Textile Teaching & Learning Initiative

Decision-making is an informed selection of a solution for a problem. Important elements of this process include considering a range of alternatives and developing criteria to help choose the best approach.

Students Possess a variety of decision-making styles

• Intuitive ­ choice feels right.
• Planning ­ uses a rational approach balancing between cognitive and emotional weighing of factors to determine best choice.
• Impulsive - Involves little thought or examination, chooses the first alternative.
• Delaying - postpones thought and action.
• Fatalistic - lets someone else decide, leaving it up to fate.
• Dependent - lets someone else decide, following someone else's plans.

Increase Effectiveness when teaching by : Incorporating curriculum elements where students need to make decisions regarding content-related problems. Instruct students in decision-making approaches. Here are some steps that you may wish to include in a teaching approach:

1. Define the decision to be made.
2. Gather the necessary information.
3. List all possible alternatives.
4. Consider possible outcomes for each alternative.
5. Consider your intuition about each of the alternatives.
6. Identify a clear criterion that accurately identifies the conditions that the selected alternatives need to meet.
7. Assign ratings and/or numerical values to each criterion.
8. From the possible alternatives, choose one.
9. Based on your reactions to the selected alternative, refine criteria. Goal is for alternative with the highest score to be the alternative you prefer.
10. After choosing your best alternative, determine how you will realize your solution. What actions need to be taken? Develop a timetable.
11. Evaluate your progress periodically. Change your decision if necessary.

Textile-Related Examples

Decision making skills can be modeled as part of an in-class formatted discussion . For example, the students can be given a question such as "Which natural fiber would you choose to make a rope out of?" The students split into groups of 2 to 3 students and look through their notes to compare thedifferent fibers discussed and their respective properties. The students usually find that there are several possibilities. Therefore, they must develop decision-making criteria based on what properties they deem to be most important, such as strength and abrasion resistance. After the groups have made their decisions they discuss them with the professor and the rest of the class. Choices are discussed according to how well they fulfill the requirements for the end-use, such as in terms of strength, flexibility and hand. By discussing the choices in class, the students learn how to consider all options before making an informed decision.

Resources:

-http://www.mcgill.ca/artscisao/advising/decision/

Contains a worksheet to guide decision-making.

-http://worksearch.gc.ca/english/index.pl?tid=14&sid=mNQLz4oHA9YEZZ

Contains a 10 Step approach for better decision-making.

-http://www.cba.uri.edu/Scholl/Notes/Decision_Making_Models.htm

Explores ways criteria are developed, including possible problem areas in criteria development. Addresses the ways conflict impact the decision-making process.