Problem Solving Skills for Business and Innovation. Learn how to analyze, evaluate, and solve complex problems from all disciplinary perspectives

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105 ratings

A/Professor Iain Hay

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Solving Complex Problems SpecializationMacquarie University

About this Specialization

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SOLVING COMPLEX PROBLEMS will teach you revolutionary new problem-solving skills. Involving lectures from over 50 experts from all faculties at Macquarie University, we look at solving complex problems in a way that has never been done before. This specialization uses the framework of Big History which synthesizes knowledge across the sciences and the humanities, and provides a powerful foundation to think and research in new ways. Big History has been embraced as an important global framework by the World Economic Forum (WEF). Presentations at WEF by Professor David Christian, one of the creators of this specialization, have included ‘Interdisciplinary Approaches to Solving 21st Century Challenges’ (Davos 2012), ‘Big History for Big Picture Thinking’ (Davos 2014), and ‘Big History, Big Decisions’ (Tianjin 2014). In 2015, the WEF Annual Meeting in Davos had four sessions devoted to Big History including three interdisciplinary ‘Big History, Big Future’ panels on cooperation, innovation, and global growth and stability. These interdisciplinary discussion panels were the inspiration for this Solving Complex Problems Specialization.

Applied Learning Project

To solve complex problems, whether it is the challenge of developing a new product, or Einstein’s task of trying to explain how gravity worked - and literally everything else in between - it is not enough to take the problem and apply already existing skills. The skill that has always led to big breakthroughs in any field or industry is the skill of seeing something in a new way. That is the vital skill you will learn in this Coursera specialization.

From the very start of the specialization, your assignments will be geared toward tackling a complex issue of your choice which you face in your career path, industry, or field. Each phase of the course builds up to a briefing paper that analyzes, evaluates, and attempts to solve a highly complex problem. The specialization advances your knowledge of your own field by teaching you to look at it in new ways and it fosters your own revolutionary new innovations.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online courses

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Flexible Schedule

Set and maintain flexible deadlines.

Beginner Level

Approximately 6 months to complete

Suggested pace of 2 hours/week

English

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Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online courses

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Flexible Schedule

Set and maintain flexible deadlines.

Beginner Level

Approximately 6 months to complete

Suggested pace of 2 hours/week

English

Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?

Try Coursera for Business

See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills

Learn more about Coursera for Business

How the Specialization Works

Take Courses

A Coursera Specialization is a series of courses that helps you master a skill. To begin, enroll in the Specialization directly, or review its courses and choose the one you'd like to start with. When you subscribe to a course that is part of a Specialization, you’re automatically subscribed to the full Specialization. It’s okay to complete just one course — you can pause your learning or end your subscription at any time. Visit your learner dashboard to track your course enrollments and your progress.

Hands-on Project

Every Specialization includes a hands-on project. You'll need to successfully finish the project(s) to complete the Specialization and earn your certificate. If the Specialization includes a separate course for the hands-on project, you'll need to finish each of the other courses before you can start it.

Earn a Certificate

When you finish every course and complete the hands-on project, you'll earn a Certificate that you can share with prospective employers and your professional network.

There are 4 Courses in this Specialization

Course1

Course 1

Analysing Complexity

4.5

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140 ratings

The first course of the specialization ANALYZING COMPLEXITY will teach you what unifying patterns lie at the core of all complex problems. It advances your knowledge of your own field by teaching you to look at it in new ways.

ANALYZING COMPLEXITY is constructed in the following way: Week I. "What is Complexity?" - What is at the core of all complex problems Week II. "Complex Physical Systems" - What complex problems all have in common in the inanimate world Week III. "Complex Adaptive Systems" - What complex problems all have in common in nature Week IV. "Complex Cultural Systems" - What complex problems all have in common in human society Week V. "Complexity, Fragility, and Breakdown" - Why complex problems arise Week VI. "Complexity in the Anthropocene" - What complex problems face us today

Course2

Course 2

Evaluating Problems

4.7

stars

45 ratings

The second course of the specialization EVALUATING PROBLEMS will show you how humans think and how to utilize different disciplinary approaches to tackle problems more effectively. It advances your knowledge of your own field by teaching you to look at it in new ways.

EVALUATING PROBLEMS is constructed in the following way: Week I. “Thinking about Thinking” – How problem solving evolved in nature, how the mechanics of our brains work, and the psychological biases that can emerge when we think. Week II. “Philosophy, Science, and Problem Solving” – How humans have historically approached problem solving, from ancient times to the present. Week III. “Approaching Problems in the Natural Sciences” – How people in the natural sciences deconstruct problems. Week IV. “Statistics and Problem Solving” – How statistics can be used to evaluate problems and think critically. Week V. “Approaching Problems in the Humanities” – How people in the social sciences and humanities deconstruct problems. Week VI. “Evaluating the Anthropocene” – How to evaluate the problems of the Anthropocene.

Course3

Course 3

Creating Innovation

4.7

stars

49 ratings

The third course of the specialization CREATING INNOVATION will teach you what is at the core of all innovations that solve complex problems and how to foster methods to make big breakthroughs possible. It advances your knowledge of your own field by teaching you to look at it in new ways.

CREATING INNOVATION is constructed in the following way: Week I. “What is Innovation?” – What lies at the core of all innovations. Week II. “The Evolution of Human Creativity” – How humans developed the ability to innovate and think creatively. Week III. “Innovation in a Complex Global Network” – How innovations emerge from human networks. Week IV. “Planning Innovation” – How organisations seek out and create the right conditions for new breakthroughs. Week V. “Market Innovation” – What makes innovations more likely to emerge in a market setting. Week VI. “Innovation in the Anthropocene” – How innovations are crucial to meet the problems of the 21st century.

Course4

Course 4

Solving Complex Problems Capstone

4.3

stars

23 ratings

From the very start of the specialization, your assignments will be geared toward tackling a complex issue of your choice that you face in your career path, industry, or field. Each phase of the course builds up to a briefing paper that analyzes, evaluates, and attempts to solve a highly complex problem. Not only does this course teach you a skill set, but it puts you further down the road in understanding the problems of your chosen field. It advances your knowledge of your own field by teaching you to look at it in new ways. This is the CAPSTONE where the scaffolding of our problem solving and innovation skills will bear fruit in a series of preparatory assignments to make your briefing paper as effective as possible.

Instructor

A/Professor Iain Hay

Director, Professional Learning and Engagement

Macquarie School of Education

128,701 Learners

8 Courses

Offered by

Macquarie University

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the refund policy?
If you subscribed, you get a 7-day free trial during which you can cancel at no penalty. After that, we don’t give refunds, but you can cancel your subscription at any time. See our full refund policy.
Can I just enroll in a single course?
Yes! To get started, click the course card that interests you and enroll. You can enroll and complete the course to earn a shareable certificate, or you can audit it to view the course materials for free. When you subscribe to a course that is part of a Specialization, you’re automatically subscribed to the full Specialization. Visit your learner dashboard to track your progress.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.
Can I take the course for free?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free. If you cannot afford the fee, you can apply for financial aid.
Is this course really 100% online? Do I need to attend any classes in person?
This course is completely online, so there’s no need to show up to a classroom in person. You can access your lectures, readings and assignments anytime and anywhere via the web or your mobile device.
Will I earn university credit for completing the Specialization?
This Specialization doesn't carry university credit, but some universities may choose to accept Specialization Certificates for credit. Check with your institution to learn more.
What background knowledge is necessary?
This course is for everyone: from any level of expertise, any field, any industry, any discipline. And for good reason. It teaches skills that enhance your work and endeavours, regardless of who you are. If you want to perform better in your career, to innovate in your field, and to improve your future prospects - take this course!
Do I need to take the courses in a specific order?
While it is most effective to take the courses in order so that you may scaffold and build a solution to a complex problem in your career or field, you can still derive a great deal of value from the individual courses. Course one teaches you what is at the core of all complex problems, course two teaches you all about what drives critical thinking, and course three teaches you how to innovate more effectively.
What will I be able to do upon completing the Specialization?
Turning the crystal allows us to see the same problem refracted in different ways and at different scales. The multi-disciplinary perspective of Big History allows us to do this because it explores familiar problems from different, and often unfamiliar, perspectives. Different perspectives offer new insights, and the synergies between those insights can help us understand familiar problems more deeply.
You will learn to view problems at multiple scales. The deep problems of our epoch involve long term trends and all the disciplines. These complex problems are more easily understood if explored in a way that does that broad scope and multi-disciplinary perspective justice. Political and financial decisions will be taken by politicians and entrepreneurs thinking of the next election or the next quarterly report. But we must look further ahead. To understand the deep problems of our times, we need to be able to view change on much larger scales. Not just on a short-sighted timescale, not just from the perspective of a single discipline.
In this specialization, you will see what a mathematician, or a biologist, or a financial analyst brings to a particular problem. How would a mathematician approach the problem? How would a biologist? How would a financial analyst approach things? Or a lawyer? Or a political scientist? And, most crucially, what common points do they all share? A synthesis of the collective learning of all disciplines is crucial to unraveling the complex problems that face us today.
By teaching you how to Turn the Crystal when facing new problems, this Coursera specialization will equip you with the skills you will need to understand complexity, problem-solving, and innovation, at multiple scales and from multiple perspectives. It will help you achieve a deeper and richer level of understanding of profound aspects of today’s world

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Solving Complex Problems Specialization

About this Specialization

Applied Learning Project