Beyond the Brain: Creative Problem-Solving for Instructional Designers & Technologists 
 

Where: Four Points Sheraton Hotel and Conference Center
1125 Boston Providence Turnpike
Norwood, Massachusetts 
Directions

Registration Fee:
NERCOMP Member: $130
Non-Member: $260
 

Event Overview

Instructional design and technology professionals face a common situation: we solve learning and technology problems, and often our solutions must be creative.

We apply elbow grease and brainpower, but we’re often flummoxed.
• First, it’s hard to get all the relevant details.
• Then there’s too much information for us to process: we get ‘stuck in the weeds.’
• Finally, the flash of creative insight we often need can just be lacking.

Research in fact tells us that brainpower or ‘analytical thinking’ often doesn’t arrive at a solution that’s creative.

The root of the problem is that our system for complex logical thinking doesn’t line up neatly with the way our perception, emotions, and memories work.
• Humans only store some information as facts and concepts.
• More information is remembered as stories and procedures.
• The stories are laden with emotions.
• And the procedures–what we do every day–aren’t readily accessible to recall and description.

In this workshop, you will learn about the science behind these conflicts between logical thinking and our emotional and perceptual processes, and you’ll learn two core techniques to get past the deadlocks of brain-based problem-solving.
• Facilitative interviewing offers a way to explore the emotions and stories behind the technical problems we need to solve: the human side.
• Information visualization can help us to organize information so that our incredible human visual processing can do the heavy lifting. Session Outcomes Participants will practice:
• Interviewing to discover the unspoken behavioral and emotional drivers behind technology problems;
• Visualizing relevant data in multiple ways to make complex problems susceptible to our perceptual processing;
• Perceiving patterns and gaps in visualizations to identify the place where creative solutions need to emerge; and
• Leveraging daydreaming and even distraction to promote creativity. 

Registration Cancellation Policy:
By clicking on the "Order Now" button, you are indicating a commitment to attend and will be held responsible for the registration fee. Your fee can be refunded if you notify us of a cancellation at least 8 days prior to the event via email to nercomp@nercomp.org.

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