Problem-Solving Simulation

BEH/225

Week 4 Assignment: Problem-Solving Simulation

Answer the following questions in 100 to 200 words each:

How did you interpret the problem?

The task was to move all of the animals across the river. There were setbacks with the task, though. I could not leave the cat and dog alone together, nor could I leave the cat and mouse alone together. The problem in each of these situations is the cat. So I had to determine in what order the animals had to be moved across the river without any of them being hurt. The real challenge wasn't moving the animals across the river - it was determining in what order to move the animals. So I had to determine the strategy.

What strategy did you use and how did you evaluate your progress?

The algorithm and trial and error problem solving methods are ones that describe my strategy in this simulation. While I had all of the information necessary to solve the problem, it was still a challenge to put it all together to accomplish the task. It required some critical thinking. I completed the exercise with two errors. I discovered after the second try that the animals could be moved back across the river again. I moved the cat across, then the dog, then taking the cat back with me. I then moved the mouse across the river, then returning to get the cat again - successfully moving all three across the river safely.

Did you encounter any obstacles while solving the problem?

The obstacle I battled was moving them all across safely. I was not aware that I could move the animals back across the river again after moving them once. Once I discovered that the animals could be moved back and forth to either side of the river, the obstacle was cleared and I was able to complete the activity.

Were you aware of this thought process as you worked through the problem?

Although I know that each person thinks differently, I did not really know that there were names for thinking processes. I tend to compare the good and bad in a situation and try to weigh the best way to go about handling it. After thinking a situation through, then I try to come up with a solution to the problem. Sometimes it is trial and error, because I may make mistakes and have to try again. Once I make the mistakes I try to very hard not to make them again.