you slow down and think through the steps your program will have to go through to solve the problem.

Here’s an example of what the pseudocode for a program that prints all numbers up to an inputted number might look like:

This is a basic program to demonstrate how pseudocode looks. There will be more examples of pseudocode included in the assignments.

Divide and conquer

From your planning, you should have identified some subproblems of the big problem you’re solving. Each of the steps in the algorithm we wrote out in the last section are subproblems. Pick the smallest or simplest one and start there with coding.

It’s important to remember that you might not know all the steps that you might need up front, so your algorithm may be incomplete -— this is fine. Getting started with and solving one of the subproblems you have identified in the planning stage often reveals the next subproblem you can work on. Or, if you already know the next subproblem, it’s often simpler with the first subproblem solved.

Many beginners try to solve the big problem in one go. Don’t do this . If the problem is sufficiently complex, you’ll get yourself tied in knots and make life a lot harder for yourself. Decomposing problems into smaller and easier to solve subproblems is a much better approach. Decomposition is the main way to deal with complexity, making problems easier and more approachable to solve and understand.

In short, break the big problem down and solve each of the smaller problems until you’ve solved the big problem.

Solving Fizz Buzz

To demonstrate this workflow in action, let’s solve a common programming exercise: Fizz Buzz, explained in this wiki article .

Understanding the problem

Write a program that takes a user’s input and prints the numbers from one to the number the user entered. However, for multiples of three print Fizz instead of the number and for the multiples of five print Buzz . For numbers which are multiples of both three and five print FizzBuzz .

This is the big picture problem we will be solving. But we can always make it clearer by rewording it.

Write a program that allows the user to enter a number, print each number between one and the number the user entered, but for numbers that divide by 3 without a remainder print Fizz instead. For numbers that divide by 5 without a remainder print Buzz and finally for numbers that divide by both 3 and 5 without a remainder print FizzBuzz .

Does your program have an interface? What will it look like? Our FizzBuzz solution will be a browser console program, so we don’t need an interface. The only user interaction will be allowing users to enter a number.

What inputs will your program have? Will the user enter data or will you get input from somewhere else? The user will enter a number from a prompt (popup box).

What’s the desired output? The desired output is a list of numbers from 1 to the number the user entered. But each number that is divisible by 3 will output Fizz , each number that is divisible by 5 will output Buzz and each number that is divisible by both 3 and 5 will output FizzBuzz .

Writing the pseudocode

What are the steps necessary to return the desired output? Here is an algorithm in pseudocode for this problem:

Dividing and conquering

As we can see from the algorithm we developed, the first subproblem we can solve is getting input from the user. So let’s start there and verify it works by printing the entered number.

With JavaScript, we’ll use the “prompt” method.

The above code should create a little popup box that asks the user for a number. The input we get back will be stored in our variable answer .

We wrapped the prompt call in a parseInt function so that a number is returned from the user’s input.

With that done, let’s move on to the next subproblem: “Loop from 1 to the entered number”. There are many ways to do this in JavaScript. One of the common ways - that you actually see in many other languages like Java, C++, and Ruby - is with the for loop :

If you haven’t seen this before and it looks strange, it’s actually straightforward. We declare a variable i and assign it 1: the initial value of the variable i in our loop. The second clause, i <= answer is our condition. We want to loop until i is greater than answer . The third clause, i++ , tells our loop to increment i by 1 every iteration. As a result, if the user inputs 10, this loop would print numbers 1 - 10 to the console.

Most of the time, programmers find themselves looping from 0. Due to the needs of our program, we’re starting from 1

With that working, let’s move on to the next problem: If the current number is divisible by 3, then print Fizz .

We are using the modulus operator ( % ) here to divide the current number by three. If you recall from a previous lesson, the modulus operator returns the remainder of a division. So if a remainder of 0 is returned from the division, it means the current number is divisible by 3.

After this change the program will now output this when you run it and the user inputs 10:

The program is starting to take shape. The final few subproblems should be easy to solve as the basic structure is in place and they are just different variations of the condition we’ve already got in place. Let’s tackle the next one: If the current number is divisible by 5 then print Buzz .

When you run the program now, you should see this output if the user inputs 10:

We have one more subproblem to solve to complete the program: If the current number is divisible by 3 and 5 then print FizzBuzz .

We’ve had to move the conditionals around a little to get it to work. The first condition now checks if i is divisible by 3 and 5 instead of checking if i is just divisible by 3. We’ve had to do this because if we kept it the way it was, it would run the first condition if (i % 3 === 0) , so that if i was divisible by 3, it would print Fizz and then move on to the next number in the iteration, even if i was divisible by 5 as well.

With the condition if (i % 3 === 0 && i % 5 === 0) coming first, we check that i is divisible by both 3 and 5 before moving on to check if it is divisible by 3 or 5 individually in the else if conditions.

The program is now complete! If you run it now you should get this output when the user inputs 20:

  • Read How to Think Like a Programmer - Lessons in Problem Solving by Richard Reis.
  • Watch How to Begin Thinking Like a Programmer by Coding Tech. It’s an hour long but packed full of information and definitely worth your time watching.
  • Read this Pseudocode: What It Is and How to Write It article from Built In.

Knowledge check

This section contains questions for you to check your understanding of this lesson on your own. If you’re having trouble answering a question, click it and review the material it links to.

  • What are the three stages in the problem solving process?
  • Why is it important to clearly understand the problem first?
  • What can you do to help get a clearer understanding of the problem?
  • What are some of the things you should do in the planning stage of the problem solving process?
  • What is an algorithm?
  • What is pseudocode?
  • What are the advantages of breaking a problem down and solving the smaller problems?

Additional resources

This section contains helpful links to other content. It isn’t required, so consider it supplemental.

  • Read the first chapter in Think Like a Programmer: An Introduction to Creative Problem Solving ( not free ). This book’s examples are in C++, but you will understand everything since the main idea of the book is to teach programmers to better solve problems. It’s an amazing book and worth every penny. It will make you a better programmer.
  • Watch this video on repetitive programming techniques .
  • Watch Jonathan Blow on solving hard problems where he gives sage advice on how to approach problem solving in software projects.

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What is Programming? A Handbook for Beginners

Welcome to the amazing world of programming. This is one of the most useful and powerful skills that you can learn and use to make your visions come true.

In this handbook, we will dive into why programming is important, its applications, its basic concepts, and the skills you need to become a successful programmer.

You will learn:

  • What programming is and why it is important .
  • What a programming language is and why it is important .
  • How programming is related to binary numbers .
  • Real-world applications of programming .
  • Skills you need to succeed as a programmer .
  • Tips for learning how to code .
  • Basic programming concepts .
  • Types of programming languages .
  • How to contribute to open source projects .
  • And more...

Are you ready? Let's begin! ✨  

🔹 What is Programming?

main-image

Did you know that computer programming is already a fundamental part of your everyday lives? Let's see why. I'm sure that you will be greatly surprised.

Every time you turn on your smartphone, laptop, tablet, smart TV, or any other electronic device, you are running code that was planned, developed, and written by developers. This code creates the final and interactive result that you can see on your screen.

That is exactly what programming is all about. It is the process of writing code to solve a particular problem or to implement a particular task.

Programming is what allows your computer to run the programs you use every day and your smartphone to run the apps that you love. It is an essential part of our world as we know it.

Whenever you check your calendar, attend virtual conferences, browse the web, or edit a document, you are using code that has been written by developers.

"And what is code?" you may ask.

Code is a sequence of instructions that a programmer writes to tell a device (like a computer) what to do.

The device cannot know by itself how to handle a particular situation or how to perform a task. So developers are in charge of analyzing the situation and writing explicit instructions to implement what is needed.

To do this, they follow a particular syntax (a set of rules for writing the code).

A developer (or programmer) is the person who analyzes a problem and implements a solution in code.

Sounds amazing, right? It's very powerful and you can be part this wonderful world too by learning how to code. Let's see how.

You, as a developer.

Let's put you in a developer's shoes for a moment. Imagine that you are developing a mobile app, like the ones that you probably have installed on your smartphone right now.

What is the first thing that you would do?

Think about this for a moment.

The answer is...

Analyzing the problem. What are you trying to build?

As a developer, you would start by designing the layout of the app, how it will work, its different screens and functionality, and all the small details that will make your app an awesome tool for users around the world.

Only after you have everything carefully planned out, you can start to write your code. To do that, you will need to choose a programming language to work with. Let's see what a programming language is and why they are super important.

🔸 What is a Programing Language?

what-is-a-programming-language

A programming language is a language that computers can understand.

We cannot just write English words in our program like this:

"Computer, solve this task!"

and hope that our computer can understand what we mean. We need to follow certain rules to write the instructions.

Every programming language has its own set of rules that determine if a line of code is valid or not. Because of this, the code you write in one programming language will be slightly different from others.

💡 Tip: Some programming languages are more complex than others but most of them share core concepts and functionality. If you learn how to code in one programming language, you will likely be able to learn another one faster.

Before you can start writing awesome programs and apps, you need to learn the basic rules of the programming language you chose for the task.

💡 Tip: a program is a set of instructions written in a programming language for the computer to execute. We usually write the code for our program in one or multiple files.

For example, this is a line of code in Python (a very popular programming language) that shows the message "Hello, World!" :

But if we write the same line of code in JavaScript (a programming language mainly used for web development), we will get an error because it will not be valid.

To do something very similar in JavaScript, we would write this line of code instead:

Visually, they look very different, right? This is because Python and JavaScript have a different syntax and a different set of built-in functions .

💡 Tip : built-in functions are basically tasks that are already defined in the programming language. This lets us use them directly in our code by writing their names and by specifying the values they need.  

In our examples, print() is a built-in function in Python while console.log() is a function that we can use in JavaScript to see the message in the console (an interactive tool) if we run our code in the browser.

Examples of programming languages include Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, Java, C, C#, C++, PHP, Go, Swift, SQL, and R. There are many programming languages and most of them can be used for many different purposes.

💡 Tip: These were the most popular programming languages on the Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2022 :

Screen-Shot-2022-12-02-at-9.06.50-PM

There are many other programming languages (hundreds or even thousands!) but usually, you will learn and work with some of the most popular ones. Some of them have broader applications like Python and JavaScript while others (like R) have more specific (and even scientific) purposes.

This sounds very interesting, right? And we are only starting to talk about programming languages. There is a lot to learn about them and I promise you that if you dive deeper into programming, your time and effort will be totally worth it.

Awesome! Now that you know what programming is and what programming languages are all about, let's see how programming is related to binary numbers.

🔹 Programming and Binary Numbers

When you think about programming, perhaps the first thing that comes to your mind is something like the below image, right? A sequence of 0 s and 1 s on your computer.

binary

Programming is indeed related to binary numbers ( 0 and 1 ) but in an indirect way. Developers do not actually write their code using zeros and ones.

We usually write programs in a high-level programming language, a programming language with a syntax that recognizes specific words (called keywords), symbols, and values of different data types.

Basically, we write code in a way that humans can understand.

For example, these are the keywords that we can use in Python:

Every programming language has its own set of keywords (words written in English). These keywords are part of the syntax and core functionality of the programming language.

But keywords are just common words in English, almost like the ones that we would find in a book.

That leads us to two very important questions:

  • How does the computer understand and interpret what we are trying to say?
  • Where does the binary number system come into play here?

The computer does not understand these words, symbols, or values directly.

When a program runs, the code that we write in a high-level programming language that humans can understand is automatically transformed into binary code that the computer can understand.

11---binary-diagram

This transformation of source code that humans can understand into binary code that the computer can understand is called compilation .

According to Britannica , a compiler is defined as:

Computer software that translates (compiles) source code written in a high-level language (e.g., C++) into a set of machine-language instructions that can be understood by a digital computer’s CPU.

Britannica also mentions that:

The term compiler was coined by American computer scientist Grace Hopper , who designed one of the first compilers in the early 1950s.

Some programming languages can be classified as compiled programming languages while others can be classified as interpreted programming languages based on how to they are transformed into machine-language instructions.

However, they all have to go through a process that converts them into instructions that the computer can understand.

Awesome. Now you know why binary code is so important for computer science. Without it, basically programming would not exist because computers would not be able to understand our instructions.

Now let's dive into the applications of programming and the different areas that you can explore.

🔸 Real-World Applications of Programming

applications

Programming has many different applications in many different industries. This is truly amazing because you can apply your knowledge in virtually any industry that you are interested in.

From engineering to farming, from game development to physics, the possibilities are endless if you learn how to code.  

Let's see some of them. (I promise you. They are amazing! ⭐) .

Front-End Web Development

1---frontend

If you learn how to code, you can use your programming skills to design and develop websites and online platforms. Front-End Web Developers create the parts of the websites that users can see and interact with directly.

For example, right now you are reading an article on freeCodeCamp 's publication. The publication looks like this and it works like this thanks to code that front-end web developers wrote line by line.

💡 Tip: If you learn front-end web development, you can do this too.

Screen-Shot-2022-12-02-at-9.56.43-PM

Front-End Web Developers use HTML and CSS to create the structure of the website (these are markup languages, which are used to present information) and they write JavaScript code to add functionality and interactivity.

If you are interested in learning front-end web development, you can learn HTML and CSS with these free courses on freeCodeCamp's YouTube Channel:

  • Learn HTML5 and CSS3 From Scratch - Full Course
  • Learn HTML & CSS – Full Course for Beginners
  • Frontend Web Development Bootcamp Course (JavaScript, HTML, CSS)
  • Introduction To Responsive Web Design - HTML & CSS Tutorial

You can also learn JavaScript for free with these free online courses:

  • Learn JavaScript - Full Course for Beginners
  • JavaScript Programming - Full Course
  • JavaScript DOM Manipulation – Full Course for Beginners
  • Learn JavaScript by Building 7 Games - Full Course

💡 Tip: You can also earn a Responsive Web Design Certification while you learn with interactive exercises on freeCodeCamp.

Back-End Web Development

2---backend

More complex and dynamic web applications that work with user data also require a server . This is a computer program that receives requests and sends appropriate responses. They also need a database , a collection of values stored in a structured way.

Back-End Web Developers are in charge of developing the code for these servers. They decide how to handle the different requests, how to send appropriate resources, how to store the information, and basically how to make everything that runs behind the scenes work smoothly and efficiently.

A real-world example of back-end web development is what happens when you create an account on freeCodeCamp and complete a challenge. Your information is stored on a database and you can access it later when you sign in with your email and password.

Screen-Shot-2022-12-02-at-10.07.41-PM

This amazing interactive functionality was implemented by back-end web developers.

💡 Tip: Full-stack Web Developers are in charge of both Front-End and Back-End Web Development. They have specialized knowledge on both areas.

All the complex platforms that you use every day, like social media platforms, online shopping platforms, and educational platforms, use servers and back-end web development to power their amazing functionality.

Python is an example of a powerful programming language used for this purpose. This is one of the most popular programming languages out there, and its popularity continues to rise every year. This is partly because it is simple and easy to learn and yet powerful and versatile enough to be used in real-world applications.

💡 Tip: if you are curious about the specific applications of Python, this is an article I wrote on this topic .

JavaScript can also be used for back-end web development thanks to Node.js.

Other programming languages used to develop web servers are PHP, Ruby, C#, and Java.

If you would like to learn Back-End Web Development, these are free courses on freeCodeCamp's YouTube channel:

  • Python Backend Web Development Course (with Django)
  • Node.js and Express.js - Full Course
  • Full Stack Web Development for Beginners (Full Course on HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Node.js, MongoDB)
  • Node.js / Express Course - Build 4 Projects

💡 Tip: freeCodeCamp also has a free Back End Development and APIs certification.

Mobile App Development

3---mobile-apps

Mobile apps have become part of our everyday lives. I'm sure that you could not imagine life without them.

Think about your favorite mobile app. What do you love about it?

Our favorite apps help us with our daily tasks, they entertain us, they solve a problem, and they help us to achieve our goals. They are always there for us.

That is the power of mobile apps and you can be part of this amazing world too if you learn mobile app development.

Developers focused on mobile app development are in charge of planning, designing, and developing the user interface and functionality of these apps. They identify a gap in the existing apps and they try to create a working product to make people's lives better.

💡 Tip: regardless of the field you choose, your goal as a developer should always be making people's lives better. Apps are not just apps, they have the potential to change our lives. You should always remember this when you are planning your projects. Your code can make someone's life better and that is a very important responsibility.

Mobile app developers use programming languages like JavaScript, Java, Swift, Kotlin, and Dart. Frameworks like Flutter and React Native are super helpful to build cross-platform mobile apps (that is, apps that run smoothly on multiple different operating systems like Android and iOS).

According to Flutter 's official documentation:

Flutter is an open source framework by Google for building beautiful, natively compiled, multi-platform applications from a single codebase.

If you would like to learn mobile app development, these are free courses that you can take on freeCodeCamp's YouTube channel:

  • Flutter Course for Beginners – 37-hour Cross Platform App Development Tutorial
  • Flutter Course - Full Tutorial for Beginners (Build iOS and Android Apps)
  • React Native - Intro Course for Beginners
  • Learn React Native Gestures and Animations - Tutorial

Game Development

4---games

Games create long-lasting memories. I'm sure that you still remember your favorite games and why you love (or loved) them so much. Being a game developer means having the opportunity of bringing joy and entertainment to players around the world.

Game developers envision, design, plan, and implement the functionality of a game. They also need to find or create assets such as characters, obstacles, backgrounds, music, sound effects, and more.

💡 Tip: if you learn how to code, you can create your own games. Imagine creating an awesome and engaging game that users around the world will love. That is what I personally love about programming. You only need your computer, your knowledge, and some basic tools to create something amazing.

Popular programming languages used for game development include JavaScript, C++, Python, and C#.

If you are interested in learning game development, you can take these free courses on freeCodeCamp's YouTube channel:

  • JavaScript Game Development Course for Beginners
  • Learn Unity - Beginner's Game Development Tutorial
  • Learn Python by Building Five Games - Full Course
  • Code a 2D Game Using JavaScript, HTML, and CSS (w/ Free Game Assets) – Tutorial
  • 2D Game Development with GDevelop - Crash Course
  • Pokémon Coding Tutorial - CS50's Intro to Game Development

Biology, Physics, and Chemistry

5---biology-and-science

Programming can be applied in every scientific field that you can imagine, including biology, physics, chemistry, and even astronomy. Yes! Scientists use programming all the time to collect and analyze data. They can even run simulations to test hypotheses.

In biology, computer programs can simulate population genetics and population dynamics. There is even an entire field called bioinformatics .

According to this article "Bioinformatics" by Ardeshir Bayat, member of the Centre for Integrated Genomic Medical Research at the University of Manchester:

Bioinformatics is defined as the application of tools of computation and analysis to the capture and interpretation of biological data.

Dr. Bayat mentions that bioinformatics can be used for genome sequencing. He also mentions that its discoveries may lead to drug discoveries and individualized therapies.

Frequently used programming languages for bioinformatics include Python, R, PHP, PERL, and Java.

💡 Tip: R is a programming "language and environment for statistical computing and graphics" ( source ).

An example of a great tool that scientists can use for biology is Biopython . This is a Python framework with "freely available tools for biological computation."

If you would like to learn more about how you can apply your programming skills in science, these are free courses that you can take on freeCodeCamp's YouTube channel:

  • Python for Bioinformatics - Drug Discovery Using Machine Learning and Data Analysis
  • R Programming Tutorial - Learn the Basics of Statistical Computing
  • Learn Python - Full Course for Beginners [Tutorial]

Physics requires running many simulations and programming is perfect for doing exactly that. With programming, scientists can program and run simulations based on specific scenarios that would be hard to replicate in real life. This is much more efficient.

Programming languages that are commonly used for physics simulations include C, Java, Python, MATLAB, and JavaScript.  

Chemistry also relies on simulations and data analysis, so it's a field where programming can be a very helpful tool.

In this scientific article by Dr. Ivar Ugi and his colleagues from Organisch-chemisches Institut der Technischen Universität München, they mention that:

The design of entirely new syntheses, and the classification and documentation of structures, substructures, and reactons are examples of new applications of computers to chemistry.

Scientific experiments also generate detailed data and results that can be analyzed with computer programs developed by scientists.  

Think about it: writing a program to generate a box plot or a scatter plot or any other type of plot to visualize trends in thousands of measurements can save researchers a lot of time and effort. This lets them focus on the most important part of their work: analyzing the results.

Screen-Shot-2022-12-04-at-10.40.43-AM

💡 Tips: if you are interested in diving deeper into this, this is a list of chemistry simulations by the American Chemical Society. These simulations were programmed by developers and they are helping thousands of students and teachers around the world.

Think about it...You could build the next great simulation. If you are interested in a scientific field, I totally recommend learning how to code. Your work will be much more productive and your results will be easier to analyze.

If you are interested in learning programming for scientific applications, these are free courses on freeCodeCamp's YouTube channel:

  • Python for Data Science - Course for Beginners (Learn Python, Pandas, NumPy, Matplotlib)

Data Science and Engineering

6---engineering-2

Talking about data...programming is also essential for a field called Data Science . If you are interested in answering questions through data and statistics, this field might be exactly what you are looking for and having programming skills will help you to achieve your goals.

Data scientists collect and analyze data in order to answer questions in many different fields. According to UC Berkeley in the article " What is Data Science? ":

Effective data scientists are able to identify relevant questions, collect data from a multitude of different data sources, organize the information, translate results into solutions, and communicate their findings in a way that positively affects business decisions.

There are many powerful programming languages for analyzing and visualizing data, but perhaps one of the most frequently used ones for this purpose is Python.

This is an example of the type of data visualizations that you can create with Python. They are very helpful to analyze data visually and you can customize them to your fit needs.

image-6

If you are interested in learning programming for data science, these are free courses on freeCodeCamp's YouTube channel:

  • Learn Data Science Tutorial - Full Course for Beginners
  • Intro to Data Science - Crash Course for Beginners
  • Build 12 Data Science Apps with Python and Streamlit - Full Course
  • Data Analysis with Python - Full Course for Beginners (Numpy, Pandas, Matplotlib, Seaborn)

💡 Tip: you can also earn these free certifications on freeCodeCamp:

  • Data Visualization
  • Data Analysis with Python

Engineering

Engineering is another field where programming can help you to succeed. Being able to write your own computer programs can make your work much more efficient.

There are many tools created specifically for engineers. For example, the R programming language is specialized in statistical applications and Python is very popular in this field too.

Another great tool for programming in engineering is MATLAB . According to its official website:

MATLAB is a programming and numeric computing platform used by millions of engineers and scientists to analyze data, develop algorithms, and create models.

Really, the possibilities are endless.

You can learn MATLAB with this crash course on the freeCodeCamp YouTube channel .

If you are interested in learning engineering tools related to programming, this is a free course on freeCodeCamp's YouTube channel that covers AutoCAD, a 2D and 3D computer-aided design software used by engineers:

  • AutoCAD for Beginners - Full University Course

Medicine and Pharmacology

7---medicine-an-pharmachology

Medicine and pharmacology are constantly evolving by finding new treatments and procedures. Let's see how you can apply your programming skills in these fields.

Programming is really everywhere. If you are interested in the field of medicine, learning how to code can be very helpful for you too. Even if you would like to focus on computer science and software development, you can apply your knowledge in both fields.

Specialized developers are in charge of developing and writing the code that powers and controls the devices and machines that are used by modern medicine.

Think about it...all these machines and devices are controlled by software and someone has to write that software. Medical records are also stored and tracked by specialized systems created by developers. That could be you if you decide to follow this path. Sounds exciting, right?

According to the scientific article Application of Computer Techniques in Medicine :

Major uses of computers in medicine include hospital information system, data analysis in medicine, medical imaging laboratory computing, computer assisted medical decision making, care of critically ill patients, computer assisted therapy and so on.

Pharmacology

Programming and computer science can also be applied to develop new drugs in the field of pharmacology.

A remarkable example of what you can achieve in this field by learning how to code is presented in this article by MIT News. It describes how an MIT senior, Kristy Carpenter, was using computer science in 2019 to develop "new, more affordable drugs." Kristy mentions that:

Artificial intelligence, which can help compute the combinations of compounds that would be better for a particular drug, can reduce trial-and-error time and ideally quicken the process of designing new medicines.

Another example of a real-world application of programming in pharmacology is related to Python (yes, Python has many applications!). Among its success stories , we find that Python was selected by AstraZeneca to develop techniques and programs that can help scientists to discover new drugs faster and more efficiently.

The documentation explains that:

To save time and money on laboratory work, experimental chemists use computational models to narrow the field of good drug candidates, while also verifying that the candidates to be tested are not simple variations of each other's basic chemical structure.

If you are interested in learning programming for medicine or health-related fields, this is a free course on freeCodeCamp's YouTube channel on programming for healthcare imaging:

  • PyTorch and Monai for AI Healthcare Imaging - Python Machine Learning Course

8---education

Have you ever thought that programming could be helpful for education? Well, let me tell you that it is and it is very important. Why? Because the digital learning tools that students and teachers use nowadays are programmed by developers.

Every time a student opens an educational app, browses an educational platform like freeCodeCamp, writes on a digital whiteboard, or attends a class through an online meeting platform, programming is making that possible.

As a programmer or as a teacher who knows how to code, you can create the next great app that will enhance the learning experience of students around the world.

Perhaps it will be a note-taking app, an online learning platform, a presentation app, an educational game, or any other app that could be helpful for students.

The important thing is to create it with students in mind if your goal is to make something amazing that will create long-lasting memories.

If you envision it, then you can create it with code.  

Teachers can also teach their students how to code to develop their problem-solving skills and to teach them important skills for their future.

💡 Tip: if you are teaching students how to code, Scratch is a great programming language to teach the basics of programming. It is particularly focused on teaching children how to code in an interactive way.

According to the official Scratch website:

Scratch is the world’s largest coding community for children and a coding language with a simple visual interface that allows young people to create digital stories, games, and animations.

If you are interested in learning how to code for educational purposes, these are courses that you may find helpful on freeCodeCamp's YouTube channel:

  • Scratch Tutorial for Beginners - Make a Flappy Bird Game
  • Computational Thinking & Scratch - Intro to Computer Science - Harvard's CS50 (2018)
  • Android Development for Beginners - Full Course

Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, and Robotics

9---robotics

Some of the most amazing fields that are directly related to programming are Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, and Robotics. Let's see why.

Artificial Intelligence is defined by Britannica as:

The project of developing systems endowed with the intellectual processes characteristic of humans, such as the ability to reason, discover meaning, generalize, or learn from past experience.

Machine learning is a branch or a subset of the field of Artificial Intelligence in which systems can learn on their own based on data. The goal of this learning process is to predict the expected output. These models continuously learn how to "think" and how to analyze situations based on their previous training.

The most commonly used programming languages in these fields are Python, C, C#, C++, and MATLAB.

Artificial intelligence and Machine Learning have amazing applications in various industries, such as:

  • Image and object detection.
  • Making predictions based on patterns.
  • Text recognition.
  • Recommendation engines (like when an online shopping platform shows you products that you may like or when YouTube shows you videos that you may like).
  • Spam detection for emails.
  • Fraud detection.
  • Social media features like personalized feeds.
  • Many more... there are literally millions of applications in virtually every industry.

If you are interested in learning how to code for Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, these are free courses on freeCodeCamp's YouTube channel:

  • Machine Learning for Everybody – Full Course
  • Machine Learning Course for Beginners
  • PyTorch for Deep Learning & Machine Learning – Full Course
  • TensorFlow 2.0 Complete Course - Python Neural Networks for Beginners Tutorial
  • Self-Driving Car with JavaScript Course – Neural Networks and Machine Learning
  • Python TensorFlow for Machine Learning – Neural Network Text Classification Tutorial
  • Practical Deep Learning for Coders - Full Course from fast.ai and Jeremy Howard
  • Deep Learning Crash Course for Beginners
  • Advanced Computer Vision with Python - Full Course

💡 Tip: you can also earn a Machine Learning with Python Certification on freeCodeCamp.

Programming is also very important for robotics. Yes, robots are programmed too!

Robotics is defined by Britannica as the:

Design, construction, and use of machines (robots) to perform tasks done traditionally by human beings.

Robots are just like computers. They do not know what to do until you tell them what to do by writing instructions in your programs. If you learn how to code, you can program robots and industrial machinery found in manufacturing facilities.

If you are interested in learning how to code for robotics, electronics, and related fields, this is a free course on Arduino on freeCodeCamp's YouTube channel:

  • Arduino Course for Beginners - Open-Source Electronics Platform

Other Applications

There are many other fascinating applications of programming in almost every field. These are some highlights:

  • Agriculture: in this article by MIT News, a farmer developed an autonomous tractor app after learning how to code.
  • Self-driving cars: autonomous cars rely on software to analyze their surroundings and to make quick and accurate decisions on the road. If you are interested in this area, this is a course on this topic on freeCodeCamp's YouTube channel.
  • Finance: programming can also be helpful to develop programs and models that predict financial indicators and trends. For example, this is a course on algorithmic trading on freeCodeCamp's YouTube channel.

The possibilities are endless. I hope that this section will give you a notion of why learning how to code is so important for your present and for your future. It will be a valuable skill to have in any field you choose.

Awesome. Now let's dive into the soft skills that you need to become a successful programmer.

🔹 Skills of a Successful Programmer

skills

After going through the diverse range of applications of programming, you must be curious to know what skills are needed to succeed in this field.

A programmer should be curious. Whether you are just starting to learn how to code or you already have 20 years of experience, coding projects will always present you with new challenges and learning opportunities. If you take these opportunities, you will continously improve your skills and succeed.

Enthusiasm is a key trait of a successful programmer but this applies in general to any field if you want to succeed. Enthusiasm will keep you happy and curious about what you are creating and learning.

💡 Tip: If you ever feel like you are not as enthusiastic as you used to be, it's time to find or learn something new that can light the spark in you again and fill you with hope and dreams.

A programmer must be patient because transforming an initial idea into a working product can take time, effort, and many different steps. Patience will keep you focused on your final goal.  

Programming can be challenging. That is true. But what defines you is not how many challenges you face, it's how you face them. If you thrive despite these challenges, you will become a better programmer and you could create something that could change the world.

Programmers must be creative because even though every programming language has a particular set of rules for writing the code, coding is like using LEGOs. You have the building-blocks but you need to decide what to create and how to create it. The process of writing the code requires creativity while following the established best practices.

Problem-solving and Analysis

Programming is basically analyzing and solving problems with code. Depending on your field of choice, those problems will be simpler or more complex but they will all require some level of problem-solving skills and a thorough analysis of the situation.

Questions like:

  • What should I build?
  • How can I build it?
  • What is the best way to build this?

Are part of the everyday routine of a programmer.

Ability to Focus for Long Periods of Time

When you are working on a coding project, you will need to focus on a task for long periods of time. From creating the design, to planning and writing the code, to testing the result, and to fixing bugs (issues with the code), you will dedicate many hours to a particular task. This is why it's essential to be able to focus and to keep your final goal in mind.

Taking Detailed Notes

This skill is very important for programmers, particularly when you are learning how to code. Taking detailed notes can be help you to understand and remember the concepts and tools you learn. This also applies for experienced programmers, since being a programmer involves life-long learning.

Communication

Initially, you might think that programming is a solitary activity and imagine that a programmer spends hundreds of hours alone sitting on a desk.

But the reality is that when you find your first job, you will see that communication is super important to coordinate tasks with other team members and to exchange ideas and feedback.

Open to Feedback

In programming, there is usually more than one way to implement the same functionality. Different alternatives may work similarly, but some may be easier to read or more efficient in terms of time or resource consumption.

When you are learning how to code, you should always take constructive feedback as a tool for learning. Similarly, when you are working on a team, take your colleagues' feedback positively and always try to improve.

Life-long Learning

Programming equals life-long learning. If you are interested in learning how to code, you must know that you will always need to be learning new things as new technologies emerge and existing technologies are updated. Think about it... that is great because there is always something interesting and new to learn!

Open to Trying New Things

Finally, an essential skill to be a successful programmer is to be open to trying new things. Step out of your comfort zone and be open to new technologies and products. In the technology industry, things evolve very quickly and adapting to change is essential.

🔸 Tips for Learning How to Code

tips

Now that you know more about programming, programming languages, and the skills you need to be a successful programmer, let's see some tips for learning how to code.

💡 Tip: these tips are based on my personal experience and opinions.

  • Choose one programming language to learn first. When you are learning how to code, it's easy to feel overwhelmed with the number of options and entry paths. My advice would be to focus on understanding the essential computer science concepts and one programming language first. Python and JavaScript are great options to start learning the fundamentals.
  • Take detailed notes. Note-taking skills are essential to record and to analyze the topics you are learning. You can add custom comments and annotations to explain what you are learning.
  • Practice constantly. You can only improve your problem-solving skills by practicing and by learning new techniques and tools. Try to practice every day.

💡 Tip: There is a challenge called the #100DaysOfCode challenge that you can join to practice every day.  

  • Always try again. If you can't solve a problem on your first try, take a break and come back again and again until you solve it. That is the only way to learn. Learn from your mistakes and learn new approaches.
  • Learn how to research and how to find answers. Programming languages, libraries, and frameworks usually have official documentations that explain their built-in elements and tools and how you can use them. This is a precious resource that you should definitely refer to.
  • Browse Stack Overflow . This is an amazing platform. It is like an online encyclopedia of answers to common programming questions. You can find answers to existing questions and ask new questions to get help from the community.
  • Set goals. Motivation is one of the most important factors for success. Setting goals is very important to keep you focused, motivated, and enthusiastic. Once you reach your goals, set new ones that you find challenging and exciting.
  • Create projects. When you are learning how to code, applying your skills will help you to expand your knowledge and remember things better. Creating projects is the perfect way to practice and to create a portfolio that you can show to potential employers.

🔹 Basic Programming Concepts

basic-concepts

Great. If reading this article has helped you confirm that you want to learn programming, let's take your first steps.

These are some basic programming concepts that you should know:

  • Variable: a variable is a name that we assign to a value in a computer program. When we define a variable, we assign a value to a name and we allocate a space in memory to store that value. The value of a variable can be updated during the program.
  • Constant: a constant is similar to a variable. It stores a value but it cannot be modified. Once you assign a value to a constant, you cannot change it during the entire program.
  • Conditional: a conditional is a programming structure that lets developers choose what the computer should do based on a condition. If the condition is True, something will happen but if the condition is False, something different can happen.
  • Loop: a loop is a programming structure that let us run a code block (a sequence of instructions) multiple times. They are super helpful to avoid code repetition and to implement more complex functionality.
  • Function: a function helps us to avoid code repetition and to reuse our code. It is like a code block to which we assign a name but it also has some special characteristics. We can write the name of the function to run that sequence of instructions without writing them again.

💡 Tip: Functions can communicate with main programs and main programs can communicate with functions through parameters , arguments , and return statements.

  • Class: a class is used as a blueprint to define the characteristics and functionality of a type of object. Just like we have objects in our real world, we can represent objects in our programs.
  • Bug: a bug is an error in the logic or implementation of a program that results in an unexpected or incorrect output.
  • Debugging: debugging is the process of finding and fixing bugs in a program.
  • IDE: this acronym stands for Integrated Development Environment. It is a software development environment that has the most helpful tools that you will need to write computer programs such as a file editor, an explorer, a terminal, and helpful menu options.

💡 Tip: a commonly used and free IDE is Visual Studio Code , created by Microsoft.

Awesome! Now you know some of the fundamental concepts in programming. Like you learned, each programming language has a different syntax, but they all share most of these programming structures and concepts.  

🔸 Types of Programming Languages

types-of-programming-languages

Programming languages can be classified based on different criteria. If you want to learn how to code, it's important for you to learn these basic classifications:

  • High-level programming languages: they are designed to be understood by humans and they have to be converted into machine code before the computer can understand them. They are the programming languages that we commonly use. For example: JavaScript, Python, Java, C#, C++, and Kotlin.
  • Low-level programming languages: they are more difficult to understand because they are not designed for humans. They are designed to be understood and processed efficiently by machines.

Conversion into Machine Code

  • Compiled programming languages: programs written with this type of programming language are converted directly into machine code by a compiler. Examples include C, C++, Haskell, and Go.
  • Interpreted programming languages: programs written with this type of programming language rely on another program called the interpreter, which is in charge of running the code line by line. Examples include Python, JavaScript, PHP, and Ruby.

💡 Tip: according to this article on freeCodeCamp's publication:

Most programming languages can have both compiled and interpreted implementations – the language itself is not necessarily compiled or interpreted. However, for simplicity’s sake, they’re typically referred to as such.

There are other types of programming languages based on different criteria, such as:

  • Procedural programming languages
  • Functional programming languages
  • Object-oriented programming languages
  • Scripting languages
  • Logic programming languages

And the list of types of programming languages continues. This is very interesting because you can analyze the characteristics of a programming language to help you choose the right one for your project.

🔹 How to Contribute to Open Source Projects

Screen-Shot-2022-12-04-at-4.53.42-PM

Finally, you might think that coding implies sitting at a desk for many hours looking at your code without any human interaction. But let me tell you that this does not have to be true at all. You can be part of a learning community or a developer community.

Initially, when you are learning how to code, you can participate in a learning community like freeCodeCamp. This way, you will share your journey with others who are learning how to code, just like you.

Then, when you have enough skills and confidence in your knowledge, you can practice by contributing to open source projects and join developer communities.

Open source software is defined by Opensource.com as:

Software with source code that anyone can inspect, modify, and enhance.

GitHub is an online platform for hosting projects with version control. There, you can find many open source projects (like freeCodeCamp ) that you can contribute to and practice your skills.

💡 Tip: many open source projects welcome first-time contributions and contributions from all skill levels. These are great opportunities to practice your skills and to contribute to real-world projects.  

Screen-Shot-2022-12-04-at-5.01.58-PM

Contributing to open source projects on GitHub is great to acquire new experience working and communicating with other developers. This is another important skill for finding a job in this field.

Screen-Shot-2022-12-04-at-5.06.54-PM

Working on a team is a great experience. I totally recommend it once you feel comfortable enough with your skills and knowledge.

You did it! You reached the end of this article. Great work. Now you know what programming is all about. Let's see a brief summary.

🔸 In Summary

  • Programming is a very powerful skill. If you learn how to code, you can make your vision come true.
  • Programming has many different applications in many different fields. You can find an application for programming in basically any field you choose.
  • Programming languages can be classified based on different criteria and they share basic concepts such as variables, conditionals, loops, and functions.
  • Always set goals and take detailed notes. To succeed as a programmer, you need to be enthusiastic and consistent.

Thank you very much for reading my article. I hope you liked it and found it helpful. Now you know why you should learn how to code.

🔅 I invite you to follow me on Twitter ( @EstefaniaCassN ) and YouTube ( Coding with Estefania ) to find coding tutorials.

Developer, technical writer, and content creator @freeCodeCamp. I run the freeCodeCamp.org Español YouTube channel.

If you read this far, thank the author to show them you care. Say Thanks

Learn to code for free. freeCodeCamp's open source curriculum has helped more than 40,000 people get jobs as developers. Get started

35 problem-solving techniques and methods for solving complex problems

Problem solving workshop

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All teams and organizations encounter challenges as they grow. There are problems that might occur for teams when it comes to miscommunication or resolving business-critical issues . You may face challenges around growth , design , user engagement, and even team culture and happiness. In short, problem-solving techniques should be part of every team’s skillset.

Problem-solving methods are primarily designed to help a group or team through a process of first identifying problems and challenges , ideating possible solutions , and then evaluating the most suitable .

Finding effective solutions to complex problems isn’t easy, but by using the right process and techniques, you can help your team be more efficient in the process.

So how do you develop strategies that are engaging, and empower your team to solve problems effectively?

In this blog post, we share a series of problem-solving tools you can use in your next workshop or team meeting. You’ll also find some tips for facilitating the process and how to enable others to solve complex problems.

Let’s get started! 

How do you identify problems?

How do you identify the right solution.

  • Tips for more effective problem-solving

Complete problem-solving methods

  • Problem-solving techniques to identify and analyze problems
  • Problem-solving techniques for developing solutions

Problem-solving warm-up activities

Closing activities for a problem-solving process.

Before you can move towards finding the right solution for a given problem, you first need to identify and define the problem you wish to solve. 

Here, you want to clearly articulate what the problem is and allow your group to do the same. Remember that everyone in a group is likely to have differing perspectives and alignment is necessary in order to help the group move forward. 

Identifying a problem accurately also requires that all members of a group are able to contribute their views in an open and safe manner. It can be scary for people to stand up and contribute, especially if the problems or challenges are emotive or personal in nature. Be sure to try and create a psychologically safe space for these kinds of discussions.

Remember that problem analysis and further discussion are also important. Not taking the time to fully analyze and discuss a challenge can result in the development of solutions that are not fit for purpose or do not address the underlying issue.

Successfully identifying and then analyzing a problem means facilitating a group through activities designed to help them clearly and honestly articulate their thoughts and produce usable insight.

With this data, you might then produce a problem statement that clearly describes the problem you wish to be addressed and also state the goal of any process you undertake to tackle this issue.  

Finding solutions is the end goal of any process. Complex organizational challenges can only be solved with an appropriate solution but discovering them requires using the right problem-solving tool.

After you’ve explored a problem and discussed ideas, you need to help a team discuss and choose the right solution. Consensus tools and methods such as those below help a group explore possible solutions before then voting for the best. They’re a great way to tap into the collective intelligence of the group for great results!

Remember that the process is often iterative. Great problem solvers often roadtest a viable solution in a measured way to see what works too. While you might not get the right solution on your first try, the methods below help teams land on the most likely to succeed solution while also holding space for improvement.

Every effective problem solving process begins with an agenda . A well-structured workshop is one of the best methods for successfully guiding a group from exploring a problem to implementing a solution.

In SessionLab, it’s easy to go from an idea to a complete agenda . Start by dragging and dropping your core problem solving activities into place . Add timings, breaks and necessary materials before sharing your agenda with your colleagues.

The resulting agenda will be your guide to an effective and productive problem solving session that will also help you stay organized on the day!

problem solving techniques programming

Tips for more effective problem solving

Problem-solving activities are only one part of the puzzle. While a great method can help unlock your team’s ability to solve problems, without a thoughtful approach and strong facilitation the solutions may not be fit for purpose.

Let’s take a look at some problem-solving tips you can apply to any process to help it be a success!

Clearly define the problem

Jumping straight to solutions can be tempting, though without first clearly articulating a problem, the solution might not be the right one. Many of the problem-solving activities below include sections where the problem is explored and clearly defined before moving on.

This is a vital part of the problem-solving process and taking the time to fully define an issue can save time and effort later. A clear definition helps identify irrelevant information and it also ensures that your team sets off on the right track.

Don’t jump to conclusions

It’s easy for groups to exhibit cognitive bias or have preconceived ideas about both problems and potential solutions. Be sure to back up any problem statements or potential solutions with facts, research, and adequate forethought.

The best techniques ask participants to be methodical and challenge preconceived notions. Make sure you give the group enough time and space to collect relevant information and consider the problem in a new way. By approaching the process with a clear, rational mindset, you’ll often find that better solutions are more forthcoming.  

Try different approaches  

Problems come in all shapes and sizes and so too should the methods you use to solve them. If you find that one approach isn’t yielding results and your team isn’t finding different solutions, try mixing it up. You’ll be surprised at how using a new creative activity can unblock your team and generate great solutions.

Don’t take it personally 

Depending on the nature of your team or organizational problems, it’s easy for conversations to get heated. While it’s good for participants to be engaged in the discussions, ensure that emotions don’t run too high and that blame isn’t thrown around while finding solutions.

You’re all in it together, and even if your team or area is seeing problems, that isn’t necessarily a disparagement of you personally. Using facilitation skills to manage group dynamics is one effective method of helping conversations be more constructive.

Get the right people in the room

Your problem-solving method is often only as effective as the group using it. Getting the right people on the job and managing the number of people present is important too!

If the group is too small, you may not get enough different perspectives to effectively solve a problem. If the group is too large, you can go round and round during the ideation stages.

Creating the right group makeup is also important in ensuring you have the necessary expertise and skillset to both identify and follow up on potential solutions. Carefully consider who to include at each stage to help ensure your problem-solving method is followed and positioned for success.

Document everything

The best solutions can take refinement, iteration, and reflection to come out. Get into a habit of documenting your process in order to keep all the learnings from the session and to allow ideas to mature and develop. Many of the methods below involve the creation of documents or shared resources. Be sure to keep and share these so everyone can benefit from the work done!

Bring a facilitator 

Facilitation is all about making group processes easier. With a subject as potentially emotive and important as problem-solving, having an impartial third party in the form of a facilitator can make all the difference in finding great solutions and keeping the process moving. Consider bringing a facilitator to your problem-solving session to get better results and generate meaningful solutions!

Develop your problem-solving skills

It takes time and practice to be an effective problem solver. While some roles or participants might more naturally gravitate towards problem-solving, it can take development and planning to help everyone create better solutions.

You might develop a training program, run a problem-solving workshop or simply ask your team to practice using the techniques below. Check out our post on problem-solving skills to see how you and your group can develop the right mental process and be more resilient to issues too!

Design a great agenda

Workshops are a great format for solving problems. With the right approach, you can focus a group and help them find the solutions to their own problems. But designing a process can be time-consuming and finding the right activities can be difficult.

Check out our workshop planning guide to level-up your agenda design and start running more effective workshops. Need inspiration? Check out templates designed by expert facilitators to help you kickstart your process!

In this section, we’ll look at in-depth problem-solving methods that provide a complete end-to-end process for developing effective solutions. These will help guide your team from the discovery and definition of a problem through to delivering the right solution.

If you’re looking for an all-encompassing method or problem-solving model, these processes are a great place to start. They’ll ask your team to challenge preconceived ideas and adopt a mindset for solving problems more effectively.

  • Six Thinking Hats
  • Lightning Decision Jam
  • Problem Definition Process
  • Discovery & Action Dialogue
Design Sprint 2.0
  • Open Space Technology

1. Six Thinking Hats

Individual approaches to solving a problem can be very different based on what team or role an individual holds. It can be easy for existing biases or perspectives to find their way into the mix, or for internal politics to direct a conversation.

Six Thinking Hats is a classic method for identifying the problems that need to be solved and enables your team to consider them from different angles, whether that is by focusing on facts and data, creative solutions, or by considering why a particular solution might not work.

Like all problem-solving frameworks, Six Thinking Hats is effective at helping teams remove roadblocks from a conversation or discussion and come to terms with all the aspects necessary to solve complex problems.

2. Lightning Decision Jam

Featured courtesy of Jonathan Courtney of AJ&Smart Berlin, Lightning Decision Jam is one of those strategies that should be in every facilitation toolbox. Exploring problems and finding solutions is often creative in nature, though as with any creative process, there is the potential to lose focus and get lost.

Unstructured discussions might get you there in the end, but it’s much more effective to use a method that creates a clear process and team focus.

In Lightning Decision Jam, participants are invited to begin by writing challenges, concerns, or mistakes on post-its without discussing them before then being invited by the moderator to present them to the group.

From there, the team vote on which problems to solve and are guided through steps that will allow them to reframe those problems, create solutions and then decide what to execute on. 

By deciding the problems that need to be solved as a team before moving on, this group process is great for ensuring the whole team is aligned and can take ownership over the next stages. 

Lightning Decision Jam (LDJ)   #action   #decision making   #problem solving   #issue analysis   #innovation   #design   #remote-friendly   The problem with anything that requires creative thinking is that it’s easy to get lost—lose focus and fall into the trap of having useless, open-ended, unstructured discussions. Here’s the most effective solution I’ve found: Replace all open, unstructured discussion with a clear process. What to use this exercise for: Anything which requires a group of people to make decisions, solve problems or discuss challenges. It’s always good to frame an LDJ session with a broad topic, here are some examples: The conversion flow of our checkout Our internal design process How we organise events Keeping up with our competition Improving sales flow

3. Problem Definition Process

While problems can be complex, the problem-solving methods you use to identify and solve those problems can often be simple in design. 

By taking the time to truly identify and define a problem before asking the group to reframe the challenge as an opportunity, this method is a great way to enable change.

Begin by identifying a focus question and exploring the ways in which it manifests before splitting into five teams who will each consider the problem using a different method: escape, reversal, exaggeration, distortion or wishful. Teams develop a problem objective and create ideas in line with their method before then feeding them back to the group.

This method is great for enabling in-depth discussions while also creating space for finding creative solutions too!

Problem Definition   #problem solving   #idea generation   #creativity   #online   #remote-friendly   A problem solving technique to define a problem, challenge or opportunity and to generate ideas.

4. The 5 Whys 

Sometimes, a group needs to go further with their strategies and analyze the root cause at the heart of organizational issues. An RCA or root cause analysis is the process of identifying what is at the heart of business problems or recurring challenges. 

The 5 Whys is a simple and effective method of helping a group go find the root cause of any problem or challenge and conduct analysis that will deliver results. 

By beginning with the creation of a problem statement and going through five stages to refine it, The 5 Whys provides everything you need to truly discover the cause of an issue.

The 5 Whys   #hyperisland   #innovation   This simple and powerful method is useful for getting to the core of a problem or challenge. As the title suggests, the group defines a problems, then asks the question “why” five times, often using the resulting explanation as a starting point for creative problem solving.

5. World Cafe

World Cafe is a simple but powerful facilitation technique to help bigger groups to focus their energy and attention on solving complex problems.

World Cafe enables this approach by creating a relaxed atmosphere where participants are able to self-organize and explore topics relevant and important to them which are themed around a central problem-solving purpose. Create the right atmosphere by modeling your space after a cafe and after guiding the group through the method, let them take the lead!

Making problem-solving a part of your organization’s culture in the long term can be a difficult undertaking. More approachable formats like World Cafe can be especially effective in bringing people unfamiliar with workshops into the fold. 

World Cafe   #hyperisland   #innovation   #issue analysis   World Café is a simple yet powerful method, originated by Juanita Brown, for enabling meaningful conversations driven completely by participants and the topics that are relevant and important to them. Facilitators create a cafe-style space and provide simple guidelines. Participants then self-organize and explore a set of relevant topics or questions for conversation.

6. Discovery & Action Dialogue (DAD)

One of the best approaches is to create a safe space for a group to share and discover practices and behaviors that can help them find their own solutions.

With DAD, you can help a group choose which problems they wish to solve and which approaches they will take to do so. It’s great at helping remove resistance to change and can help get buy-in at every level too!

This process of enabling frontline ownership is great in ensuring follow-through and is one of the methods you will want in your toolbox as a facilitator.

Discovery & Action Dialogue (DAD)   #idea generation   #liberating structures   #action   #issue analysis   #remote-friendly   DADs make it easy for a group or community to discover practices and behaviors that enable some individuals (without access to special resources and facing the same constraints) to find better solutions than their peers to common problems. These are called positive deviant (PD) behaviors and practices. DADs make it possible for people in the group, unit, or community to discover by themselves these PD practices. DADs also create favorable conditions for stimulating participants’ creativity in spaces where they can feel safe to invent new and more effective practices. Resistance to change evaporates as participants are unleashed to choose freely which practices they will adopt or try and which problems they will tackle. DADs make it possible to achieve frontline ownership of solutions.

7. Design Sprint 2.0

Want to see how a team can solve big problems and move forward with prototyping and testing solutions in a few days? The Design Sprint 2.0 template from Jake Knapp, author of Sprint, is a complete agenda for a with proven results.

Developing the right agenda can involve difficult but necessary planning. Ensuring all the correct steps are followed can also be stressful or time-consuming depending on your level of experience.

Use this complete 4-day workshop template if you are finding there is no obvious solution to your challenge and want to focus your team around a specific problem that might require a shortcut to launching a minimum viable product or waiting for the organization-wide implementation of a solution.

8. Open space technology

Open space technology- developed by Harrison Owen – creates a space where large groups are invited to take ownership of their problem solving and lead individual sessions. Open space technology is a great format when you have a great deal of expertise and insight in the room and want to allow for different takes and approaches on a particular theme or problem you need to be solved.

Start by bringing your participants together to align around a central theme and focus their efforts. Explain the ground rules to help guide the problem-solving process and then invite members to identify any issue connecting to the central theme that they are interested in and are prepared to take responsibility for.

Once participants have decided on their approach to the core theme, they write their issue on a piece of paper, announce it to the group, pick a session time and place, and post the paper on the wall. As the wall fills up with sessions, the group is then invited to join the sessions that interest them the most and which they can contribute to, then you’re ready to begin!

Everyone joins the problem-solving group they’ve signed up to, record the discussion and if appropriate, findings can then be shared with the rest of the group afterward.

Open Space Technology   #action plan   #idea generation   #problem solving   #issue analysis   #large group   #online   #remote-friendly   Open Space is a methodology for large groups to create their agenda discerning important topics for discussion, suitable for conferences, community gatherings and whole system facilitation

Techniques to identify and analyze problems

Using a problem-solving method to help a team identify and analyze a problem can be a quick and effective addition to any workshop or meeting.

While further actions are always necessary, you can generate momentum and alignment easily, and these activities are a great place to get started.

We’ve put together this list of techniques to help you and your team with problem identification, analysis, and discussion that sets the foundation for developing effective solutions.

Let’s take a look!

  • The Creativity Dice
  • Fishbone Analysis
  • Problem Tree
  • SWOT Analysis
  • Agreement-Certainty Matrix
  • The Journalistic Six
  • LEGO Challenge
  • What, So What, Now What?
  • Journalists

Individual and group perspectives are incredibly important, but what happens if people are set in their minds and need a change of perspective in order to approach a problem more effectively?

Flip It is a method we love because it is both simple to understand and run, and allows groups to understand how their perspectives and biases are formed. 

Participants in Flip It are first invited to consider concerns, issues, or problems from a perspective of fear and write them on a flip chart. Then, the group is asked to consider those same issues from a perspective of hope and flip their understanding.  

No problem and solution is free from existing bias and by changing perspectives with Flip It, you can then develop a problem solving model quickly and effectively.

Flip It!   #gamestorming   #problem solving   #action   Often, a change in a problem or situation comes simply from a change in our perspectives. Flip It! is a quick game designed to show players that perspectives are made, not born.

10. The Creativity Dice

One of the most useful problem solving skills you can teach your team is of approaching challenges with creativity, flexibility, and openness. Games like The Creativity Dice allow teams to overcome the potential hurdle of too much linear thinking and approach the process with a sense of fun and speed. 

In The Creativity Dice, participants are organized around a topic and roll a dice to determine what they will work on for a period of 3 minutes at a time. They might roll a 3 and work on investigating factual information on the chosen topic. They might roll a 1 and work on identifying the specific goals, standards, or criteria for the session.

Encouraging rapid work and iteration while asking participants to be flexible are great skills to cultivate. Having a stage for idea incubation in this game is also important. Moments of pause can help ensure the ideas that are put forward are the most suitable. 

The Creativity Dice   #creativity   #problem solving   #thiagi   #issue analysis   Too much linear thinking is hazardous to creative problem solving. To be creative, you should approach the problem (or the opportunity) from different points of view. You should leave a thought hanging in mid-air and move to another. This skipping around prevents premature closure and lets your brain incubate one line of thought while you consciously pursue another.

11. Fishbone Analysis

Organizational or team challenges are rarely simple, and it’s important to remember that one problem can be an indication of something that goes deeper and may require further consideration to be solved.

Fishbone Analysis helps groups to dig deeper and understand the origins of a problem. It’s a great example of a root cause analysis method that is simple for everyone on a team to get their head around. 

Participants in this activity are asked to annotate a diagram of a fish, first adding the problem or issue to be worked on at the head of a fish before then brainstorming the root causes of the problem and adding them as bones on the fish. 

Using abstractions such as a diagram of a fish can really help a team break out of their regular thinking and develop a creative approach.

Fishbone Analysis   #problem solving   ##root cause analysis   #decision making   #online facilitation   A process to help identify and understand the origins of problems, issues or observations.

12. Problem Tree 

Encouraging visual thinking can be an essential part of many strategies. By simply reframing and clarifying problems, a group can move towards developing a problem solving model that works for them. 

In Problem Tree, groups are asked to first brainstorm a list of problems – these can be design problems, team problems or larger business problems – and then organize them into a hierarchy. The hierarchy could be from most important to least important or abstract to practical, though the key thing with problem solving games that involve this aspect is that your group has some way of managing and sorting all the issues that are raised.

Once you have a list of problems that need to be solved and have organized them accordingly, you’re then well-positioned for the next problem solving steps.

Problem tree   #define intentions   #create   #design   #issue analysis   A problem tree is a tool to clarify the hierarchy of problems addressed by the team within a design project; it represents high level problems or related sublevel problems.

13. SWOT Analysis

Chances are you’ve heard of the SWOT Analysis before. This problem-solving method focuses on identifying strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats is a tried and tested method for both individuals and teams.

Start by creating a desired end state or outcome and bare this in mind – any process solving model is made more effective by knowing what you are moving towards. Create a quadrant made up of the four categories of a SWOT analysis and ask participants to generate ideas based on each of those quadrants.

Once you have those ideas assembled in their quadrants, cluster them together based on their affinity with other ideas. These clusters are then used to facilitate group conversations and move things forward. 

SWOT analysis   #gamestorming   #problem solving   #action   #meeting facilitation   The SWOT Analysis is a long-standing technique of looking at what we have, with respect to the desired end state, as well as what we could improve on. It gives us an opportunity to gauge approaching opportunities and dangers, and assess the seriousness of the conditions that affect our future. When we understand those conditions, we can influence what comes next.

14. Agreement-Certainty Matrix

Not every problem-solving approach is right for every challenge, and deciding on the right method for the challenge at hand is a key part of being an effective team.

The Agreement Certainty matrix helps teams align on the nature of the challenges facing them. By sorting problems from simple to chaotic, your team can understand what methods are suitable for each problem and what they can do to ensure effective results. 

If you are already using Liberating Structures techniques as part of your problem-solving strategy, the Agreement-Certainty Matrix can be an invaluable addition to your process. We’ve found it particularly if you are having issues with recurring problems in your organization and want to go deeper in understanding the root cause. 

Agreement-Certainty Matrix   #issue analysis   #liberating structures   #problem solving   You can help individuals or groups avoid the frequent mistake of trying to solve a problem with methods that are not adapted to the nature of their challenge. The combination of two questions makes it possible to easily sort challenges into four categories: simple, complicated, complex , and chaotic .  A problem is simple when it can be solved reliably with practices that are easy to duplicate.  It is complicated when experts are required to devise a sophisticated solution that will yield the desired results predictably.  A problem is complex when there are several valid ways to proceed but outcomes are not predictable in detail.  Chaotic is when the context is too turbulent to identify a path forward.  A loose analogy may be used to describe these differences: simple is like following a recipe, complicated like sending a rocket to the moon, complex like raising a child, and chaotic is like the game “Pin the Tail on the Donkey.”  The Liberating Structures Matching Matrix in Chapter 5 can be used as the first step to clarify the nature of a challenge and avoid the mismatches between problems and solutions that are frequently at the root of chronic, recurring problems.

Organizing and charting a team’s progress can be important in ensuring its success. SQUID (Sequential Question and Insight Diagram) is a great model that allows a team to effectively switch between giving questions and answers and develop the skills they need to stay on track throughout the process. 

Begin with two different colored sticky notes – one for questions and one for answers – and with your central topic (the head of the squid) on the board. Ask the group to first come up with a series of questions connected to their best guess of how to approach the topic. Ask the group to come up with answers to those questions, fix them to the board and connect them with a line. After some discussion, go back to question mode by responding to the generated answers or other points on the board.

It’s rewarding to see a diagram grow throughout the exercise, and a completed SQUID can provide a visual resource for future effort and as an example for other teams.

SQUID   #gamestorming   #project planning   #issue analysis   #problem solving   When exploring an information space, it’s important for a group to know where they are at any given time. By using SQUID, a group charts out the territory as they go and can navigate accordingly. SQUID stands for Sequential Question and Insight Diagram.

16. Speed Boat

To continue with our nautical theme, Speed Boat is a short and sweet activity that can help a team quickly identify what employees, clients or service users might have a problem with and analyze what might be standing in the way of achieving a solution.

Methods that allow for a group to make observations, have insights and obtain those eureka moments quickly are invaluable when trying to solve complex problems.

In Speed Boat, the approach is to first consider what anchors and challenges might be holding an organization (or boat) back. Bonus points if you are able to identify any sharks in the water and develop ideas that can also deal with competitors!   

Speed Boat   #gamestorming   #problem solving   #action   Speedboat is a short and sweet way to identify what your employees or clients don’t like about your product/service or what’s standing in the way of a desired goal.

17. The Journalistic Six

Some of the most effective ways of solving problems is by encouraging teams to be more inclusive and diverse in their thinking.

Based on the six key questions journalism students are taught to answer in articles and news stories, The Journalistic Six helps create teams to see the whole picture. By using who, what, when, where, why, and how to facilitate the conversation and encourage creative thinking, your team can make sure that the problem identification and problem analysis stages of the are covered exhaustively and thoughtfully. Reporter’s notebook and dictaphone optional.

The Journalistic Six – Who What When Where Why How   #idea generation   #issue analysis   #problem solving   #online   #creative thinking   #remote-friendly   A questioning method for generating, explaining, investigating ideas.

18. LEGO Challenge

Now for an activity that is a little out of the (toy) box. LEGO Serious Play is a facilitation methodology that can be used to improve creative thinking and problem-solving skills. 

The LEGO Challenge includes giving each member of the team an assignment that is hidden from the rest of the group while they create a structure without speaking.

What the LEGO challenge brings to the table is a fun working example of working with stakeholders who might not be on the same page to solve problems. Also, it’s LEGO! Who doesn’t love LEGO! 

LEGO Challenge   #hyperisland   #team   A team-building activity in which groups must work together to build a structure out of LEGO, but each individual has a secret “assignment” which makes the collaborative process more challenging. It emphasizes group communication, leadership dynamics, conflict, cooperation, patience and problem solving strategy.

19. What, So What, Now What?

If not carefully managed, the problem identification and problem analysis stages of the problem-solving process can actually create more problems and misunderstandings.

The What, So What, Now What? problem-solving activity is designed to help collect insights and move forward while also eliminating the possibility of disagreement when it comes to identifying, clarifying, and analyzing organizational or work problems. 

Facilitation is all about bringing groups together so that might work on a shared goal and the best problem-solving strategies ensure that teams are aligned in purpose, if not initially in opinion or insight.

Throughout the three steps of this game, you give everyone on a team to reflect on a problem by asking what happened, why it is important, and what actions should then be taken. 

This can be a great activity for bringing our individual perceptions about a problem or challenge and contextualizing it in a larger group setting. This is one of the most important problem-solving skills you can bring to your organization.

W³ – What, So What, Now What?   #issue analysis   #innovation   #liberating structures   You can help groups reflect on a shared experience in a way that builds understanding and spurs coordinated action while avoiding unproductive conflict. It is possible for every voice to be heard while simultaneously sifting for insights and shaping new direction. Progressing in stages makes this practical—from collecting facts about What Happened to making sense of these facts with So What and finally to what actions logically follow with Now What . The shared progression eliminates most of the misunderstandings that otherwise fuel disagreements about what to do. Voila!

20. Journalists  

Problem analysis can be one of the most important and decisive stages of all problem-solving tools. Sometimes, a team can become bogged down in the details and are unable to move forward.

Journalists is an activity that can avoid a group from getting stuck in the problem identification or problem analysis stages of the process.

In Journalists, the group is invited to draft the front page of a fictional newspaper and figure out what stories deserve to be on the cover and what headlines those stories will have. By reframing how your problems and challenges are approached, you can help a team move productively through the process and be better prepared for the steps to follow.

Journalists   #vision   #big picture   #issue analysis   #remote-friendly   This is an exercise to use when the group gets stuck in details and struggles to see the big picture. Also good for defining a vision.

Problem-solving techniques for developing solutions 

The success of any problem-solving process can be measured by the solutions it produces. After you’ve defined the issue, explored existing ideas, and ideated, it’s time to narrow down to the correct solution.

Use these problem-solving techniques when you want to help your team find consensus, compare possible solutions, and move towards taking action on a particular problem.

  • Improved Solutions
  • Four-Step Sketch
  • 15% Solutions
  • How-Now-Wow matrix
  • Impact Effort Matrix

21. Mindspin  

Brainstorming is part of the bread and butter of the problem-solving process and all problem-solving strategies benefit from getting ideas out and challenging a team to generate solutions quickly. 

With Mindspin, participants are encouraged not only to generate ideas but to do so under time constraints and by slamming down cards and passing them on. By doing multiple rounds, your team can begin with a free generation of possible solutions before moving on to developing those solutions and encouraging further ideation. 

This is one of our favorite problem-solving activities and can be great for keeping the energy up throughout the workshop. Remember the importance of helping people become engaged in the process – energizing problem-solving techniques like Mindspin can help ensure your team stays engaged and happy, even when the problems they’re coming together to solve are complex. 

MindSpin   #teampedia   #idea generation   #problem solving   #action   A fast and loud method to enhance brainstorming within a team. Since this activity has more than round ideas that are repetitive can be ruled out leaving more creative and innovative answers to the challenge.

22. Improved Solutions

After a team has successfully identified a problem and come up with a few solutions, it can be tempting to call the work of the problem-solving process complete. That said, the first solution is not necessarily the best, and by including a further review and reflection activity into your problem-solving model, you can ensure your group reaches the best possible result. 

One of a number of problem-solving games from Thiagi Group, Improved Solutions helps you go the extra mile and develop suggested solutions with close consideration and peer review. By supporting the discussion of several problems at once and by shifting team roles throughout, this problem-solving technique is a dynamic way of finding the best solution. 

Improved Solutions   #creativity   #thiagi   #problem solving   #action   #team   You can improve any solution by objectively reviewing its strengths and weaknesses and making suitable adjustments. In this creativity framegame, you improve the solutions to several problems. To maintain objective detachment, you deal with a different problem during each of six rounds and assume different roles (problem owner, consultant, basher, booster, enhancer, and evaluator) during each round. At the conclusion of the activity, each player ends up with two solutions to her problem.

23. Four Step Sketch

Creative thinking and visual ideation does not need to be confined to the opening stages of your problem-solving strategies. Exercises that include sketching and prototyping on paper can be effective at the solution finding and development stage of the process, and can be great for keeping a team engaged. 

By going from simple notes to a crazy 8s round that involves rapidly sketching 8 variations on their ideas before then producing a final solution sketch, the group is able to iterate quickly and visually. Problem-solving techniques like Four-Step Sketch are great if you have a group of different thinkers and want to change things up from a more textual or discussion-based approach.

Four-Step Sketch   #design sprint   #innovation   #idea generation   #remote-friendly   The four-step sketch is an exercise that helps people to create well-formed concepts through a structured process that includes: Review key information Start design work on paper,  Consider multiple variations , Create a detailed solution . This exercise is preceded by a set of other activities allowing the group to clarify the challenge they want to solve. See how the Four Step Sketch exercise fits into a Design Sprint

24. 15% Solutions

Some problems are simpler than others and with the right problem-solving activities, you can empower people to take immediate actions that can help create organizational change. 

Part of the liberating structures toolkit, 15% solutions is a problem-solving technique that focuses on finding and implementing solutions quickly. A process of iterating and making small changes quickly can help generate momentum and an appetite for solving complex problems.

Problem-solving strategies can live and die on whether people are onboard. Getting some quick wins is a great way of getting people behind the process.   

It can be extremely empowering for a team to realize that problem-solving techniques can be deployed quickly and easily and delineate between things they can positively impact and those things they cannot change. 

15% Solutions   #action   #liberating structures   #remote-friendly   You can reveal the actions, however small, that everyone can do immediately. At a minimum, these will create momentum, and that may make a BIG difference.  15% Solutions show that there is no reason to wait around, feel powerless, or fearful. They help people pick it up a level. They get individuals and the group to focus on what is within their discretion instead of what they cannot change.  With a very simple question, you can flip the conversation to what can be done and find solutions to big problems that are often distributed widely in places not known in advance. Shifting a few grains of sand may trigger a landslide and change the whole landscape.

25. How-Now-Wow Matrix

The problem-solving process is often creative, as complex problems usually require a change of thinking and creative response in order to find the best solutions. While it’s common for the first stages to encourage creative thinking, groups can often gravitate to familiar solutions when it comes to the end of the process. 

When selecting solutions, you don’t want to lose your creative energy! The How-Now-Wow Matrix from Gamestorming is a great problem-solving activity that enables a group to stay creative and think out of the box when it comes to selecting the right solution for a given problem.

Problem-solving techniques that encourage creative thinking and the ideation and selection of new solutions can be the most effective in organisational change. Give the How-Now-Wow Matrix a go, and not just for how pleasant it is to say out loud. 

How-Now-Wow Matrix   #gamestorming   #idea generation   #remote-friendly   When people want to develop new ideas, they most often think out of the box in the brainstorming or divergent phase. However, when it comes to convergence, people often end up picking ideas that are most familiar to them. This is called a ‘creative paradox’ or a ‘creadox’. The How-Now-Wow matrix is an idea selection tool that breaks the creadox by forcing people to weigh each idea on 2 parameters.

26. Impact and Effort Matrix

All problem-solving techniques hope to not only find solutions to a given problem or challenge but to find the best solution. When it comes to finding a solution, groups are invited to put on their decision-making hats and really think about how a proposed idea would work in practice. 

The Impact and Effort Matrix is one of the problem-solving techniques that fall into this camp, empowering participants to first generate ideas and then categorize them into a 2×2 matrix based on impact and effort.

Activities that invite critical thinking while remaining simple are invaluable. Use the Impact and Effort Matrix to move from ideation and towards evaluating potential solutions before then committing to them. 

Impact and Effort Matrix   #gamestorming   #decision making   #action   #remote-friendly   In this decision-making exercise, possible actions are mapped based on two factors: effort required to implement and potential impact. Categorizing ideas along these lines is a useful technique in decision making, as it obliges contributors to balance and evaluate suggested actions before committing to them.

27. Dotmocracy

If you’ve followed each of the problem-solving steps with your group successfully, you should move towards the end of your process with heaps of possible solutions developed with a specific problem in mind. But how do you help a group go from ideation to putting a solution into action? 

Dotmocracy – or Dot Voting -is a tried and tested method of helping a team in the problem-solving process make decisions and put actions in place with a degree of oversight and consensus. 

One of the problem-solving techniques that should be in every facilitator’s toolbox, Dot Voting is fast and effective and can help identify the most popular and best solutions and help bring a group to a decision effectively. 

Dotmocracy   #action   #decision making   #group prioritization   #hyperisland   #remote-friendly   Dotmocracy is a simple method for group prioritization or decision-making. It is not an activity on its own, but a method to use in processes where prioritization or decision-making is the aim. The method supports a group to quickly see which options are most popular or relevant. The options or ideas are written on post-its and stuck up on a wall for the whole group to see. Each person votes for the options they think are the strongest, and that information is used to inform a decision.

All facilitators know that warm-ups and icebreakers are useful for any workshop or group process. Problem-solving workshops are no different.

Use these problem-solving techniques to warm up a group and prepare them for the rest of the process. Activating your group by tapping into some of the top problem-solving skills can be one of the best ways to see great outcomes from your session.

  • Check-in/Check-out
  • Doodling Together
  • Show and Tell
  • Constellations
  • Draw a Tree

28. Check-in / Check-out

Solid processes are planned from beginning to end, and the best facilitators know that setting the tone and establishing a safe, open environment can be integral to a successful problem-solving process.

Check-in / Check-out is a great way to begin and/or bookend a problem-solving workshop. Checking in to a session emphasizes that everyone will be seen, heard, and expected to contribute. 

If you are running a series of meetings, setting a consistent pattern of checking in and checking out can really help your team get into a groove. We recommend this opening-closing activity for small to medium-sized groups though it can work with large groups if they’re disciplined!

Check-in / Check-out   #team   #opening   #closing   #hyperisland   #remote-friendly   Either checking-in or checking-out is a simple way for a team to open or close a process, symbolically and in a collaborative way. Checking-in/out invites each member in a group to be present, seen and heard, and to express a reflection or a feeling. Checking-in emphasizes presence, focus and group commitment; checking-out emphasizes reflection and symbolic closure.

29. Doodling Together  

Thinking creatively and not being afraid to make suggestions are important problem-solving skills for any group or team, and warming up by encouraging these behaviors is a great way to start. 

Doodling Together is one of our favorite creative ice breaker games – it’s quick, effective, and fun and can make all following problem-solving steps easier by encouraging a group to collaborate visually. By passing cards and adding additional items as they go, the workshop group gets into a groove of co-creation and idea development that is crucial to finding solutions to problems. 

Doodling Together   #collaboration   #creativity   #teamwork   #fun   #team   #visual methods   #energiser   #icebreaker   #remote-friendly   Create wild, weird and often funny postcards together & establish a group’s creative confidence.

30. Show and Tell

You might remember some version of Show and Tell from being a kid in school and it’s a great problem-solving activity to kick off a session.

Asking participants to prepare a little something before a workshop by bringing an object for show and tell can help them warm up before the session has even begun! Games that include a physical object can also help encourage early engagement before moving onto more big-picture thinking.

By asking your participants to tell stories about why they chose to bring a particular item to the group, you can help teams see things from new perspectives and see both differences and similarities in the way they approach a topic. Great groundwork for approaching a problem-solving process as a team! 

Show and Tell   #gamestorming   #action   #opening   #meeting facilitation   Show and Tell taps into the power of metaphors to reveal players’ underlying assumptions and associations around a topic The aim of the game is to get a deeper understanding of stakeholders’ perspectives on anything—a new project, an organizational restructuring, a shift in the company’s vision or team dynamic.

31. Constellations

Who doesn’t love stars? Constellations is a great warm-up activity for any workshop as it gets people up off their feet, energized, and ready to engage in new ways with established topics. It’s also great for showing existing beliefs, biases, and patterns that can come into play as part of your session.

Using warm-up games that help build trust and connection while also allowing for non-verbal responses can be great for easing people into the problem-solving process and encouraging engagement from everyone in the group. Constellations is great in large spaces that allow for movement and is definitely a practical exercise to allow the group to see patterns that are otherwise invisible. 

Constellations   #trust   #connection   #opening   #coaching   #patterns   #system   Individuals express their response to a statement or idea by standing closer or further from a central object. Used with teams to reveal system, hidden patterns, perspectives.

32. Draw a Tree

Problem-solving games that help raise group awareness through a central, unifying metaphor can be effective ways to warm-up a group in any problem-solving model.

Draw a Tree is a simple warm-up activity you can use in any group and which can provide a quick jolt of energy. Start by asking your participants to draw a tree in just 45 seconds – they can choose whether it will be abstract or realistic. 

Once the timer is up, ask the group how many people included the roots of the tree and use this as a means to discuss how we can ignore important parts of any system simply because they are not visible.

All problem-solving strategies are made more effective by thinking of problems critically and by exposing things that may not normally come to light. Warm-up games like Draw a Tree are great in that they quickly demonstrate some key problem-solving skills in an accessible and effective way.

Draw a Tree   #thiagi   #opening   #perspectives   #remote-friendly   With this game you can raise awarness about being more mindful, and aware of the environment we live in.

Each step of the problem-solving workshop benefits from an intelligent deployment of activities, games, and techniques. Bringing your session to an effective close helps ensure that solutions are followed through on and that you also celebrate what has been achieved.

Here are some problem-solving activities you can use to effectively close a workshop or meeting and ensure the great work you’ve done can continue afterward.

  • One Breath Feedback
  • Who What When Matrix
  • Response Cards

How do I conclude a problem-solving process?

All good things must come to an end. With the bulk of the work done, it can be tempting to conclude your workshop swiftly and without a moment to debrief and align. This can be problematic in that it doesn’t allow your team to fully process the results or reflect on the process.

At the end of an effective session, your team will have gone through a process that, while productive, can be exhausting. It’s important to give your group a moment to take a breath, ensure that they are clear on future actions, and provide short feedback before leaving the space. 

The primary purpose of any problem-solving method is to generate solutions and then implement them. Be sure to take the opportunity to ensure everyone is aligned and ready to effectively implement the solutions you produced in the workshop.

Remember that every process can be improved and by giving a short moment to collect feedback in the session, you can further refine your problem-solving methods and see further success in the future too.

33. One Breath Feedback

Maintaining attention and focus during the closing stages of a problem-solving workshop can be tricky and so being concise when giving feedback can be important. It’s easy to incur “death by feedback” should some team members go on for too long sharing their perspectives in a quick feedback round. 

One Breath Feedback is a great closing activity for workshops. You give everyone an opportunity to provide feedback on what they’ve done but only in the space of a single breath. This keeps feedback short and to the point and means that everyone is encouraged to provide the most important piece of feedback to them. 

One breath feedback   #closing   #feedback   #action   This is a feedback round in just one breath that excels in maintaining attention: each participants is able to speak during just one breath … for most people that’s around 20 to 25 seconds … unless of course you’ve been a deep sea diver in which case you’ll be able to do it for longer.

34. Who What When Matrix 

Matrices feature as part of many effective problem-solving strategies and with good reason. They are easily recognizable, simple to use, and generate results.

The Who What When Matrix is a great tool to use when closing your problem-solving session by attributing a who, what and when to the actions and solutions you have decided upon. The resulting matrix is a simple, easy-to-follow way of ensuring your team can move forward. 

Great solutions can’t be enacted without action and ownership. Your problem-solving process should include a stage for allocating tasks to individuals or teams and creating a realistic timeframe for those solutions to be implemented or checked out. Use this method to keep the solution implementation process clear and simple for all involved. 

Who/What/When Matrix   #gamestorming   #action   #project planning   With Who/What/When matrix, you can connect people with clear actions they have defined and have committed to.

35. Response cards

Group discussion can comprise the bulk of most problem-solving activities and by the end of the process, you might find that your team is talked out! 

Providing a means for your team to give feedback with short written notes can ensure everyone is head and can contribute without the need to stand up and talk. Depending on the needs of the group, giving an alternative can help ensure everyone can contribute to your problem-solving model in the way that makes the most sense for them.

Response Cards is a great way to close a workshop if you are looking for a gentle warm-down and want to get some swift discussion around some of the feedback that is raised. 

Response Cards   #debriefing   #closing   #structured sharing   #questions and answers   #thiagi   #action   It can be hard to involve everyone during a closing of a session. Some might stay in the background or get unheard because of louder participants. However, with the use of Response Cards, everyone will be involved in providing feedback or clarify questions at the end of a session.

Save time and effort discovering the right solutions

A structured problem solving process is a surefire way of solving tough problems, discovering creative solutions and driving organizational change. But how can you design for successful outcomes?

With SessionLab, it’s easy to design engaging workshops that deliver results. Drag, drop and reorder blocks  to build your agenda. When you make changes or update your agenda, your session  timing   adjusts automatically , saving you time on manual adjustments.

Collaborating with stakeholders or clients? Share your agenda with a single click and collaborate in real-time. No more sending documents back and forth over email.

Explore  how to use SessionLab  to design effective problem solving workshops or  watch this five minute video  to see the planner in action!

problem solving techniques programming

Over to you

The problem-solving process can often be as complicated and multifaceted as the problems they are set-up to solve. With the right problem-solving techniques and a mix of creative exercises designed to guide discussion and generate purposeful ideas, we hope we’ve given you the tools to find the best solutions as simply and easily as possible.

Is there a problem-solving technique that you are missing here? Do you have a favorite activity or method you use when facilitating? Let us know in the comments below, we’d love to hear from you! 

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thank you very much for these excellent techniques

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cycle of workshop planning steps

Going from a mere idea to a workshop that delivers results for your clients can feel like a daunting task. In this piece, we will shine a light on all the work behind the scenes and help you learn how to plan a workshop from start to finish. On a good day, facilitation can feel like effortless magic, but that is mostly the result of backstage work, foresight, and a lot of careful planning. Read on to learn a step-by-step approach to breaking the process of planning a workshop into small, manageable chunks.  The flow starts with the first meeting with a client to define the purposes of a workshop.…

problem solving techniques programming

How does learning work? A clever 9-year-old once told me: “I know I am learning something new when I am surprised.” The science of adult learning tells us that, in order to learn new skills (which, unsurprisingly, is harder for adults to do than kids) grown-ups need to first get into a specific headspace.  In a business, this approach is often employed in a training session where employees learn new skills or work on professional development. But how do you ensure your training is effective? In this guide, we'll explore how to create an effective training session plan and run engaging training sessions. As team leader, project manager, or consultant,…

problem solving techniques programming

Effective online tools are a necessity for smooth and engaging virtual workshops and meetings. But how do you choose the right ones? Do you sometimes feel that the good old pen and paper or MS Office toolkit and email leaves you struggling to stay on top of managing and delivering your workshop? Fortunately, there are plenty of online tools to make your life easier when you need to facilitate a meeting and lead workshops. In this post, we’ll share our favorite online tools you can use to make your job as a facilitator easier. In fact, there are plenty of free online workshop tools and meeting facilitation software you can…

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Introduction of Programming Paradigms

Paradigm can also be termed as method to solve some problem or do some task. Programming paradigm is an approach to solve problem using some programming language or also we can say it is a method to solve a problem using tools and techniques that are available to us following some approach. There are lots for programming language that are known but all of them need to follow some strategy when they are implemented and this methodology/strategy is paradigms. Apart from varieties of programming language there are lots of paradigms to fulfill each and every demand. They are discussed below:

problem solving techniques programming

1. Imperative programming paradigm:  It is one of the oldest programming paradigm. It features close relation to machine architecture. It is based on Von Neumann architecture. It works by changing the program state through assignment statements. It performs step by step task by changing state. The main focus is on how to achieve the goal. The paradigm consist of several statements and after execution of all the result is stored.

Advantages:  

  • Very simple to implement
  • It contains loops, variables etc.

Disadvantage:   

  • Complex problem cannot be solved
  • Less efficient and less productive
  • Parallel programming is not possible

Imperative programming is divided into three broad categories: Procedural, OOP and parallel processing. These paradigms are as follows:

  • Procedural programming paradigm –   This paradigm emphasizes on procedure in terms of under lying machine model. There is no difference in between procedural and imperative approach. It has the ability to reuse the code and it was boon at that time when it was in use because of its reusability.

Then comes OOP,

  • Object oriented programming –   The program is written as a collection of classes and object which are meant for communication. The smallest and basic entity is object and all kind of computation is performed on the objects only. More emphasis is on data rather procedure. It can handle almost all kind of real life problems which are today in scenario.
  • Data security
  • Inheritance
  • Code reusability
  • Flexible and abstraction is also present
  • Parallel processing approach –   Parallel processing is the processing of program instructions by dividing them among multiple processors. A parallel processing system posses many numbers of processor with the objective of running a program in less time by dividing them. This approach seems to be like divide and conquer. Examples are NESL (one of the oldest one) and C/C++ also supports because of some library function.

2. Declarative programming paradigm:   It is divided as Logic, Functional, Database. In computer science the declarative programming is a style of building programs that expresses logic of computation without talking about its control flow. It often considers programs as theories of some logic.It may simplify writing parallel programs. The focus is on what needs to be done rather how it should be done basically emphasize on what code is actually doing. It just declares the result we want rather how it has be produced. This is the only difference between imperative (how to do) and declarative (what to do) programming paradigms. Getting into deeper we would see logic, functional and database.

  • Logic programming paradigms –   It can be termed as abstract model of computation. It would solve logical problems like puzzles, series etc. In logic programming we have a knowledge base which we know before and along with the question and knowledge base which is given to machine, it produces result. In normal programming languages, such concept of knowledge base is not available but while using the concept of artificial intelligence, machine learning we have some models like Perception model which is using the same mechanism.  In logical programming the main emphasize is on knowledge base and the problem. The execution of the program is very much like proof of mathematical statement, e.g., Prolog
  • Functional programming paradigms –   The functional programming paradigms has its roots in mathematics and it is language independent. The key principle of this paradigms is the execution of series of mathematical functions. The central model for the abstraction is the function which are meant for some specific computation and not the data structure. Data are loosely coupled to functions.The function hide their implementation. Function can be replaced with their values without changing the meaning of the program. Some of the languages like perl, javascript mostly uses this paradigm.

The next kind of approach is of Database.

  • Database/Data driven programming approach –   This programming methodology is based on data and its movement. Program statements are defined by data rather than hard-coding a series of steps. A database program is the heart of a business information system and provides file creation, data entry, update, query and reporting functions. There are several programming languages that are developed mostly for database application. For example SQL. It is applied to streams of structured data, for filtering, transforming, aggregating (such as computing statistics), or calling other programs. So it has its own wide application.

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Improve your Coding Skills with Practice

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What Is Problem-Solving Programming?

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Are you interested in a career in computer programming? Are you wondering if you have what it takes? Perhaps you’re fluent in relevant programming languages, but you wonder what other skills are essential to a successful programming career.

Here, we’ll look at how problem-solving skills are essential for programmers. This article will equip you to leverage your problem-solving skills on your programming resume.  

A Career in Programming

What is programming? We’re not talking about television programming here. Programmers are also known as computer programmers, systems programmers, software engineers, or coders. Programmers “ are tasked with designing and creating software programs, integrating systems and software, training end-users, analyzing algorithms, modifying source-code, writing system instructions, debugging, and maintaining operating systems.” Fortunately, there are solutions to address these issues and one of them is Sentry. Sentry is an error monitoring tool designed to identify and diagnose bugs within your software. Moreover, Sentry is not your only option. There are numerous  alternatives to Sentry  available in the market, providing software engineers with a diverse set of tools to monitor and promptly address crashes in real-time.

What Is Problem-Solving in Programming?

Have you ever encountered a “computer bug?” Maybe you were playing a video game, using an app, or completing work or school assignments on your computer. The bug or glitch became evident when the computer crashed, the screen froze, or the program did not behave as you expected.  

Computer programmers use problem-solving skills, along with an in-depth knowledge of coding, to find and fix issues like these. Each time, the programmer will practice some or all of the following steps .

  • Identify the problem. Before a computer program, app, or game is released to the public, it is scrutinized by its makers. Programming teams use the software or play the game, searching for errors. They may recruit others through beta testing programs to use the application and report any problems.
  • Understand the problem. Once an error is reported, the programmer must evaluate the issue to determine possible causes and solutions. It’s important to take your time with this step – make sure you really understand every aspect of the problem and your not making assumptions based on past experience.
  • Work through the problem. To solve the problem, you’ll need to see it for yourself. Use the application and witness the issue. Then, work through it several more times with different variables to see if the issue is consistent.
  • Pseudocode. Write out what you need the lines of code to do before translating it to actual code.
  • Translate. Turn the pseudocode into code.
  • Test your code. Run the program and find out if it functions as it is supposed to.
  • Debug. Fix any errors as you go along.
  • Simplify. Errors can arise when code is more complicated than it has to be.
  • Take notes. Likely, you won’t be the only one to ever work with your lines of code. Even if you are, you may find that in a few months, you don’t remember exactly what each and every line accomplished. So, take notes on what each line is for.
  • Ask for feedback. Just as testing may have revealed the problem in the first place, so it can aid you in identifying any additional issues. Other coders, developers, or programmers may see solutions you don’t. They can make suggestions that will improve the product or process overall.

Improve Your Problem-Solving Skills

Many universities offer online courses that can help you learn creative problem-solving skills that relate directly to information technology applications.

You can also practice problem-solving techniques in everyday situations. When confronted with a challenge, try the following: 

  • Identify the problem.
  • Get the facts – research similar problems and ask questions. Practice active listening.
  • Find possible solutions – brainstorm. Make backup plans in case solutions don’t work as planned.
  • Decide on a plan. Weigh the pros and cons of each possible solution, and choose the one that is best overall. If multiple people are involved in the decision-making process, try to arrive at a decision that meets everyone’s needs.
  • Act! Once you’ve decided, implement your plan.
  • Look for results. Make observations and talk to others involved. Is your plan achieving the desired results? If not, find more facts and follow up with other possible solutions.

Even problem-solving skills from your daily life will serve you well when challenges arise at work.

How to List Problem-Solving Skills on Your Resume

You can include problem-solving skills on your resume in several ways:

  • In your skills list
  • In your skills summary or core competencies
  • Within your job descriptions

You don’t just have to use the term “problem-solving,” either. Show rather than tell. Could you include statements similar to the following that match your unique qualifications?

  • “Assisted a team of 6 in debugging a flagship program two days before the product launch.”
  • “Identified 32 discrete lines of code that were in error; debugged, simplified, and optimized the code in question.”
  • “Communicated with 24 beta testers from around the world over the course of 5 weeks to ready the program for launch.”

You may also use other terminology related to problem-solving, including creativity, analysis, designing, critical thinking, drawing conclusions, focus, experimenting, evaluation, communication, decision-making, and assessment.

Enhancing Problem-Solving Skills in Java Programming: A Comprehensive Guide

Avinash bidkar, introduction.

Problem-solving skills lie at the heart of successful Java programming. In the realm of software development, the ability to dissect complex challenges, design efficient solutions, and implement them through code is paramount. This article delves into the art of honing problem-solving skills within the context of Java programming. By combining logical thinking, algorithmic strategies, and effective coding practice, developers can elevate their problem-solving skills in Java programming and create elegant, robust solutions.

Java Programing

Understanding Problem-Solving in Java Programming

Problem-solving in the realm of Java programming refers to the systematic approach of identifying, analyzing, and solving coding challenges. In a software developer course, you’ll learn that it involves breaking down intricate problems into manageable components and devising logical strategies to tackle them. Logical thinking and algorithmic understanding play a pivotal role in this process, allowing developers to construct well-structured and optimized solutions. Such skills are indispensable for crafting software that is not only functional but also efficient.

Guidelines for Enhancing Problem-Solving Skills

Here’s a rundown of the guidelines to enhance your problem-Solving skills.

  • Breaking down complex problems: Start by breaking down a complex problem into smaller sub-problems. This approach simplifies the overall challenge and makes it easier to develop individual solutions for each component.
  • Developing a systematic approach: Establish a systematic approach to problem-solving. Define the problem, identify the required inputs and desired outputs, and outline the steps needed to bridge the gap.
  • Understanding before coding: Resist the urge to immediately dive into coding. Spend ample time understanding the problem statement, its nuances, and potential edge cases. A solid understanding is the foundation of an effective solution.
  • Utilizing pseudocode and flowcharts: Before writing actual code, create pseudocode or flowcharts to outline the logical flow of your solution. This helps in visualizing the process and identifying potential flaws early on.
  • Incremental development and testing: Build your solution incrementally, testing each component as you progress. This approach allows you to catch errors early and refine your solution iteratively.

Effective Coding Practice for Problem-Solving

Regular coding practice is essential for honing problem-solving skills. Engage in a variety of coding challenges that span different difficulty levels and problem domains. Online coding platforms, such as LeetCode, HackerRank, and CodeSignal, offer a wealth of practice problems and allow you to benchmark your skills against a global community of programmers. Mastering problem-solving skills in Java programming involves a combination of understanding the language's features, algorithms, and data structures, as well as practicing systematic approaches to tackling challenges.

Applying Algorithms for Efficient Solutions

Algorithms are step-by-step instructions for solving a specific problem. Learning and implementing various algorithms can greatly improve your problem-solving capabilities. Start by understanding the fundamental algorithms such as sorting, searching, and graph traversal. As you become more comfortable, move on to more advanced algorithms like dynamic programming, greedy algorithms, and divide-and-conquer techniques. Regularly practicing these algorithms through coding exercises will help you develop a toolkit of strategies to approach different types of problems effectively.

Strengthening Logical Thinking Abilities

Logical thinking is the foundation of problem-solving. It involves breaking down complex problems into smaller, manageable parts and understanding the relationships between different elements. To enhance your logical thinking skills, practice solving puzzles, brain teasers, and mathematical problems. Additionally, try to analyze the structure of various programming challenges and identify patterns and dependencies. Cultivating this skill will enable you to devise creative and efficient solutions to intricate programming problems.

Learning from Real-world Examples

Real-world examples provide practical insights into applying problem-solving skills in Java programming. Let's explore a few examples:

Example 1: Finding the factorial of a number: Break down the problem into smaller steps, creating a loop to multiply consecutive integers.

Example 2: Implementing binary search: Utilize the divide and conquer strategy to narrow down the search space and efficiently find the target element.

Example 3: Solving the Fibonacci sequence: Employ dynamic programming to optimize recursive calculations and generate Fibonacci numbers efficiently.

Overcoming Common Challenges

When solving programming problems, you're likely to encounter common challenges such as bugs, runtime errors, and inefficiencies. Embrace these challenges as opportunities to learn. Debugging is a crucial aspect of problem-solving. Cultivate a systematic approach to identifying and fixing errors by using tools like debugging environments and print statements. Additionally, optimize your code by analyzing time and space complexity, identifying bottlenecks, and making informed decisions to improve efficiency.

Putting Problem-Solving Skills to the Test

Practicing problem-solving skills is essential for improvement. Utilize coding platforms like LeetCode, HackerRank, and Codeforces to access a wide range of programming challenges. These platforms often categorize problems by difficulty, allowing you to gradually progress from easy to more complex tasks. Set aside dedicated time for consistent practice, and challenge yourself by attempting problems that initially seem daunting.

Collaborate with fellow programmers, engage in coding competitions, and participate in online forums to gain exposure to different problem-solving approaches.

An essential talent for Java programmers is the ability to solve problems. Developers can become skilled problem solvers by following logical rules, practicing code often, learning algorithms, and cultivating logical thought. The secret to maximizing the potential of problem-solving abilities is constant learning combined with practical experience. As you set out on this path, keep in mind that every obstacle you overcome will help you get closer to mastering Java programming and being able to create unique, effective solutions.

How can I improve my problem-solving skills in Java programming?

Enhance your problem-solving skills in Java by practicing algorithmic challenges, breaking down complex problems into smaller tasks, and leveraging data structures effectively. Regular coding practice and participating in coding competitions can also contribute to your skill development.

What strategies can I employ to tackle challenging Java programming problems?

Approach difficult Java programming problems step by step, analyze the problem requirements thoroughly, devise a clear plan, and implement it incrementally. Utilize debugging tools and collaborate with peers to gain different perspectives on problem-solving techniques.

Are there any specific resources for practicing Java problem-solving?

Numerous online platforms offer Java programming challenges and exercises, such as LeetCode, HackerRank, and Codeforces. These resources provide a range of problems to solve, helping you refine your problem-solving skills and Java proficiency.

How do I optimize my Java code for better problem-solving outcomes?

Optimize Java code by choosing efficient data structures, minimizing unnecessary iterations, and employing dynamic programming or memoization techniques when appropriate. Regularly review and refactor your code to improve its clarity and performance.

Q. Can problem-solving in Java programming benefit my overall programming proficiency?

Enhancing your problem-solving skills in Java translates to improved programming proficiency in general. The analytical mindset and structured problem-solving techniques you develop will prove valuable across various programming languages and domains.

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The Art of Problem Solving in Software Development: Beyond Technical Expertise Problem-solving in digital creation transcends basic coding skills, requiring a fusion of creativity, strategic thinking, and a deep understanding of technology and human needs.

By Vaibhav Sethi • Feb 20, 2024

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

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Problem-solving in digital creation transcends basic coding skills, requiring a fusion of creativity, strategic thinking, and a deep understanding of technology and human needs. In this complex realm, developers navigate the nuances of each challenge, exploring uncharted territories to discover innovative solutions. Their journey is marked by continuous learning and adaptation, constantly reimagining technological possibilities to meet evolving demands.

At the heart of this process lies the ability to understand a challenge's core, envision a range of possible solutions, and then skillfully craft code that addresses the present problem and anticipates future scenarios. This iterative approach, enriched by ongoing data and feedback, guides developers in continuously refining their solutions. The overarching goal is to create software that stands out in terms of functionality, efficiency, resilience, scalability, and user engagement.

Embracing a Multifaceted Skill Set

Solving problems in digital development transcends coding prowess. It encompasses various skills, including analytical reasoning, inventiveness, and clear communication. Developers must excel at deconstructing complex problems, often needing imaginative and unconventional solutions. Jagan Mohanraj, a veteran software architect, highlights this aspect: "In digital development, problem-solving is as much about creativity and strategic thinking as it is about technical knowledge. My work with the Build Health framework utilizing Microsoft Azure Appinsights is a testament to this approach."

Effective communication is also vital, especially in conveying intricate technical issues to stakeholders with diverse backgrounds. This ability is crucial in collaborative settings where multidisciplinary teams address complex challenges. "Clear communication is key in problem-solving, ensuring all parties grasp both the challenge and the solution," Mohanraj adds.

The Vital Role of Teamwork and Dynamics

In digital development, effective teamwork is essential for innovative problem-solving. Collaborative efforts combine varied perspectives and skills, often leading to more comprehensive solutions. Mohanraj observes, "Teamwork in problem-solving unites diverse viewpoints, vital for the best solutions in complex digital challenges."

The dynamics within a team significantly impact the problem-solving approach. Teams that cultivate open dialogue, mutual respect, and innovation readiness often surmount obstacles. Each team member feels valued and encouraged to contribute their insights and expertise in such environments, fostering a rich and creative problem-solving culture.

Navigating an Evolving Technological Landscape

The digital development domain is in constant flux, with emerging technologies and methodologies reshaping the landscape. For developers, this reality necessitates adaptability and an unwavering commitment to continuous learning. Mohanraj notes, "Staying adaptable and continually learning is critical in the dynamic field of digital development. Regularly reviewing the source code of Microsoft products and participating in events and technical forums helps me stay abreast of the latest developments and understand the nuances of problem-solving in this field."

Developers need to maintain a mindset that embraces exploration and flexibility, key traits for adapting to rapidly evolving technologies. This means being willing to delve into new programming languages, adopt various development methodologies, and stay abreast of emerging fields such as machine learning and blockchain technology. Such agility is crucial in positioning developers at the cutting edge, fully prepared to effectively address new and complex challenges.

Prioritizing the User in the Development Process

At the crux of problem-solving in digital development is the end-user. Grasping user needs and expectations is fundamental in crafting effective digital solutions. This user-centric approach ensures the software functions optimally and delivers a positive user experience. Mohanraj emphasizes, "Every solution we develop in digital development should always aim to serve the user, addressing their specific needs and expectations. Understanding the big picture and looking beyond immediate challenges to how solutions fit into the broader context of a project or system is key to effective problem-solving."

Engaging with users, understanding their challenges, and empathizing with their experiences are integral to this approach. It often involves user research, iterative testing, and feedback mechanisms to align the software with user requirements. By centering on the user, developers craft technically robust solutions while also being intuitive and engaging.

A Holistic View of Problem Solving in Digital Development

The art of problem-solving in digital development extends far beyond coding expertise and technical know-how. It involves a comprehensive approach that blends creativity, strategic vision, teamwork, adaptability, and a profound understanding of user needs.

As this field continues to evolve, these skills will become increasingly pivotal, guiding developers in their mission to forge impactful, innovative, and user-centric digital solutions.

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Wealth of Geeks

Robotics for Kids: The Future With AI and Robotics Education

R obotics for kids is an exciting and engaging way to introduce children to the world of technology, engineering, and programming. By getting into this interactive field, kids can develop essential skills such as creativity, problem-solving, and coding. It’s never too early for kids to explore their curiosity for robotics, as various robotic toys and kits cater to different ages and interests.

Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) focused and clever robotic toys help kids understand the science behind circuits and motion and inspire them to take on more challenging projects in the future. 

The Foundations of Robotics

When teaching kids about robotics, understanding the basics is the first part. Robotics is an exciting field combining STEM elements.

Let’s start with the core components that make up robotics:

  • Mechanical Engineering : This aspect deals with robot design, construction, and operation. It involves understanding materials, structures, and mechanisms that enable robots to perform various tasks, such as moving, grabbing, and interacting with objects.
  • Electrical Engineering : In this area, kids learn about electronic circuits and components that power robotic systems. They’ll explore topics such as voltage, current, and resistance, helping them grasp how electrical signals control a robot’s movements and functions.
  • Computer Programming : At the heart of a robot lies its ‘brain’ – a computer or microcontroller that processes information and sends commands to its mechanical and electrical components. Kids can create code that brings a robot to life by learning programming languages like Scratch or Python.

With these components covered, kids can create robots, experimenting with other designs and functions. 

Getting Started With Robotics

For beginners, it’s good to start with a simple design and building projects, like creating a bristlebot, a tiny robot made from a toothbrush head, a battery, and a small motor. This simple project introduces the basic concepts of robot design and encourages hands-on learning.

When explaining robotics to kids, maintain a casual tone and keep explanations relatable and straightforward. Encourage creativity, problem-solving, and critical thinking as crucial skills for thriving in robotics.

Choosing a Starter Robotics Kit

Consider investing in a starter robotics kit to make the initial jump enjoyable. Here are some popular options for various age groups:

  • LEGO Education WeDo 2.0
  • Dash Robot by Wonder Workshop
  • mBot by Makeblock
  • LEGO Mindstorms EV3

These kits typically come with clear instructions, software, and all the necessary components to build a functional robot. They offer a learning experience with simple, well-guided projects to help kids familiarize themselves with coding, electronics, and mechanics.

Considerations and Challenges in Robotics for Kids

While robotics offers kids an exciting gateway into technology and innovation, it will have some challenges and other considerations. 

Firstly, the cost can be a significant factor; not all families can easily access expensive robotics kits or resources. It’s vital to explore cost-effective alternatives or seek out community programs that provide access to robotics education. Robot kits have a wide price range, from beginner to more complex, so there is a right fit for every family. 

Additionally, supervision is crucial, especially for younger children. Working with electronic components and programming requires guidance to ensure safety and practical learning. 

Moreover, the learning curve varies from child to child. Some may grasp concepts quickly, while others need more time and patience. Recognizing these challenges helps us approach robotics education for children in a more supportive way, ensuring that every child can explore and learn at their own pace.

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Digging deeper into robotics.

For kids, programming is vital in helping them understand how to give robots the intelligence and capabilities to perform the desired tasks. Kids can start by learning block-based programming languages like Scratch, which provide an easy way to grasp coding concepts without syntax complexity.

Children can explore more advanced programming languages like Python and Java as they progress. Python is a versatile language favored by many for its readability and ease of use. In contrast, Java, though more complex, is widely used in various industries and provides a solid foundation for further learning.

This is a list of programming languages that can be used in robotics:

  • Scratch (block-based)

The Science Behind Robotics

Understanding science will help kids to comprehend robotics fully. The science behind robotics involves various fields, such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and mechanical engineering. By grasping these concepts, kids can further enhance their robotic creations and make them more advanced and efficient.

AI and machine learning, in particular, have been instrumental in making robots more adept at mimicking human behavior and learning from their environments. These technologies allow robots to analyze large data sets and draw new insights, enabling them to adapt and grow over time.

For instance, comparing AI, machine learning, and robotics can be as follows:

  • Key Focus: Simulating human intelligence in machines
  • Application in Robotics: Decision-making and pattern recognition
  • Key Focus: Algorithms that learn from data and improve over time
  • Application in Robotics: Autonomously adapting to new scenarios
  • Key Focus: Design, construction, and operation of robots
  • Application in Robotics: Physical implementation of AI and machine learning concepts

Taking Robotics to the Next Level

For kids who have already mastered the basics of robotics, various advanced projects can help them further deepen their understanding. By participating in more complex projects, they’ll enhance crucial skills like problem-solving, coding, and engineering .

Some advanced project ideas include:

  • Walking robots : Designing a robot that can walk using servo motors, microcontrollers, and sensors
  • Remote-controlled robots : Building a robot that can be controlled wirelessly through a smartphone or a custom remote control
  • Autonomous robots : Creating a self-driving robot that can navigate using different sensors, like ultrasonic or infrared

These projects provide a great learning experience and allow kids to showcase their creations to the community by sharing videos, participating in online forums, and entering robotics competitions.

Robotics in Real-Life Applications

Robotics isn’t just a fun hobby – it’s a growing field with a wide range of real-life applications that have the potential to make an immense impact. Here are some examples of where robotics is playing a vital role:

  • Self-driving cars : Companies like Tesla and Waymo are working on fully autonomous vehicles that rely on advanced robotics and artificial intelligence. Introducing kids to robotics can increase their interest in the technology powering these cars.
  • Manufacturing : Robotics is transforming the manufacturing industry by automating tasks, improving efficiency, and reducing the risk of human injuries. Familiarizing kids with robotics can prepare them for career opportunities.
  • NASA : Robotics is playing a significant role in space exploration, too. NASA uses robots like the Mars rovers to collect and analyze data from other planets, helping scientists learn more about our solar system.

Taking robotics to the next level helps kids hone their skills and exposes them to the vast possibilities of applying their knowledge to real-life scenarios. 

The Future of Robotics

In the coming years, we anticipate many breakthroughs in robotics and AI technology, leading to the development of more advanced and user-friendly robots. These innovations will significantly impact people’s everyday lives, including kids, who will grow up surrounded by technology and automation.

Children should be introduced to robotics at a young age or whenever they show interest in how things work. Encouraging kids to study topics related to robotics, AI, and technology will equip them with the necessary skills and spark their curiosity and creativity. 

Here are some aspects kids can focus on:

  • Coding : Learning to code helps build a strong foundation for understanding and interacting with robots and AI systems
  • STEM education : Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics are essential fields that contribute to advancing robotics and AI
  • Problem-solving : Developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills will enable kids to adapt to and understand the complexities of future technology

Integrating robots and AI will play a significant role in various sectors, such as education, healthcare, and transportation. 

For kids, this might translate into classrooms becoming more interactive with AI-driven teaching assistants that can customize learning experiences. Additionally, robotic toys could engage and stimulate creativity while teaching programming and other skills. There would also be a greater emphasis on technologically driven extracurricular activities, including robotic clubs and competitions.

As we wrap up, it’s clear that robotics isn’t just an excellent hobby for kids; it’s a window into a future filled with exciting possibilities. It’s more than just coding and gears; it sparks curiosity, builds problem-solving skills, and opens doors to creativity. 

There are hurdles like cost and the need for guidance, but these are small compared to the enormous benefits. By giving kids a head start in robotics, we’re not just keeping them busy with a fun activity. We’re preparing them for a world where technology is everywhere. And who knows? Today’s kids tinkering with robots could lead to the next big tech revolution.

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Robotics for Kids: The Future With AI and Robotics Education

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