The Creativity Cascade Dr Ashley Compton Bishop Grosseteste University College Lincoln.

The Creativity Cascade

Dr Ashley ComptonBishop Grosseteste University College

Lincoln

“We’re trying to get our students into a certain frame of mind. That they question, that there’s no one right answer; that we can respond in a number of ways. If we can get them to be thinking like that then the likelihood is that they’re going to go into school and be creative and work with the structures that they have to work within in a creative way.” (Beth, tutor interview)

Outline of research

• Practitioner research – an undergraduate primary education with QTS programme

• Paradigm: Interpretivist, social constructivist• Methodology: Illuminative evaluation

Objectives:1. To understand the meanings of the word

‘creativity’ for tutors and students on this programme

2. To explore the current practice and perceptions of creativity in summative assessment, from the viewpoints of both tutors and students

3. To explore the current practice and perceptions of creativity in school placement

Outline of research

• Semi-structured interviews with all permanent tutors (n=9)• Virtual focus group with students• Semi-structured interviews with students (n=6)• Unstructured interview with ‘expert’ student (n=1)• Questionnaires with Y2 (n=32) and Y1 (n=55)• Document analysis

– All assignment briefs and marking grids– All SP booklets and RPD– Sample of assignment feedback– Sample of SP lesson observation feedback

What is Creativity?

I think it’s an extremely hard thing to say what it means. And I think that even when you say what it means there could be examples where you’d say, ‘I didn’t mean it like that.’ (Fiona, tutor interview)

Creativity Pyramid

noticing; taking an interest; observing; exploring; questioning; investigating; researching; expressing thoughts and feelings; imagining; making choices;

creating; making

making connections; relating; showing insight; synthesising; developing own style; independent thinking; solving problems; transforming; exercising judgement / evaluating; challenging;

taking risks

making something new and valuable to society as a whole, working at the

pinnacle of the field in skills, knowledge, understanding and vision

using skills, knowledge and imagination to make something new and valuable to the peer group / local community; challenging and engaging an audience;

original thinking; innovating

Layer 4

Layer 3

Layer 2

Layer 1

Shared Definition of CreativityTutors and Students

Factors promoting CreativityYear 1, n=55 Year 2, n=32

Facilitates Inhibits Either No effect

Y1 Y2 Y1 Y2 Y1 Y2 Y1 Y2

Being passionate about the subject

93%(51)

100%(32)

4%(2)

0%(0)

4%(2)

0%(0)

0%(0)

0%(0)

Being confident in the subject

80%(44)

91%(29)

4%(2)

0%(0)

16%(9)

9%(3)

0%(0)

0%(0)

Being knowledgeable in the subject

85%(47)

81%(26)

2%(1)

0%(0)

9%(5)

19%(6)

4%(2)

0%(0)

Having a real purpose 71%(39)

77%(24)

7%(4)

0%(0)

18%(10)

23%(7)

4%(2)

0%(0)

Free choice of content 55%(30)

72%(23)

15%(8)

16%(5)

29%(16)

13%(4)

2%(1)

0%(0)

Free choice of format 43%(23)

81%(26)

19%(10)

6%(2)

37%(20)

13%(4)

2%(1)

0%(0)

For an audience 33%(18)

52%(16)

24%(13)

13%(4)

43%(23)

32%(10)

0%(0)

3%(1)

Opportunities for creativity in assessment

Presentations

Investigations / Research

SoW

Essays

Choice and interpretation

Engaging audience

Exams NOT seen as creative

Prominent Creativity terms in Assignments

In briefs, marking grids and tutor feedback:• Making connections• Selection / choice• Evaluation (less common in feedback)• Presentation / Engaging an audience

Feedback also included comments related to creative teaching.

SP and AfL“The thing that placement gives is more of a chance to restart or learn from experience and build very quickly. Where what the assignment does is make you wait for a month after hand in and then get feedback that may or may not be relevant to you. Life may have moved on to a degree and you’re never going to do that assignment ever again. Whereas school practice, tomorrow’s another day, if today was a disaster we can try something different and just keep moving on, moving on, and the feedback’s pretty much instantaneous.” (Ian, tutor interview)

Creative Teaching / Teaching for Creativity

“Once you know what you’ve got to teach you can always put your creative spin on it and how the children are going to learn in a creative way or how you can be creative to allow them to learn.” (Keith, Y2, December interview)

“It’s what teaching’s all about. It’s designing opportunities that are creative, that allow children to be creative, that allow you to be creative.”(Emily, tutor interview)

Types of Teacher and Pupil CreativityTeacher creativity No. Pupil creativity No. Making / choosing / organising resources

23 Drama / role play / small world play 30

Cross-curricular approach 16 Making a product 20Providing choices / freedom 16 Exploring / investigating / experimenting 17

Use of ICT 10 Making choices / own interpretation 15Innovative approach 9 Creating art work – painting, printing,

drawing, 3-D work12

Providing a purpose / context 8 Writing composition – poetry, stories, non-fiction, play scripts, news report

11

Teacher in role 5 Designing 6Using the outdoor environment 5 Performing 4Taking risks 4 Evaluating 4

Promoting imagination / originality 3 Composing – dance, music 3

Adapting the classroom environment 3 Imagining 2

Creative use of TA 2 Problem solving 2Carousel 2 Child-initiated learning 2Being flexible with time 2 Asking questions 1Challenging 1

Factors Promoting Creativity on SP

Pupil engagementPupil ownershipHigh quality outcomesCollaboration

Recommendations: Shared definition

• Tutors explaining what they mean by creativity– In assessment– On school placement

• Students encouraged to develop and apply own definitions

Recommendations: Increased constructive alignment

Biggs, J. and Tang, C. (2007) Teaching for Quality Learning at University, 3rd edition, Maidenhead: Open University Press.

Recommendations: Greater use of AfL

• More student engagement with marking criteria • Students helping to formulate marking grids?• More peer and self-assessment• Developing formative assessments which

involve children / public presentation• Returning formative feedback before the mark

Recommendations: Assignment Exemplars &

Teacher Mentors

Balancing support / encouraging individuality

Creativity Cascade

“…having the opportunity to be creative on this course has enabled me to be creative as a teacher because I’ve had those experiences myself. …if you’ve been able to give your creativity you know how to provide opportunities for the children to be creative. So that’s also how I’ve been able to do what I’ve been able to do on placement. From having those opportunities myself on this course.” (Julia, Y3, interview)