Digital Scenario Challenge: The Unexpected Equipment Failure

Scenario:

Your team is preparing for a busy day at a dental office. The first patient is due in 15 minutes for a routine filling. Suddenly, the main dental chair's light, which is essential for detailed work, stops functioning. The maintenance technician is not available immediately, and your supervisor is currently assisting another dentist in a different room and cannot be disturbed right away.

Your Task (as a Team):

Work together to apply the Responsible Decision-Making Model to this situation. Discuss each step and record your team's thoughts and decisions on the Shared Solution Document.

Responsible Decision-Making Model Steps:

1. Identify the Problem: Clearly define what has happened and the immediate concerns.
   
   
   
   

2. Gather Information: What do you observe? What are the potential risks? What resources (colleagues, available manuals, other equipment) might you need?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

3. Brainstorm Solutions: What are all the possible ways your team could address this problem? Think broadly and don't judge ideas yet.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

4. Evaluate Solutions: For each brainstormed solution, consider the pros and cons. Think about:

   • Impact: How will it affect patient care, appointment schedule, and team efficiency?
   • Resources: Do you have the necessary tools, information, and available team members?
   • Patient Experience: How will this affect the patient's comfort and trust?
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

5. Choose the Best Solution & Act: Select the solution your team believes is most responsible and effective. Outline the immediate steps your team will take.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

6. Develop a Contingency Plan: What if your primary solution doesn't work? What's your backup plan?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

7. Review and Reflect (for later): How will you know if your solution was successful? What could be learned for next time?
   
   
   
   

Remember to consider all aspects of a professional workplace, including communication protocols, teamwork, and patient well-being, as you develop your solution!

Team Solution Document: The Unexpected Equipment Failure

Team Members:

Our Problem-Solving Process

Scenario Reminder: The Unexpected Equipment Failure

Your team is preparing for a busy day at a dental office. The first patient is due in 15 minutes for a routine filling. Suddenly, the main dental chair's light, which is essential for detailed work, stops functioning. The maintenance technician is not available immediately, and your supervisor is currently assisting another dentist in a different room and cannot be disturbed right away.

1. Identify the Problem

What is the immediate problem? What are the potential risks and consequences?

2. Gather Information

What observations did your team make? What information do you need, and where would you find it? (e.g., colleagues, available manuals, other equipment, internal protocols)

3. Brainstorm Solutions

List all the possible solutions your team considered. (Aim for at least 3-5 ideas)

4. Evaluate Solutions

For your top 2-3 brainstormed solutions, describe the pros and cons, considering impact on patient care, appointment schedule, and team efficiency.

Solution A:

Pros:

Cons:

Solution B:

Pros:

Cons:

5. Choose the Best Solution & Act

Which solution did your team choose? Why? What are the immediate steps you would take?

6. Develop a Contingency Plan

What is your backup plan if your primary solution doesn't work as expected?

7. Review and Reflect (Self-Assessment)

How would you know if your solution was successful? What lessons did your team learn from this problem-solving exercise?

Teacher Script: Solving Problems on the Job

Introduction (Do Now - 5 minutes)

Teacher: "Good morning/afternoon everyone! Welcome to a really important session today that will help you tackle challenges effectively in any workplace setting. We're going to talk about 'Solving Problems on the Job: A Team Approach.'"

Teacher: "To get us started, please take about five minutes to respond to the 'Do Now' prompt displayed on the screen: 'Describe a time you had to solve a problem as a team at work or school.' Think about what the problem was, who was involved, and how you worked together. Write your response in your notebook or on a piece of paper."

(Allow 5 minutes for students to write. Circulate the room to check for engagement.)

Teacher: "Alright, let's hear from a few of you. Who would like to share a brief experience of solving a problem as a team? What did you learn from it?"

(Facilitate a brief class discussion, calling on 2-3 students. Affirm their experiences and connect to the idea that problems are a normal part of work/life.)

Direct Instruction: Responsible Decision-Making Model (15 minutes)

Teacher: "Great insights! As you've highlighted, problems are inevitable in any professional environment. That's why being able to solve them effectively is a critical skill. Let's look at why this matters so much."

(Display Workplace Problem-Solving Slides - Slide: 'Why Problem-Solving Matters')

Teacher: "As the slide shows, effective problem-solving is vital for project success, efficiency, quality, and teamwork. It's not just about fixing a broken part; it's about keeping projects on track, avoiding disruptions, meeting client expectations, and working well with your colleagues."

Teacher: "To understand this better, let's consider a common scenario you might encounter in a professional setting."

(Display Workplace Problem-Solving Slides - Slide: 'Scenario: The Dental Light Dilemma')

Teacher: "Imagine your team is preparing for a busy day at a dental office. The first patient is due in 15 minutes for a routine filling. Suddenly, the main dental chair's light, which is essential for detailed work, stops functioning. The maintenance technician is not available immediately, and your supervisor is currently assisting another dentist in a different room and cannot be disturbed right away. What's the immediate impact on patient care and the schedule? What would be your very first thought or action?"

(Allow students to offer initial thoughts. Guide them towards assessing impact and communication first.)

Teacher: "In situations like this, we need a clear, responsible way to approach the problem. We're going to use a 7-step Responsible Decision-Making Model. Let's break it down."

(Display Workplace Problem-Solving Slides - Slide: 'Step 1: Identify the Problem')

Teacher: "Step 1 is to Identify the Problem. This seems obvious, but it's crucial to define exactly what's wrong. For our dental light dilemma, the symptoms are the light not working, patient waiting, and supervisor busy. The core problem is the inability to perform the dental procedure, risking patient care. Immediate concerns are delaying the patient, impacting trust, and disrupting the schedule. Why is it important not to jump straight to a solution here?"

(Allow 1-2 student responses, guiding them to understand that a clear definition prevents misdiagnosis and ensures the right problem is addressed.)

(Display Workplace Problem-Solving Slides - Slide: 'Step 2: Gather Information')

Teacher: "Step 2: Gather Information. Once we know the problem, we need more data. What do we already know? What else do we need to know? Where could you look for information about a dental light issue?"

(Elicit responses like checking for simple fixes like a plug or fuse, consulting colleagues, reviewing equipment manuals or internal protocols.)

(Display Workplace Problem-Solving Slides - Slide: 'Step 3: Brainstorm Solutions (Team Approach!)')

Teacher: "Step 3: Brainstorm Solutions. This is where teamwork shines! Think of all possible ways to fix or respond to the problem, even if they sound a bit outlandish at first. No idea is a bad idea in brainstorming. What are some things you could do about the dental light not working for your patient?"

(Encourage a wide range of ideas, like trying a different light source, moving the patient to another operatory, contacting a different colleague, or offering to reschedule the patient.)

(Display Workplace Problem-Solving Slides - Slide: 'Step 4: Evaluate Solutions')

Teacher: "Step 4: Evaluate Solutions. Now we take those brainstormed ideas and look at their pros and cons. Patient care and office efficiency should always be top priorities. How does each idea affect the patient's experience, the appointment schedule, and what resources we have? For example, trying a different light source – what are the pros and cons? What about immediately rescheduling the patient?"

(Discuss the examples on the slide, emphasizing effective solutions and managing patient expectations.)

(Display Workplace Problem-Solving Slides - Slide: 'Step 5: Choose & Act!')

Teacher: "Step 5: Choose the Best Solution and Act. Based on your evaluation, pick the most responsible and effective path. For our dental light failure, a likely course of action would be: immediate team assessment for simple fixes, exploring alternative lighting, informing the front desk about a potential delay, briefly seeking supervisor's advice if feasible, and preparing for a backup reschedule if necessary. Why is acting decisively and collaboratively so important here, especially with a patient waiting?"

(Discuss consequences of delay, potential for worsening the patient's experience or disrupting the entire office schedule.)

(Display Workplace Problem-Solving Slides - Slide: 'Step 6: Contingency Plan')

Teacher: "Step 6: Contingency Plan. Even the best plan can hit a snag. What if no other operatory is available and the alternative light isn't sufficient? What if the patient is upset about rescheduling? You always need a Plan B. What are some backup plans we could have for this scenario?"

(Encourage thinking about alternative patient management, communication strategies, and immediate equipment repair protocols.)

(Display Workplace Problem-Solving Slides - Slide: 'Step 7: Review and Reflect')

Teacher: "And finally, Step 7: Review and Reflect. Once the problem is solved, it's crucial to look back. What went well? What could have been better? What did the team learn? This step is vital for continuous improvement and preventing similar issues in the future, especially in a patient-focused environment."

Collaborative Work: Digital Scenario Challenge (20 minutes)

Teacher: "Now that we've walked through the model, it's your turn to apply these skills!"

(Display Workplace Problem-Solving Slides - Slide: 'Team Challenge: Apply Your Skills!')

Teacher: "I'm going to divide you into small groups of 3-4 students. Each group will receive a new dental office problem scenario called the 'Digital Scenario Challenge'. Your task is to work together, apply all 7 steps of the Responsible Decision-Making Model to solve the problem, and outline your collaborative solution on the 'Shared Solution Document'. Remember to think about effective communication, teamwork, and critical thinking throughout your discussion, keeping patient well-being and office efficiency in mind."

(Divide students into groups. Distribute the Digital Scenario Challenge and ensure each group has access to the Shared Solution Document, whether digital or printed.)

Teacher: "I'll be circulating to provide support and answer any questions. You have 20 minutes for this activity. Begin!"

(Circulate among groups, listen to discussions, offer guidance, and prompt deeper thinking when needed. For example, 'How does that solution impact the patient?', or 'What resources would you need for that solution, and are they available?')

Wrap-up: Present Your Solution (5 minutes)

Teacher: "Alright everyone, let's bring it back together. We're going to wrap up with a quick role-play."

(Display Workplace Problem-Solving Slides - Slide: 'Wrap-Up: Present Your Solution')

Teacher: "I'd like one or two teams to briefly role-play presenting their proposed solution to a 'supervisor' – that can be me, or we can choose another student to play the role. Focus on clearly explaining the problem, outlining your team's solution using the decision-making steps, and justifying your choices, especially regarding patient care, office efficiency, and adherence to protocols. "

(Select one or two groups to present. Provide positive feedback on their application of the model and clear communication.)

Exit Ticket (Optional - can be collected at the end of class)

Teacher: "To finish up today, please complete this 'Exit Ticket' before you leave."

(Display Workplace Problem-Solving Slides - Slide: 'Exit Ticket')

Teacher: "The question is: 'What is the most critical step in the responsible decision-making model and why?' Think about which step truly ensures effectiveness, prevents bigger problems, or maintains positive team/client relationships. Write your response and hand it in as you leave."

(Collect exit tickets.)

Teacher: "Thank you for your excellent work today! Understanding how to solve problems collaboratively and responsibly will be invaluable in your future careers, no matter the field."