TOPIC TWO:BUILDING CONCEPTUAL UNDERSTANDINGS

Collaborative Learning, Creativity and MotivationEDU 447S1: 2012

All images and references are hyperlinked to sources.

Further Resources

Collaborative Learning

The web site of Dr D Johnson and Dr R Johnson, experts in research and development into cooperative learning.http://www.co-operation.org/?page_id=65

“Cooperation is working together to accomplish shared goals.  Within cooperative situations, individuals seek outcomes that are beneficial to themselves and beneficial to all other group members. Cooperative learning is the instructional use of small groups so that students work together to maximize their own and each other’s learning.  It may be contrasted with competitive (students work against each other to achieve an academic goal such as a grade of “A” that only one or a few students can attain) and individualistic (students work by themselves to accomplish learning goals unrelated to those of the other students) learning.”

Cooperative Learning

Cooperative Learning by Millis, B. J. (1996)

from University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Teaching Resource Centre:

www.utc.edu/Teaching-Resource-Center/CoopLear.html

Cooperative Learning Structures and Techniques

This link provides a brief overview of the what and why of cooperative learning and then outlines some activities to implement and then develop collaborative skills.

For example Structuring learning teams group roles (leader,

reporter, recorder, wildcard etc) Defining team expectations

Cooperative Learning

Although Kagan’s work was cited in the Hill article, I was hesitant to recommend this work as Dr Spencer Kagan has turned his research on cooperative learning into a commercial venture. However I have found the free resources and articles outlining his research and rationale on cooperative learning to be very interesting and informative.

Cooperative learning and Critical Thinking skills

Motivation

In this lecture (1 of 9) Rick Levoie talks about motivation. Using examples, Rick argues that all human behaviour is motivated (7:45). I have included this resource as I believe it is important to understand what motivates each and every individual with in a group. This fits in with Brophy’s (Perry, Turner and Meyer 2006) statements on motivation and how interactions with others and contexts can influenced motivation.

Motivation

Schooling Issues Digest: Student Motivation and EngagementThe Australian Government Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST) is publishing a series of brief reports titled ‘Schooling Issues Digests’ which summarise existing research material on selected topics relevant to schooling in Australia.   The purpose of these digests is to provide status reports on the results of recent international and national research on selected topics, in a non-technical, easy to read format, which brings together and demystifies complicated research and statistical data.

Motivation

This booklet explains principles that encourage children to learn and has been prepared for inclusion in the Educational Practices Series developed by the International Academy of Education and is distributed by the International Bureau of Education and the Academy. As part of its mission, the Academy provides timely syntheses of research on educational topics of international importance. This booklet is the tenth in the series on educational practices that improve learning. It opens a new door, however, since it focuses on behaviour rather than academic learning.

Creativity

Do Schools Destroy Creativity? – Sir Ken Robinson

Definitions of Creativity

Creativity is the ability to think up and design new inventions, produce works of art, solve problems in new ways, or develop an idea based on an original, novel, or unconventional approach. Creativity is the ability to see something in a new way, to see and solve problems no one else may know exists, and to engage in mental and physical experiences that are new, unique, or different. Creativity is a critical aspect of a person's life, starting from inside the womb onward through adulthood (Creativity #B 2010).

“One of the first things I try to emphasize about creativity is that it is a messy process, one that is also highly personal. The second thing that I try to emphasize is that there are no tried and true cookbook approaches to becoming creative, or to helping others discover their creativity. Developing creativity, at any level, is a series of personal evolutionary steps, trial and error procedures, and again, a process of sorting out messes. This is often intensely personal work. Thus, finding one's creative sense, or spirit, is rather like a journey into the unknown -- there are many wonderful guide books, compasses, and willing gurus, but the ultimate destination is always elusive, enigmatic, often one of changing panoramas and uncharted destinations” Dr. O. Wilson (2005).

Definitions of Creativity

I define creativity as the act of turning new and imaginative ideas into reality. Creativity involves two processes: thinking, then producing. Innovation is the production or implementation of an idea. If you have ideas, but don't act on them, you are imaginative but not creative. Linda Naiman (2006).

“Creativity is the process of bringing something new into being...creativity requires passion and commitment. Out of the creative act is born symbols and myths. It brings to our awareness what was previously hidden and points to new life. The experience is one of heightened consciousness–ecstasy.”— Rollo May, The Courage to Create (Naiman 2006).

Obviously, creativity means numerous things to different people and can be defined in any number of ways. Creativity can also be defined at many distinct levels -- cognitively, intellectually, socially, economically, spiritually, and from the finite perspective of different disciplines :Eduation, science, music, art, dance, theatre, etc... (Wilson 2005).

Common definition from Webster's - Creativity is marked by the ability or power to create to bring into existence, to invest with a new form, to produce through imaginative skill, to make or bring into existence something new (Wilson 2005).

Definitions of Creativity

H. H. Fox (scientist) -- Any thinking process in which original patterns are formed and expressed (Wilson 2005).

E. Paul Torrance (educator, academic, creativity investigator) --Fluency , flexibility, originality, and sometimes elaboration (Wilson 2005).

Rollo May (writer, philosopher) - Creativity is the process of bringing something new into being... (Wilson 2005).

Creativity in education is the process of producing something new, innovative and unique in the area of education Ernest Smartt (Helium 2002).

“Generative research shows that everyone has creative abilities. The more training you have and the more diverse the training, the greater potential for creative output. The average adult thinks of 3-6 alternatives for any given situation. The average child thinks of 60.” Naiman (2006)

Creativity

Abstract

The effects of open and traditional classrooms on creative expression were investigated using 60 children randomly drawn from grades 1, 4, and 8 from 2 different school systems. Measures derived from the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking indicated that the open classroom setting was related to superior performance on the figural component of that test, whereas the traditional classroom setting was related to superior performance in verbal creativity.

Creativity in Open and Traditional Classrooms

Craig T. Ramey, Vera Piper

Child Development Vol. 45, No. 2 (Jun., 1974), pp. 557-560 Published by: Blackwell Publishing on behalf of the Society for Research in Child Development

Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1127989