2 Problem Scoping
The Problem Scoping Process
In this guide, we will walk you through the process of considering how to scope a problem for participants of your short-duration learning experience to work through. This process can be generated for students completing a case competition, for students completing a design thinking challenge, or for students completing the experiential learning component of a larger course. Typically, the idea behind this type of short-duration learning experience is to focus on presenting participants with a real-world problem that requires a variety of skills to either fix or improve. Many design-challenge focused short-duration learning experiences try to present students with “wicked” problems (read more about wicked problems here).
Choosing what problem students will focus on is truly an art form; if the problem is too specific, students will feel overly constrained. Many students turn to alternative education styles like short-duration learning experiences to experience more creativity in their learning, and an overly scoped problem can turn away potential participants. On the other hand, if a problem is too large, students will feel frustrated when they discover the problem is “unsolvable.” They will complete the program feeling somewhat defeated or they might question their skills. Picking the “sweet spot” of breadth may be challenging but it is well worth the effort.
To create a challenge that is interesting to participants, ensure that there is an interconnectedness between the chosen problem and your participants. Participants need to be able to comprehend and build on the chosen problem set. One way we accomplish this goal at MacChangers is by hiring individuals within our chosen target population and co-collaborating with them to develop topical and relevant problems. We then give our team a theme area relating to one of four topics: Health, Environmental Sustainability, City Planning and Infrastructure, and Supporting Small Businesses. Our team members are then encouraged to look into topics and ideas that have any kind of relationship to their theme area. They gather some data and current news topics and present them to the team. See appendix A for guiding questions our students base their inquiry off of. Based on what is gathered, a subset of topics is chosen through collaboration as a team. This process takes us around 2 weeks; we find it is important to ensure the inclusion of multiple points of view before going ahead with one final choice of challenge. After narrowing down potential challenge candidates, we then connect with key stakeholders and subject-matter experts to further inform our problem. See our guide on connecting with stakeholders for more information about our process.
When brainstorming with stakeholders, quantity over quality is preferred. Topics relevant in the press can be old news to the people engaging in the issue every day; however, they can spark ideas or lead our discussions