INVENT

Continue reading ‘ASQm @ 4PM (13 Jun 2009)’

I just read this article about the Ministry of Education  hiring a group of experts from the Israel Center for Excellence through Education to train “hundreds of Singaporean educators teaching in dozens of schools selected by the Education Ministry” to implement the Excellence 2000 Abroad program to encourage creativity and independent thought among students in Singapore, at an annual cost of $10,000 (in USD, presumably).

And here’s what Hezki Arieli, the chairman of the Center for Excellence, said about this new intiative which is likely to herald the next wave of education in Singapore:

“I asked the Singaporean education minister why they wanted to buy our educational program when their students reach the top spots in international tests.  He explained that education in Singapore is characteristic of revision for exams, memorization and practice, but the students lack the creativity, independent thinking and entrepreneurship that would prepare them for life.  The minister told me they hold Israeli excellence, that is expressed in high-tech, science and technology, in high esteem.”

This article reminded me of a speech given by NLB’s former Chief Executive, Dr Christopher Chia, at one of the Staff Forum sessions when I first joined as a Librarian in 2000. If I recalled correctly, he was narrating an anecdote about education in Singapore (though I have forgotten the context for doing so), and it goes something like this:

When a child comes home after school in Singapore, his parents are likely to ask, “What did you learn today? How did you do for your tests?“. In contrast, an Israeli parent is more likely to ask, “What questions did you ask in school today?“.

All these years, this story stayed in my head, from the time I spent as a librarian manning the information counter, to my involvement in the Ask Stupid Questions innovation programme.  

Recently, when I recited this little anecdote to my colleagues as we brainstormed about ways and means to expand the ASQ Movement  into phase 2 in 2009, I was asked by Prabhjit if there was any factual basis for it. A fair enough question, since this might go into our published marketing collaterals, I thought, but I left it on my back burner. Until today.

So I put on my research cap, and eventually narrowed the results (mostly anecdotal) down a Powerpoint presentation which attributed the famous anecdote to the 1944 Noble laureate in physics, Isidor Isaac Rabi (1898–1988).  I then dug a little deeper and found his anecdote about asking questions in two books:

Teaching for Intelligence
By Barbara Z. Presseisen
Published by Corwin Press, 2007
ISBN 1412955556, 9781412955553
Note: This title is not available in NLB libraries, but the NIE Library has 2 copies.

, from which I cite this passage:

My mother made made me a scientist without ever intending it. Every other Jewish mother in Brooklyn would ask her child after school, “So? Did you learn anything today?” But not my mother. She always asked me a different question. “Izzy,” she would say, “did you ask a good question today?” That difference – asking a good question – made me become a scientist.

Other titles which referenced I.I.Rabi’s story include:

Why Are School Buses Always Yellow?: Teaching for Inquiry, Pre K-5
By John Barell
Published by Corwin Press, 2007
ISBN 1412957338, 9781412957335
[Story in context]

The Five Faces of Genius: Creative Thinking Styles to Succeed at Work
By Annette Moser-Wellman
Published by Penguin, 2002
ISBN 0142000353, 9780142000359
Call No.: 658.4 MOS -[BIZ]
Available at Ang Mo Kio and Toa Payoh Public Libraries
[Story in context]

So for those of you who are parents, don’t forget to ask you kids, “What questions did you ask today?“. For those of you who are supervisors or employers sending your staff to our workshops, don’t forget to ask them, “What Stupid Question did you ask today?“. Better still, ask them every week or every day.

Damien Wang
Librarian & Head of Research
INVENT

Nineteen kids ranging from 9-12 years of age participated in the inaugaural Ask Stupid Questions (ASQ Kids!) at the Central Public Library this afternoon.

Facilitated by one of the ASQ facilitators, Miss Haryani Othman, the kids went through the “kids’ version” of the ASQ methodologies used in the usual ASQ workshops meants for working adults.

Questions like “What if cleaners are like Kung Fu masters?” and “How can teachers be like Jackie Chan?” were created by the kids, who enjoyed the interactive one-hour session.

The whole idea was to instill creativity in those kids and to show that stupid questions are not necessary stupid afterall. Towards the end of the session, the kids were shown several real-life examples of “stupid questions” that has “clever endings”.  Following that, a Children’s Librarian from the Central Public Library shared with the kids of several avenues that the kids could approach, should they need to ask questions or look for resources.

Agents Hazriq & Athena went back to pre-school today. While students of yesteryears may have been discouraged from asking stupid questions (or even reprimanded for doing so), our Agents discovered that the preschool educators of today are not shy about Asking Stupid Questions. Here are some of the winning Stupid Questions and the ideas generated as a result:

SQ: What if MCARE is on air?
Idea: MTP on Air

SQ: What if Education is a toilet roll?
Idea: Learning @ Toilet

SQ: How can the curriculum all be Maths?
Idea: M T ==> Maths Tech

SQ: What if teacher is Madonna?
Idea: Rockie Teacher

As you can see, these teachers were *very* enthusiastic at asking stupid questions:

Agents Prabhjit and Saravanan hosted the afternoon workshop for 20 participants from a research firm today, and the winning idea was “What if <name of company big-wig> allows gaming during office hours?”.

The group members came up with the idea of having their boss allowing them to reformat the way they present their research ideas to their customers. The offices will be converted to game rooms and customers will be asked to play a game. It is through these modified games that the staff provide the research ideas to the clients.  This method of presenting research solutions forms an integral part of coming up with new ways to serve customers.

Here are the other Stupid Questions, and ideas generated as a result:
SQ:  “What if our work areas are like Changi Airport?”

Idea: The members of this group wanted their work areas to be designed like Changi Airport. There will be light music, beautiful scenery with potted plants and facilities such as food outlets shopping outlets and many more. By having such an arrangement, customers who come over , on top of getting their research solutions, would also be able to enjoy the added facilities. This is beneficial for the internal customers too.

This change in working environment forms an integral part of coming up with new ways to serve customers.

SQ: “What if researchers think like Steven Spielberg?”

Idea: The members of this group wanted their researchers to think like Steven Spielberg.  Steven Spielberg is someone associated with creativity and has got the will power to get the job done. Similarly, if researchers are made to think like Steven Spielberg, creativity would be encouraged. Researchers would inculcate attitude to get a good job done.

This would constitute a new way of serving customers due to improvised method of getting the job done.

SQ: “How can <our division> work like an energy-saving light?”

Idea: When we look at an energy-saving light, we can see that it’s a result of innovation and lots of hard work. Similarly, the staff at this research firm would like to have process-driven methods of working incorporated in their daily work processes. They want to work, thinking out of the box, providing maximum benefit that will be passed on to their customers.

This change in working methodology forms an integral part of coming up with new ways to serve customers.