Lecture Notes: Writing as a Problem-Solving Activity

Introduction

• Main Idea: Writing is a problem-solving activity relevant to all educational and professional contexts.
• Common Questions:
  • Why is writing necessary for university education?
  • How does it relate to my major or future career?

Writing as a Problem-Solving Activity

• Purpose of Writing: Helps describe, define, and solve problems.
• Relevance: Extends to personal and professional life.

Key Functions of Writing

1. Describing Problems

   • Example: Frustration with social media discussions on politics.
   • Writing clarifies the problem to oneself and others.

2. Defining Components of Problems

   • Distinguish aspects to keep and those to change (e.g., social media aspects).
   • Writing identifies and describes these components.

3. Considering Different Perspectives

   • Acknowledge and listen to differing views.
   • Writing helps articulate and advocate for your perspective.

4. Measuring Consequences of Perspectives

   • Evaluate if proposed solutions align with your goals.
   • Writing facilitates problem definition and solution proposal.

5. Recording and Rethinking

   • Writing logs current thoughts and prompts reconsideration.
   • Reflect on perspective shifts and solution effectiveness.

Benefits of Effective Writing

• Problem Solving: Improves ability to address important issues.
• Sharing Solutions: Offers others the opportunity to learn from and engage with your work.

Conclusion

• Writing is Active: Beyond recording ideas, it actively engages in problem-solving relevant to personal and professional endeavors.
• Learning to Write: Enhances problem-solving capabilities and fosters collaborative change-making.