Problem Solving Simulation Essay

Problem Solving Simulation
                                                                  Kurt Stevens
After reading all the instructions (and three failed attempts), it became clear to me that the only way the simulation would work was to bring the cat first, and then go back for the dog. Upon dropping the dog off, I took the cat back, dropped it off, and took the mouse to the side with the dog. Finally, I returned to the other side, picked up the cat, dropped it off with the dog and mouse, so all were transported safely to the other side (without being eaten). Therefore, instead of letting frustration set in, I used rational and critical thinking to solve the dilemma.
How did you interpret the problem?
The first thing was to read the situation, examine the picture, and then think of all the obvious possibilities (one at a time/trial and error). It was along the same lines as a process of elimination and after a few tries, the answer came to me. The tendency for some people is to become frustrated, and give up or claim it cannot be done. However, I am the type of person who keeps at it until I solve the problem. Therefore, to interpret the problem means to read, analyze, and comprehend the situation. Once this is done, then you can move on to figuring a way to solve the situation (which adheres to the information/instructions given).
What strategy did you use, and how did you evaluate your progress?
At first, I just did random trial and error attempts, but after the third try, it became obvious that it would take more thinking to solve this (although, using trial and error helped to eliminate certain ideas, which made a positive progression to find the correct method of solving the simulation). After leaving the dog and cat on one side, and the cat and mouse, it started to dawn on me that there can only be one animal transported along with the man. However, there was nothing stating that you could not transport one of the animals back to the original...