The modeling process and creative thinking
James R. Evans, John McDowell McKinney · International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology · 1987
We focus on the modeling process in mathematics and operations research in order to provide educators and practitioners greater insight into the art of modeling, to discuss how creative thinking techniques can be incorporated into the process, and to encourage educators to experiment with new pedagogical ideas for teaching this subject. Specifically, we draw on a classroom experiment regarding the formulation of linear programs, and draw some conclusions on the relationship between problem definition and modeling. These are used to encourage the use of structured creative thinking in the modeling process.