Use of Models in Reverse Thinking

Abstract

 The fact that students tend to somewhat ignore the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) subjects can be linked to their belief that the knowledge given in school on these subjects are hopelessly out of date, useless in everyday practice, and therefore, they lack motivation. This belief gets even stronger since the Internet is full with answers and ready-made solutions to handle all the question viewed during the study process. Comprehension of the subject and other things become insignificant if the subject itself is considered useless. For the subject not to be absolutely rejected, each course should include the basic philosophy, structure, and the themes currently viewed in the field as well as the necessary minimum to start getting acquainted with the topicalities of the subject. It is obvious that in a STEM subject (the study courses of STEM subjects have less or almost enough information to start getting acquainted with the topicalities) the comprehension is important. If it lacks, the student starts to dislike and reject the subject. This is also true in everyday life when encountering new concepts, relations, engineer technical solutions, etc., new things. Therefore, alongside building motivation, means of gaining comprehension must be found and knowledge must be used not only in the field of the given subject. For this purpose, reverse thinking is the useful as described in this paper. If someone has the ability to reduce matters of a subject to fit other things of other persons or things previously known to him/her, it is an example of only restricted reverse thinking. If the person has the ability to do so unintentionally in any situation, it can be called reverse thinking as we understand it. Practice of creation and usage of the models in a given subject + models in other subjects and demonstration how this approach is used universally and intentionally show that this approach let you understand a lot of new things, gradually habituates to unintentional use the models and helps to “understand the idea,” and finally, leading to subconscious use of the models. Reverse thinking is one of phenomenons typical to the human brain and, as the eight years long practice shows (see http://www.goerudio.com), is actually possible. Students are able to create models that answer the question “why,” but the created model basis allows inventing or re-discovering the same thing again. This already is an experimental result and is available in the public space (see http://www.goerudio.com), showing the student models for STEM subject