educaon)reform:)incorporang)) creave)thinking)methods)in

Educa&on Reform: Incorpora&ng Crea&ve Thinking Methods in Higher Educa&on

Gladys Lam Department of Communica&on Studies

•  Highlight the need for crea&vity educa&on •  Overview of the crea&vity course •  Closing thoughts about crea&vity educa&on

Myths and Problems to be tackled

•  Crea&vity cannot be taught •  Different concep&ons about crea&vity •  Crea&vity is domain specific •  Assignments are not rigorous enough •  Crea&vity is difficult to assess

•  The Founda&on Knowing how to learn

•  Competence Reading, wri&ng, and computa&on

•  Communica&on Listening and oral communica&on

•  Adaptability Crea.ve thinking and problem solving

•  Personal Management Self esteem, goal seOng, mo&va&on, personal and career development

•  Group Effec&veness Interpersonal skills, nego&a&on, team work

•  Influence Organiza&onal effec&veness and leadership

Carnevale, A. P., Gainer, L. J., & Meltzer, A. S. (1992) Workplace basics.

Workplace Basics

Beyond Workplace 2000

Effec&ve performance in the workplace beyond 2000 requires three founda&onal skills:

  Basic Skills (Reading, wri&ng, arithme&c and mathema&cs, speaking and listening)

 Thinking Skills (Thinking crea.vely, making decisions, solving problems, seeing things in the mind’s eye, knowing how to learn, and reasoning)

 Personal Quali.es (Individual responsibility, self-‐esteem, sociability, self-‐management, and integrity).

Boye_ & Boye_, 1994; Based on SCANS Report Secretary’s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills, 1992

Workplace Skills for the 21st Century

•  Knowing more about the world

•  Thinking Outside the Box •  Becoming smarter about new sources of informa&on

•  Developing good people skills

21st Century Skills, Educa&on & Compe&&veness A Resource Policy Guide

All Americans, not just the elite, need 21st century skills that will increase their marketability, employability and readiness for ci&zenship, such as:

  Thinking cri.cally and making judgments   Solving complex, mul.disciplinary, open-‐ended problems   Crea.vity and entrepreneurial thinking   Communica.ng and collabora.ng   Making innova.ve use of knowledge, informa.on and

opportuni.es   Taking charge of financial, health and civic responsibili.es

Partnership for 21st Century Skills, 2008 Partnership for 21st Century Skills, 2008

Crea&vity Educa&on In United States

•  Since 1967 The Buffalo State University has established a unique academic unit (Interna.onal Centre for Studies in Crea.vity)

•  provides specialized individual courses for crea&ve training.

•  The first school to offer a Master of Science in crea.vity

Does Crea&vity Training Work

•  The Crea&ve Studies Project took place from 1969 through 1972, to inves&gate the effects of a semester’s program in deliberate crea&vity-‐s&mula&on

•  Results: Par&cipant who received crea&vity training were found: –  Significantly more open-‐minded –  Less likely to jump to conclusions –  Able to take unusual approaches to problems –  Preference for original ideas increased significantly

Does Crea&vity Training Work A Meta-‐Analy&c Study

Results: Sizable change was found for all four dependent variables:

•  Divergent thinking (e.g., fluency, flexibility, originality, elabora&on)

•  Problem solving (e.g., produc&on of original solu&ons to novel problems)

•  Performance (e.g., behavior) •  AOtudes and behavior (e.g., reac&on to crea&ve ideas,

efforts ini&ated)

Sco_, Leritz & Mumford, 2004

Crea&ve Problem Solving: The Thinking Skills Model

Creative Leadership: Skills That Drive Change Puccio, Murdock, & Mance (2007)

Puccio, Murdock & Mance (2007)

Fundamental Thinking Skills: The Core to the CPS Process

Area of Discovery

Area of Discovery

Are

a of

Fam

iliar

ity Divergent Thinking

Generating many original and varied options.

Convergent Thinking Selecting, developing

and evaluating options.

Gerard J. Puccio

Thinking Skills Associated with CPS Thinking Skill Definition

Diagnostic Making a careful examination of a situation, describing the nature of a problem and making decisions about appropriate process steps to be taken

Visionary Articulating a vivid image of what you desire to create

Strategic Identifying the critical issues that must be addressed and pathways needed to move toward the desired future

Ideational Producing original mental images and thoughts that respond to important challenges

Evaluative Assessing the reasonableness and quality of ideas in order to develop workable solutions

Contextual Understanding the interrelated conditions and circumstances that will support or hinder success

Tactical Devising a plan that includes specific and measurable steps for attaining a desired end and methods for monitoring its effectiveness

Imagina&ve Curriculum Program in UK

•  In 2001, Norman Jackson ini&ated the Imagina&ve Curriculum Project

•  Promote conversa&ons about crea&vity and encourage teachers and leaders to think more deeply about its place in higher educa&on.

•  Suggest change the prevailing culture so that greater value is placed on crea&vity in higher educa&on.

Components of Crea&vity

•  Intellectual aspect (the power to get ideas)

•  Mo&va&onal aspect (willingness to work)

•  Emo&onal aspect (courage to think differently, resist pressure to conform, to risk ridicule)

Jackson, N. J. 2006

•  A crea&ve person is: ‘someone whose thoughts or ac&ons change a domain, or establish a new one’ (Csikszentmihayli 1997)

•  ‘We favour a more inclusive no&on of crea&vity that embraces personal crea&vity used in problem working but the outcome would not change the domain.’ (Jackson, N. J. 2006)

Universal Crea&ve Thinking Methods

•  Redefini&on of the ques&on or problem •  Looking at exis&ng informa&on in new ways •  Building up of chains of ideas or associa&ons •  Forma&on of analogies

Jackson, N. J. 2006

Crea&vity Thinking Skills

Innova&ve Performance Personal Quali&es

Basic Skills

Impact

Aims and Objec&ves • Laying out a founda&on for the students to develop their habits for thinking-‐ enable them to operate at the highest levels of crea&vity in their chosen field.

• S&mulate students’ crea&ve poten&al, expand their imagina&ons and idea genera&on fluency

• Expand ones’ risk-‐taking parameter • Increase mo&va&on to be crea&ve

•  Outcome-‐based learning

No. Learning Outcomes (LOs) 1 Understand the basic principles and concepts in crea&vity.

2 Develop a shared understanding of the different meanings of crea&vity. Iden&fy the importance of crea&ve thinking in today’s environment and the rela&onship to mo&va&on.

3 Recognize their own strengths and crea&ve obstacles; enable to develop their crea&ve poten&al and iden&fy ways to deal with their own crea&ve blocks. Improving students’ metacogni&on-‐ their own awareness and capacity for self-‐cri&cal evalua&on of their own crea&vity.

4 Develop confidence in the ability to use the methods as an effec&ve tool for crea&ve ac&on for many kinds of challenges. Laying a founda&on for students to develop a habit of thinking.

5 6

Apply crea&ve thinking methods and techniques in dealing innova&vely and effec&vely with problems and challenges that encounter in personal and professional seOngs. Expand ones’ risk-‐taking parameters.

1 What is Crea&vity? 1.1 Crea&vity Defini&ons 1.2 C= faOtude (Knowledge x Imagina&on x Evalua&on) 1.3 Person, Process, Product & Press 1.4 Why Crea&vity? 1.5 Crea&vity and Mo&va&on to learn 2 Crea&vity Levels, Styles and Obstacles 2.1 5 Levels of Crea&vity 2.2 Adap&on-‐Innova&on Inventory 2.3 Disrup&ve and Sustainable Crea&vity 2.4 Crea&ve Obstacles 3 Crea&ve Process 3.1 Crea&ve Problem Solving Models 3.2 Define Problem & Ill-‐structured problem 3.3 Prepara&on & informa&on gathering 3.4 Incuba&on & Subconscious mind 3.5 Idea Genera&on 3.6 Evalua&on 3.7 Implementa&on

Course Content

4 Crea&ve-‐thinking Technique 4.1 TRIZ 4.2 Divergent Thinking 4.3 Ver&cal & Lateral Thinking 5 Crea&ve-‐thinking Technique -‐ Problem Finding Stage 5.1 Ques&on Formula&on 5.2 Switch perspec&ves 5.3 Challenging assump&on 5.4 Wishful thinking 6 Crea&ve-‐thinking Technique -‐ Idea Genera&on Stage 6.1 Opposites 6.2 Random associa&ons 6.3 Metaphor & Analogies 7 Crea&ve-‐thinking Technique -‐ Solu&on Finding Stage 7.1 SCAMPER 7.2 Convergent Thinking

h_p://russellawheeler.com/resources/learning_zone/crea&vity_formula/

C = f ARtude (Knowledge X Imagina.on X Evalua.on)

h_p://www.jpb.com/report103/archive_20070807.php

examining the challenge in all direc&ons

thinking about the problem in a not-‐conscious manner

a validity check on the idea and refining it to a more precise form

PROBLEM FINDING STAGE Ques.on Formula.on




IDEA GENERATION STAGE Random Associa.ons,

Opposites, Metaphor & Analogy




SOUTION FINDING STAGE

SCAMPER, Convergent thinking




Prac.cal Abili.es

•  Teaching and learning ac&vi&es Construc&ve Alignment of Teaching and Learning Ac&vi&es with Learning Outcomes

No. Teaching and Learning Ac.vi.es LOs 1. Lectures: The lectures will cover the key concepts and principles related to crea&vity,

and illustrate the concept with real world examples. Students will par&cipate in class discussion to analyze different crea&ve problem solving cases.

1,2

2. In-‐class Exercises: Students will complete a series of exercises with each exercise corresponds to the concepts and thinking techniques covered in specific lectures.

3-‐6

3. Presenta.on and Cri.que: Students will present and discuss different projects and examples of crea&ve work for dynamic sharing and learning.

3-‐6

4. Assignments and Project: Assignments focus on self-‐reflec&on in understanding ones own crea&ve strengths and obstacles aiming at improving students’ metacogni&on while project demands an integra&on of knowledge and synthesis of ideas. Students need to form group and ini&ate a project with a specific objec&ve. Students have to integrate the principles and apply the skills learnt and solved the proposed problem from problem finding stage down to the final implementa&on stage.

3-‐6

•  Build a climate that can facilitate crea&ve idea, a classroom culture that encourage undeveloped ideas to be freely expressed.

•  Build a relax atmosphere: music, light, aroma...

•  Conduct the class in different venue

•  Ask student to dress crea&vely to class

•  Set up a facebook page for dynamic sharing and learning

•  Engaging students in interes&ng, challenging and mo&va&ng ac&vi&es.

•  Learning ac&vi&es are designed to encourage these forms of thinking: imagina&vely, independently, originally, divergently(associa&vely), laterally, cri&cally and reflec&vely.

•  Learn by doing and reflec&ng

•  Assessment Methods Type of Assessment & Weigh.ng

Descrip.on of Assessment Tasks LOs

In-‐class Exercises 30%

Exercises are designed to develop students’ crea&ve capaci&es, expanding their imagina&ons and idea genera&on fluency. Students will focus on specific thinking techniques for different stages in the crea&ve problem solving process. In an exercise for developing diagnos&c skills in the problem finding stage, each student will write a problem or an opportunity to improve. The problem owner will circle the most important words and a reformula&on will take place. The final problem statements will be wri_en up and later selected for the group project. This exercise is designed in a progressive mode.

1-‐6

Individual Assignments 30%

Assignments include individual reflec&on diary that require students to record their own learning in understanding their crea&ve strengths and obstacles.

1-‐6

Group Project 40% The group project demands the integra&on of knowledge and synthesis of ideas. Students will form groups and select the problem that has been generated in the previous exercise.

1-‐6

Assessment Tasks •  Thinking exercises •  Reflec&ve journal

–  ‘How should I tackle the next exercise which call upon me to be crea&ve?’

–  ‘What have I learnt recently about being more crea&ve than before?’

–  ‘What do I need to develop in my crea&vity and how?’

•  Group Project

Assessment Rubrics Capstone Milestone Milestone Benchmark

Originality/ Novelty

Demonstrates an excellent level of innova&on and originality by extending a novel or unique idea, ques&on, format, or product to create new knowledge.

Demonstrates a good level of innova&on and originality by crea&ng a novel or unique idea, ques&on, format, or product to create new knowledge.

Demonstrates awareness of innova&on and originality by connec&ng with crea&ng a novel or unique idea, ques&on, format, or product.

Demonstrates minimal a_en&on to innova&on and originality by reformula&ng a collec&on of available ideas.

Taking Risk Ac&vely seeks out and follows through on untested and poten&ally risky direc&ons or approaches to the assignment in the final product.

Incorporates new direc&ons or approaches to the assignment in the final product.

Considers new direc&ons or approaches without going beyond the guidelines of the assignment.

Stays strictly and safely within the guidelines of the assignment.

Idea&onal Fluency

Integrates alternate, divergent, or contradictory perspec&ves or ideas fully.

Incorporates alternate, divergent, or contradictory perspec&ves or ideas in an exploratory way.

Includes (recognizes the value of) alternate, divergent, or contradictory perspec&ves or ideas in a small way

Acknowledges (men&ons in passing) alternate, divergent, or contradictory perspec&ves or ideas.

Elegance/ Appeal

Demonstrates an excellent level that the solu&on achieved external elegance (skillfully executed, well finished) and Internal elegance (solu&on is “rounded” and elements fit together).

Demonstrates a good level that the solu&on achieved external elegance (skillfully executed, well finished) and Internal elegance (solu&on is “rounded” and elements fit together).

Demonstrates awareness that the solu&on achieved external elegance (skillfully executed, well finished) and Internal elegance (solu&on is “rounded” and elements fit together).

Demonstrates minimal a_en&on that the solu&on achieved external elegance (skillfully executed, well finished) and Internal elegance (solu&on is “rounded” and elements fit together).

Relevance/ Feasibility

All of the solu&on accurately reflects exis&ng knowledge and can fits within task constraints.

Most of the solu&on accurately reflects exis&ng knowledge and can fits within task constraints.

Some of the solu&on accurately reflects exis&ng knowledge and can fits within task constraints.

Li_le part of the solu&on accurately reflects exis&ng knowledge and can fits within task constraints.

What Educators can do to Promote Students’ Crea&vity

•  Create condi&ons that are conducive to crea&vity •  Equip students with appropriate crea&ve thinking skills

•  Build their confidence to take risks •  Designing assessments that do not penalize them •  Promo&ng the developing of self-‐awareness and reflec&ve learning

Jackson, N. J. 2006

What Educators can do to Promote Crea&ve Thinking

•  Provide opportuni&es for students to prac&ce crea&ve thinking – And in par&cular use proven methods, models and strategies (especially those drawn from cogni&ve models)

•  Value and appreciate those efforts •  Allow students to engage in problem discovery

•  Model crea&ve behaviors themselves

Runco, 2007

Recommenda&ons: Best Prac&ces for Crea&vity Training

•  Training should be based on sound, valid, concep&ons of the cogni&ve ac&vi&es underlying the crea&ve process.

•  Training should be lengthy and rela&vely challenging.

•  Ar&cula&on of crea&vity principles should be followed by applica&on using material based on real-‐world cases.

•  Presenta&on of material should be followed by exercises that allow par&cipants to apply strategies

Puccio, 2008 Based on Sco_, Leritz & Mumford, 2004

•  Laying out a founda&on for the students to develop their habits for thinking-‐ enable them to operate at the highest levels of crea&vity in their chosen field.

•  Takes commitment of all teachers to create their own imagina&ve curriculum aiming at fostering students’ crea&vity.

•  To build a crea&ve culture where innova&on are abundant, where people are recep&ve to new ideas and willing to take risk.

educaon)reform:)incorporang)) creave)thinking)methods)in

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