Last Updated on October 3, 2023 by Editorial Team
Hexagonal thinking is prevalent in the mainstream; however, theorists have yet to theorize the concept. It is a creation of the business world but has now transitioned into all educational institutes. While some understand the hexagonal framework through Gestalt’s principle – “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” Others view it as a visually stimulating technique to articulate thoughts into theories.
Hexagonal thinking is a top-tier active learning technique that improves creative thinking, critical thinking, logical reasoning, open-mindedness, and communication. However, how is it applied, why is it important, and what are its limitations?
The blog below addresses all of these questions while exploring the nature and implications of hexagonal thinking.
Hexagon Thinking: Exploring the “What”
A hexagon is a closed figure with six sides. Hexagonal thinking involves the creation of a map of interrelated concepts that provides a more visual and tangible form of thinking. Each hexagon refers to a specific idea, putting them side by side; hexagonal thinking allows individuals to form a web that explains their relationship.
One interesting fact about hexagon thinking is that no two people can come up with the same web of hexagons, or at least in their explanations. Hence, it involves both brainstorming and critical thinking on the thinker’s part.
Why is Hexagonal thinking critical?
Think about the 90s; what were some things that were specific to the 90s? Certain shows, cartoons, a distant memory, or a simple life. Hexagonal thinking involves thinking about all the sides of a concept or an event, whether good or bad. It also replicates the neural networks of our brains.
When two or more ideas are related, one neural network can activate another neural network or maybe more. Hence, individuals can note the related concepts and then join them to make them more tangible. It would be interesting to find out the connections that one wouldn’t have even imagined being on paper.
Hexagonal thinking is a catalyst for logical reasoning and perspective sharing. By creating a network of these interrelated concepts, hexagonal thinking can help students form essential ideas and theories.
How do you use Hexagonal thinking in the classroom?
A classroom is a place for all kinds of experiments. Teachers use discussions, reflections, and reflective reports to help children express their understanding. Hexagonal thinking can be a great addition to a classroom activity. Subjects like social sciences, maths, and science can perfectly accommodate the hexagonal way of thinking and even help children memorize essential facts and figures.
For instance, concepts like pollution can use hexagonal thinking to develop related ideas. Some ideas could be diseases, lack of concern for the planet, developed countries, depletion of natural resources, etc. A teacher can pick topics and ask students to apply hexagonal thinking to form ideas and theories about a phenomenon.
How can Hexagonal thinking impact the classroom?
Hexagonal thinking has been primarily used in workplaces; however, the concept has also been applied to the school. Curriculum designer, Betsy Potash developed the technique to target a range of cognitive skills of children.
1. Challenging
Hexagonal thinking is definitely going to be challenging for the students, the first time they do it. However, it’s something they will need help to do. Hence, a perfect blend of challenge and ease (in terms of the topic) would help them learn this technique.
2. Promotes divergent and critical thinking
Hexagonal thinking involves taking a six-way approach. If one concept has six related ideas, the others will have six more associated concepts. Hence, it’s up to the teacher and students to use the information to facilitate the creation of connections between more ideas.
3. Enrich the classroom with perspectives
If one group comes up with 20 hexagons and six groups in the class, then the course will have 120 hexagons to look at and different explanations to understand. This perspective-sharing will make the class more open-minded and engrossed in learning.
4. Engaging
Hexagonal thinking is a fun activity and there is no doubt one can pin it under the umbrella term active learning. Through this, students can fully engage in a fun, creative, and colorful thinking technique.
5. Enhances communication
Hexagonal thinking isn’t just about the creation of hexagons. It involves explaining the relationship behind the web of connections and placing individual hexagons together. Hence, individuals would have to interact and keep their point in front of a larger group.
6. Fosters team spirit
Learning how to work in groups takes time, and it is through activities like hexagonal thinking, that individuals learn to listen and combine individual perspectives to form one. It is a great team-building exercise, too, and can lead to long-term friendships between individuals.
7. Improves recall and retention
Better recall and retention is best explained through neural network theory. Just as a concept related to another idea is created in hexagonal thinking, a neural network associated with one can activate other(s) related to the other theory. Hence, retention and recall are most significant as several cues to recall are understood through hexagonal relationships.
Hexagon thinking: What does the research point say?
Studies have been replicated and supported using the hexagonal framework to better conceptualize and discuss. The study[1] by Anthony M. Hodgson found that hexagons visually facilitated the creation process of related concepts and bridged the gap between thoughts and models.
Hexagonal thinking supports several other meta-cognitive abilities and allows individuals to fully explore essential areas of the concept. The study[2] by Perla Rizalina M. Tayko and Udomsak Soponkij found that hexagonal thinking techniques enhanced the consciousness of the participants and allowed them to indulge in activities like strategic planning, negotiating, and organization assessments.
Conclusion
Hexagonal thinking has been a game-changer for teachers. Through the hexagonal format, students learn about teamwork, intelligent mapping, and classroom discussions. The same can also be made even more impactful by using certain motivational tools like quotes for team building.
Not only does it guarantee an excellent level of commitment and engagement, but it also leads to improvement in people skills like negotiation and accommodation of perspectives. Hence, hexagonal thinking can be an all-rounder technique for the holistic growth of children.
References
- Hodgson, A. M. (1992). Hexagons for systems thinking. European Journal of Operational Research, 59(1), 220–230. https://doi.org/10.1016/0377-2217(92)90019-6
- Tayko, R. P. M. (2011). The Power of Hexagon as an Organization Development Process | AU-GSB e-JOURNAL. http://www.assumptionjournal.au.edu/index.php/AU-GSB/article/view/494
I am Shweta Sharma. I am a final year Masters student of Clinical Psychology and have been working closely in the field of psycho-education and child development. I have served in various organisations and NGOs with the purpose of helping children with disabilities learn and adapt better to both, academic and social challenges. I am keen on writing about learning difficulties, the science behind them and potential strategies to deal with them. My areas of expertise include putting forward the cognitive and behavioural aspects of disabilities for better awareness, as well as efficient intervention. Follow me on LinkedIn