Part 2: Creativity in HE
In this introductory part, we will start exploring what creativity means in the context of learning and teaching in higher education, discuss some of the related theories, and relate these to our own practice.
Preparation
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Select a few objects from home/your office you would normally never use in your teaching. Add them to your portfolio and briefly explain your rationale why you would never use these.
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Put 3 items in a shoe box that represent your past, present and future. We will share shoe boxes at the start of the first session/through our portfolios.
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Read: 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
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Read: Innovating Pedagogy 2015: http://proxima.iet.open.ac.uk/public/innovating_pedagogy_2015.pdf
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILO)
By the end of this section, you will have had the opportunity to:
- Critically discuss creativity, opportunities and barriers in learning and teaching in higher education
- Explore creativity theories for learning in higher education
- Critically reflect on the role creativity plays currently in your own professional practice
Suggested readings
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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.
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James, A. & Brookfield S. (2014) Engaging Imagination. Helping Students become creative and reflective thinkers, San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass
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Mueller, J. S., Melwani, S., & Goncalo, J. A. (2011). The bias against creativity: Why people desire but reject creative ideas[Electronic version]. Retrieved [insert date], from Cornell University, ILR School site: http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/articles/450/
Activities:
Share your activities via the #creativeHE community at https://plus.google.com/communities/110898703741307769041 and engage with others in a conversation around these.
To earn a badge, engage with at least one of the following activities and capture the evidence in your portfolio:
1 -ILO1- Watch the following clip, reflect on the question and respond to the question in your portfolio.
2 -ILO2- Use the following presentation as a trigger for exploration. Carry out further reading linked to creativity theories (see suggested readings) and design your own presentation/poster/animation, that captures what you discovered. Add your digital artefact to your portfolio.
How Do You Design For Creativity? from Bud Caddell
3 -ILO3- Critically reflect on creativity in your own professional context. Briefly describe the approaches you use. Identify opportunities for the introduction of further creative approaches linked to a specific unit/module/programme based on an informed pedagogic rationale that would be of value for your students. Capture your reflections in your portfolio.
Project
Start exploring some ideas for a possible innovation project. Consider creating a mind map (you could try Text2Mind Map), and capture your initial reflections in your portfolio. Share with others.
Tools
Consider creating a creativity mood board using pinterest. This will be a valuable resource when looking for inspiration. See an example here.