`Welcome to Creativity for Learning in Higher Education!

This open course is based on a 30 credit unit at postgraduate level part of the PgCert in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, the PgCert in Higher Education and the MA in Higher Education at Manchester Metropolitan University by the Centre for Learning and Teaching (CELT).

The course is for colleagues involved in teaching, supporting the learning or development of others in a higher education context, including students and the wider public, with an interest in creative teaching and learning who would like to become more playful and experimental in their practice,

The course can be taken at any time on own or with others.

Next facilitated iterations

We will be back in January 2018, watch this space

If you would like to join the #creativeHE community, please access https://plus.google.com/communities/110898703741307769041 The community is open all year round.

Past facilitated iterations

  • 19th of January to the 1st of June 2015 (directly linked to MMU module)
  • 28 of September to the 20th of November 2015 (directly linked to MMU module)
  • 7th to the 11th of March 2016 during Open Education Week
  • 1st to the 7th July 2016 Creative ecologies with Prof. Norman Jackson
  • 30th October to the 4th of November 2016 Exploring creative pedagogies and learning ecologies with Prof. Norman Jackson
  • 16th to the 20th Jan 2017 London Met University & Manchester Met University (directly linked to MMU module)
  • 27th to the 31st of March 2017 Personal pedagogies during Open Education Week with Prof. Norman Jackson
  • 18th to the22nd The Role of the Body in Creative Processes & Practices with Lisa Clughen, Prof. Norman Jackson and Maria Kefalogianni
  • 22nd to the 26th of May 2017 Manchester Met University & London Met University
  • 4th to the 8th of December 2017 Creativity in Practice conversation, led by Prof. Norman Jackson
  • 22nd to the 26th of January 2018 Manchester Met and London Met, open course linked to FLEX modules

Within this course, enablers and barriers to creativity in higher education will be explored, together with related pedagogical theory and literature. Participants will experience learning through play, games, models and stories and will actively experiment with such approaches. This will help them further develop their understanding, knowledge, skills and practices in these areas. Students will be able to critically reflect on their practice and identify opportunities to design, implement and evaluate an imaginative and creative innovation that fosters curiosity, and maximises meaningful active engagement and discovery learning.

The open course learning outcomes are

On successful completion of this open course, students will be able to:

  1. Reflect on creative teaching for student creativity based on relevant pedagogical theories, as a driver for student engagement and learning in their own professional context.
  2. Discuss challenges that influence creative learning and teaching in higher education.
  3. Evaluate an innovation in their own practice based on their own creativity involved in the development and implementation process.

Please note, the above should be further personalised and contextualised to own practice.

The open course incorporates the following themes:

  • Conceptualising creativity in higher education

  • Enablers and barriers of creativity in higher education

  • Learning through play, games, models and stories

  • The role of curiosity and other intrinsic motivations for engagement

  • Developing creative methods and practices

  • Evaluating a pedagogical innovation

Assessment linked to the open course

If you would like to work towards an open badge, please engage with at least one of the activities linked to specific themes . You will be able to collect evidence of engagement in your portfolio and submit this to be reviewed.

The assessment linked to the 30 credit optional MMU unit at Level 7 (Masters)

For credit seeking colleagues from MMU: The assessment consists of a reflective narrative and a poster presentation. These will enable the student to reflect on practice, engage with the relevant literature, actively experiment and evaluate an innovation linked to their own practice. Further details regarding assessment can be found here. If you are not employed by MMU and would still work towards credits, please contact Chrissi at c.nerantzi @ mmu .ac . uk (without the spaces) adding to the subject line 'Creativity credits'. Please note, there will be a fee for this.

Mode

This course can be used for self-study but also with groups and combine with local learning activities. Depending on time available, depth of planned engagement and preference, the course could be completed as a block within one to two weeks or longer over up to six weeks.

As a credit-bearing unit it is offered over two semesters to enable deeper engagement and the development, implementation and evaluation of an innovation.

All educators working in an higher education context are welcome to join us.

Course discussions

The facilitators' team will facilitate discussions

  • via the Google plus community space >>> this is our main discussion and collaboration space
  • via Twitter using the hashtag #creativeHE.

Study time

We estimate that study time for the open course will be between three to five hours per week depending on the above. If you are participating in the weekly facilitated iteration, further daily time might be useful to get more out of the course.

While if you are taking this course as a credit-bearing unit, 300 hours of engagement for the duration of the unit are required, including assessment.

The course is supported by CREATIVE ACADEMIC @academiccreator a social enterprise aimed at encouraging creativity in higher education teaching and learning. Additional resources can be found on this website http://www.creativeacademic.uk/

Creativity for Learning in HE by Chrissi Nerantzi for CELT, MMU is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

creativeHE creator and organiser

Chrissi Nerantzi

#creativeHE

Facilitators' team May 2017

Chrissi Nerantzi, Principal Lecturer academic CPD, CELT, Manchester Metropolitan University @chrissinerantzi

Sandra Sinfield, Senior Lecturer in Education and Learning Development, LondonMet @danceswithcloud

Prof. Norman Jackson,@lifewider1, Lifewide Education @lifewider, Creative Academic @academiccreator

Shirley Bennett, Head of Academic Practice, Northampton University, @northernshirley

Facilitators' team March 2017

Prof. Norman Jackson,@lifewider1, Lifewide Education @lifewider, Creative Academic @academiccreator

Chrissi Nerantzi, Principal Lecturer academic CPD, CELT, MMU @chrissinerantzi

Facilitators' team January 2017

Chrissi Nerantzi, Principal Lecturer academic CPD, CELT, MMU @chrissinerantzi

Sandra Sinfield, Senior Lecturer in Education and Learning Development, LondonMet @danceswithcloud

Prof. Norman Jackson,@lifewider1, Lifewide Education @lifewider, Creative Academic @academiccreator

Prof. Ale Armellini, Director of the Institute of Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, University of Northampton, @alejandroa

Dr Nikos Fachantidis, Assistant Professor, University of Macedonia, Greece @nfachantidis

Facilitators' team (Sep-Nov 15) also (March 16)

Chrissi Nerantzi, Principal Lecturer academic CPD, CELT, MMU @chrissinerantzi

Dr Nikos Fachantidis, Assistant Professor, University of Macedonia, Greece @nfachantidis

Sandra Sinfield, Senior Lecturer in Education and Learning Development, LondonMet @danceswithcloud

Prof. Norman Jackson,@lifewider1, Lifewide Education @lifewider, Creative Academic @academiccreator

Sue Watling, @suewatling, Academic Advisor for Technology Enhanced Learning, University of Hull


MMU logo

The unit has been approved by MMU and the open course has been peer reviewed by Dr Alison James (PFHEA, NTF). Here is what Alison said:

"A wonderful opportunity for creative learning, rich in playful opportunities underpinned by theory and really inspiring as a resource for making our approaches to pedagogy and practice more engaging. I think you are offering a challenging means of practising what we preach, and allowing both for innovation and risk in a really eye opening way."