Creativity for Learning 1: Introduction

with Chrissi Nerantzi @chrissinerantzi

Unit learning outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

• Critically discuss creative teaching and teaching for student creativity, as a driver for student engagement and learning in their own professional context.

• Develop and implement an innovation in your own practice and appreciate how their own creativity was involved in the development and implementation process.

• Critically evaluate your innovation.

Workshops info • workshop 1 (29.1.15, 1-4pm, AS105): Unit overview, introduction to creativity in HE, enablers and

barriers

• workshop 2 (5.2.15, 1-4pm Manchester City Centre): Creativity in action! Let’s play the “Sell your bargains” game, where game-based learning meets problem-based learning

• workshop 3 (12.2.15, 1-4pm, AS 105): The use of story for learning and teaching

• workshop 4 (19.2.15, 1-4pm, AS105): Learning through making and LEGO® Serious Play®

• workshop 5 (5.3.15, 1-4pm), AS105: Innovative project ideas exchange and development

• BONUS: automatically join the Greenhouse, monthly gatherings with showcase events Creative Spaces

• Next term: – action learning sets (peer support) – Face-to-face and online tutor support – 17 June showcase your innovations at the Greenhouse and BSE pre-conference event, – here on campus, more info to follow – CELT Summer Conference

theory and practical application, activities and development of creative practices

Unit assessment Part 1 (50%) Part 2 (50%)

Reflective narrative linked to the development of an innovation underpinned by literature, linked to the PSF and the SLTA were appropriate Why, what, how?

Evaluation of your innovation in poster presentation format So what?

2500 words or equivalent 2500 words or equivalent

portfolio-based

our open online learning space

https://p2pu.org/en/courses/2615/creativity-for-learning-in-higher-education/

Who we are and our portfolios. Share and connect! Add your details!

https://www.zeemaps.com/map?group=1292393

pre-workshop tasks

Reading

Jackson, N. (2005) Making higher education a more creative place, in: Journal for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching – volume 2 issue 1,available at http://uhra.herts.ac.uk/bitstream/handle/2299/2595/902905.pdf;jsessionid=B0FB143CE14B222DFA96712CA782AEF6?sequence=1

Innovating Pedagogy 2014: http://www.open.ac.uk/iet/main/files/iet-web/file/ecms/web-content/Innovating_Pedagogy_2014.pdf

Key text: Edwards, M., McGoldrick, C. and Oliver M. (2006) Creativity and curricula in higher education, in: Jackson, N., Oliver M., Shaw M. and Wisdom, J. (2006) Developing Creativity in Higher Education. An imaginative curriculum, Oxon: Routledge, 59-73.

EXTRA: Nygaard, C., Courtney, N. & Holtham, C. (2010) Teaching Creativity – Creativity in Teaching. The Learning in Higher Education Series, Faringdon: Libri Publishing

Online activities at https://p2pu.org/en/courses/2615/content/5638/

To bring with you:

Shoebox activity: Put 3 items in a shoebox that represent your past, present and future. We will share shoeboxes at the start of the first session.

Remember to create your portfolio!

See guidelines in Moodle and in the unit handbook, portfolio building guidelines.

Getting to know each other

https://www.flickr.com/photos/smohundro/2449513215/sizes/z/

Shaping our collective

manifesto!!!

Let’s do a creativity test ;)

Tasks 1. Asking questions (3 min): Write all questions you can think of, based on the drawing/scene. 2. Product improvement (3 min): List ways to change the toy/game so that children will have more fun playing with it. 3. Unusual uses (3 min): List interesting and unusual uses of a cardboard box. 4. Elaboration (3 min): How many different objects/pictures can you make from the shapes? Title them.

Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking (1974)

(Scoring for : fluency, flexibility, originality, elaboration)

Directions: Do not begin until you are told to do so. •Try to think of things that no one else will think of. •Try to think of as many ideas as possible. •Add details to your ideas to make them complete. •If you finish before time is up, you may continue to add details or sit quietly. •Please do not go to the next activity until told to do so.

Torr

ance

, 19

74

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Scoring components: •Fluency – the sheer number of ideas •Originality – the statistical infrequency of response •Flexibility - the degree of difference in the responses, i.e. whether the responses come from a single domain or multiple domains, and the variety of categories of relevant responses. •Elaboration - the amount of detail in the response

Guilford’s Alternative Uses Task (1967)

List as many possible uses for a common household item (such as s brick, a paperclip, a newspaper)

The Cognitive Domain and Bloom’s Taxonomy

16

evaluation

synthesis

analysis

application

comprehension

knowledge

creating

evaluating

analysing

applying

understanding

remembering Bloom’s Taxonomoy (1956)

Anderson and Krathwohl Revision (2001)

Educational Psychology Interactive: The Cognitive Domain

http://www.curriculet.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/Blooms-Taxonomy.png

“You would never say that someone was creative if that person never did anything. To be creative you actually have to do something. It involves putting your imagination to work to make something new, to come up with a new solution to problems, even to think of new problems or questions. You can think of creativity as applied imagination.” (Robinson, 2009, p. 67)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c9/Sir_Ken_Robinson_at_The_Creative_Company_Conference.jpg

“Problems are things or states that someone thinks are worthy of attention or investigation. They might be visualised from two very different perspectives. The first sees a problem as an issue that needs to be resolved or rectified, the second that there is an opportunity for something different.” (Jackson, 1996, 3)

https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/2211912549/NORMAN2.jpg

little-c, big-C (Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi, 1997)

big C – extraordinary

creativity, transformation of a domain, person well known in his field – breaking the norm! When we think of creativity we usually think of big C people

little c – everyday

creativity, problem-solving at personal level, person not known to many others

Creative reflection: James & Brookfield (2014, 54)

Criticality Creativity

Playfulness Imagination

Reflection

“Blending creativity and reflection, and infusing them with qualities of imagination and play, creates a powerful cocktail that enhances learning”. James & Brookfield (2014, 55)

Curriculum … is a creative act but it

usually focuses on… •norm •core knowledge of discipline •assessment •orientation internally and externally •informal adjustments ongoing •crammed?

Creative Curriculum … is a creative act that focuses on… •space •flexibility •originality •personalisation •collaboration

In flow (Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi)

http://indiedevstories.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/flow-channel1.png

Where are you as a learner? Where are you as a teacher?

Creativity

• Preparation • immersion in the material

• Incubation • matures during incubation

• Illumination • full consciousness, testing in the real world, refined,

examined

• Verification • made whole, completed

earliest description of creative process Wallas G (1926) The art of thought, New York: Harcourt

Gelb (1996) •preparation •generation •incubation •evaluation •implementation

“People tend to be more satisfied if they are able to be creative; and that individually and collectively we need to be creative to continually adapt and invent in an ever-changing world” (Jackson, 1996, 1)

source: http://izquotes.com/quotes-pictures/quote-a-new-idea-is-first-condemned-as-ridiculous-and-then-dismissed-as-trivial-until-finally-it-william-james-345047.jpg

growing ideas

1. In 1 minute identify as many aspects of your practice you want to change/improve. Add them all to the flipchart/mindmap!

2. Look at everybody else’s. Select one for you and capture the story, your story. Add some meat to the bones.

3. Discuss with a buddy!

4. Refine and reflect about this in your portfolio. Could this idea be used as a basis for your innovation?

post-workshop extensions

• Reflect on the session

• Do some reading!

• Do some more reading!

• Read the Innovating Pedagogy Report 2014 again!

• Engage in the online activities

• Comment on each other’s work

• Play and experiment with ideas! Don’t be afraid!

• Next week! We will meet in Manchester City Centre

References

Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1997) Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention, Harper Perennial Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990) Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience, Harper Perennial Dineen, R. (1996) Views from the chalk face. Lecturers’ and students’ perspectives on the development of creativity in

art and design, in: Jackson, N., Oliver, M., Shaw, M. and Wisdom, J. (1996) Developing Creativity in Higher Education. An imaginative curriculum, Oxon: Routledge, pp. 109-117

Jackson, N. (1996) Imagining a different world, in: Jackson, N., Oliver, M., Shaw, M. and Wisdom, J. (1996) Developing

Creativity in Higher Education, pp. 1-9 James, A. & Brookfield S. (2014) Engaging Imagination. Helping Students become creative and reflective thinkers, San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Nygaard, C., Courtney, N. & Holtham, C. (2010) Teaching Creativity – Creativity in Teaching. The Learning in Higher Education Series, Faringdon: Libri Publishing Robinson, K. (2009) The Element. How finding your passion changes everything, London: Penguin. Torrance E P (1974) Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking, Lexington, MA: Personnel Press

Oh, no! It can’t be done. I can’t do it. There is nothing I can do. But I am not creative. That is childish. What will people think? Unaccepted! Play it safe!

Blockage Attitude Curiosity Challenge Belief that mistakes are welcome Ability to see the need for improvement Belief that problems can be solved Ability to suspend judgement and criticism Seeing the good in the bad Problems lead to improvements Problem can also be a solution

Reminder to self

• Pay attention to your ideas • Keep an ideas (e-)booklet! • Start mind mapping • Put ideas into practice • Use available technology • Change surroundings • Challenge assumptions • Create connections, associations • Develop creative habits of mind

Creativity

Evolution new ideas from existing ideas

Synthesis combination of existing ideas

Revolution brand new ideas

Re-application existing ideas in new light

Changing direction new path when old doesn’t work

Types?

“(It is a) myth that only special people are creative. [...] Everyone is born with tremendous capacities for creativity. The trick is to develop these capacities.” (Robinson, 2009, p. 56)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c9/Sir_Ken_Robinson_at_The_Creative_Company_Conference.jpg

with Chrissi Nerantzi @chrissinerantzi

Creativity for Learning and FLEX artwork by artist Ellie Livermore

https://p2pu.org/en/courses/2615/creativity-for-learning-in-higher-education/