Theory of Constraints Creative Problem Solving

This book was written to assist professionals and students to become proactive in their own education, improve thinking, resolve personal and interpersonal conflicts, improve pedagogy, manage departmental affairs and guide administrative decisions. The text captures the practical experience of the authors with and formal training in TOC to address many of the issues facing today?s education stakeholders.

The text is designed to teach methods for 1) "win-win" conflict resolution, 2) decision-making, 3) problem solving, and 4) analysis of systems using TOC?s powerful logic-based graphical Thinking Process tools. A creative thinker can identify, plan and achieve his or her goals just knowing the Thinking Process Tools.

Foreword

Preface

Acknowledgments

Authors

Chapter 1: Introduction

Chapter 2: What to Change? Part 1: Branch, Current Reality Tree and Future Reality Tree

Chapter 3: What to Change? Part 2: Evaporating Clouds

Chapter 4: What to Change to?

Chapter 5: How to Cause the Change? Prerequisite Tree, Project Plan, and Transition Tree

Chapter 6: Five Focusing Steps in the Process of Ongoing Improvement (POOGI): Institutional Problem Solving

Chapter 7: Epilogue: How Did We Do?

Appendix: TOC for Education

Index

Dr. Umesh Nagarkatte received his Ph.D. in algebraic number theory from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York (CUNY) in 1976. He underwent dedicated Jonah training at the Avraham Goldratt Institute with two of his colleagues in 2002. The team became pioneers in higher education to implement the theory of constraints and thinking process tools by using the college as the system. He has been certified as a Facilitator by TOC for Education, Inc. (TOCfE).

Dr. Nagarkatte, with the assistance of coauthor Nancy Oley as editor and evaluator, received federal grants in 2001-2004, 2004-2007, 2005-2007, 2010-2013, 2012-2015, and 2013-2016 for using the theory of constraints (TOC)/thinking processes (TP) to address the problem of attrition. He has used TOC/TP with his fellow Jonah, Dr. Joshua Berenbom, to develop three textbooks - Prealgebra, Elementary Algebra, and Intermediate Algebra – adapting the Singapore model method to the college level. Oley and Nagarkatte started working on the current book on TOC/TP in 2010 to empower students, counselors, educators, and other stakeholders to work as a team to ensure student success.

Dr. Nagarkatte taught at the Borough of Manhattan Community College, CUNY, from 1971 to 1976. He recently retired as Professor of Mathematics from Medgar Evers College, CUNY, where he has taught since 1978. His research interests are in algebraic geometry; number theory; applications of mathematics to chemistry and environmental science, philosophy, and meditation; and applying the TOC/TP to all areas of interest.

Dr. Nancy Oley received her Ph.D. in experimental psychology from Columbia University and did postdoctoral work in neurophysiology at Florida State University and in neuropsychology at Teachers College, Columbia University. She studied TOC at the Avraham Goldratt Institute and Washington State University, and is currently certified as a Jonah by the Theory of Con