Six-Hats Problem-Solution-Research Essay Assignment

THE SIX-HATS PROBLEM/SOLUTION RESEARCH/ESSAY ASSIGNMENT (Note due dates below in bold type)





 Pick a problem that needs a solution.

 Research the current published discussion of the problem.

 Take notes and document sources.

 Apply a six-hats approach to analyzing the problem and, later, the solutions you consider

endorsing.

 Select a proposal to endorse from among those already on the table. Choose the proposal that

you think is the best available at this time, or propose an original solution to the problem, one

that, as far as you know, hasn't yet been proposed.

 Prepare an outline.

 Write your essay.



THE PAPER



 Your essay should be three-to-five pages in length.

 Your paper must be typed: handwritten first drafts will not be accepted.

 You must follow MLA format and citation guidelines.

 You must cite at least five different sources in your paper and include a works cited page.

 You must organize your essay as prescribed by the following organizational strategy.

 Due Dates:

o Finish research by Monday (11/16)

o Outline of paper by Wednesday (11/18)

o First Draft by Tuesday (11/24)



Introduction:



Describe the problem. You may illustrate the problem via examples or an anecdote. You may use

statistics to explain the severity of the problem. You may give a brief historical overview of the problem.

You may define the problem. Your introduction should lead to your thesis statement, which will be your

"should" statement, in which you indicate what should be done about the problem and who should do it.



Body:



Part 1—Explain why the problem you have chosen to write about is a problem that needs to be solved.

Explain how you know that what you are referring to as a problem really is a problem—introduce your

evidence. Explain why the problem exists and who the problem affects. If you can, identify who or what

is responsible for the problem.



Part 2—Identify the pros and cons of possible solutions (other than the one you will recommend).



Part 3—Present your solution and explain why it is the best solution to the problem. Acknowledge any

limitations inherent in the solution you propose (it doesn't have to be a perfect solution, just one that

you think is the best among the solutions possible). Anticipate and address objections that others might

have to your proposal: you earn credibility by demonstrating awareness of what others may find

objectionable in your proposal, and there is always somebody who objects (or would or will object) to

whatever you propose. In most cases, you may have to admit that some of the objections have merit

and are reasonable. Nonetheless, you must explain why those objections should not warrant a rejection

of your proposal.



Conclusion:



The following are strategies you might consider for concluding your essay:



End with a bookend strategy. Revisit the examples, anecdotes, and/or statistics you presented in your

introduction.



End with a call for action. What should your reader do, if anything, to promote your solution? Who

should do what? Should the government play a role in solving the problem?



End with a prediction. What will the future look like if the problem you identify is not solved? What will

the future look like if your proposal is adopted and the problem is solved?



End with a question. What might you leave the reader to ponder now that you have presented your

case?



End with a quotation that illustrates your point.



End with a strong contrast. How is the future we can expect if your solution is applied to the problem

different from the future we are headed for if the problem remains unsolved?



End with a final illustration. What parting scene can you leave with the reader to drive home the

importance of solving the problem?

THE SIX HATS







Blue Hat: Applies to the entire project



 Make sure you know the specifics of the assignment: due dates, length,



format requirements. How long do you estimate it will take you to complete



this assignment?



 Remember to allow time to research the problem, decide what solution you



will propose, organize your thoughts, and write the first draft.



 How many hours of work do you expect this assignment to take?



 What do you need to do to make sure you have that amount of time



available to you?



 How, specifically, do you plan to research the topic?



 What sources can you use, and how will you determine if they are credible?



 What, if anything, do you already know, personally, about the problem for



which you are to propose a solution?



 Do you know anyone more familiar than you are with the problem who can



provide you with some helpful insight?





White Hat: Applies to both the problem and the solution



 What exactly are the known facts surrounding the problem?



 What are merely assumptions and hypotheses that cannot be treated as



facts?



 Who is associated with the problem (and perhaps responsible for it)?



 Who must be part of the solution you propose?



 Is the problem widely known and acknowledged?

 Are there any solutions that have already been proposed or actually



attempted?



 How successful have previous solutions been when applied to the problem?



 Are there any controversies attached either to definitions of the problem or



to proposals already on the table?



 What are the costs (of any kind) associated with not solving the problem;



what are the costs (of any kind) associated with solving the problem?



 How long will it take for your proposal to solve the problem?





Red Hat: Applies to both the problem and the solution



 Who is affected by the problem?

 Who will be affected by the solution?

 About the problem and/or the possible solutions: What might people worry

or get angry about; what might they fear?

 What positive emotions are attached to either the problem or the possible

solutions?

 Who might experience a sense of loss should the problem be solved?

 Who might experience a sense of loss if a solution is applied to the problem?



Green Hat: Applies to the solution



 What solutions have not already been proposed that could work?

 Who (or what) could be recruited to participate in the solution to the

problem that would not ordinarily come to mind as an effective participant?

 What creative partnerships could be formed to apply a solution?



Yellow Hat: Applies to the solution



 What is the best-case result if your proposal is adopted?

 What is the best-case scenario if the problem gets solved?

 Why is your proposal the best proposal for how to solve the problem?

 Why would the benefits of solving the problem outweigh the costs of not

solving it?

 What additional benefits might the solution produce beyond just eliminating

the specific problem?



Black Hat: Applies both to the problem and the solution



 Is the problem you propose to solve really a problem?

 Why might your proposal not succeed—what could go wrong or hinder the

success of your proposal?

 Why are the "other" proposals not as good as the one you offer?

 Why might your proposal not be as good as you would like it to be—what is it

missing?

 What is the worst-case result if your proposal gets adopted?

 What is the worst-case scenario if the problem gets solved?

 Who might object to your proposal to solve the problem?

 Who might be harmed or otherwise disadvantaged by your proposal?

 What hidden costs might turn your solution to the problem into a new

problem that will itself need solved?

 How practical, really, is your proposed solution—can it really be applied, or is

your proposal merely theoretical and fanciful?

 If your proposed solution to the problem fails, what are the likely reasons

that it could fail?