web.pdx.edu/~rueterj/courses/objects/integrative-thinking.html

Integrative Thinking

Integrative thinking is looking for solutions

• Bring together many ideas from different areas

• Design plausible solutions

• Test a range of designs against multiple criteria

Integrative thinking involves individuals and groups

• Individuals with a range of cognitive skills and knowledge in different domains

  • cognitive skills such as dealing with systems, evaluating the importance of scale, etc

  • domains of knowledge might be academic disciplines such as chemistry or history, or might be non-academic practical areas such as farming, construction, etc.

• People who have the tacit knowledge to get things done

  • tacit knowledge could be the ability to launch and dock a boat or be able to talk to people in the field - learn by being exposed to these skills

• A group that can agree on what are the right things to do

• A group that can work together to take advantage of the diversity of skills, experience and values of the individuals on the project

Critical thinking is slightly different

• skills to define or critque problems

• uses many or new points of view or analysis

• often focuses on accountability for past or current environmental problems

• doesn't require action