Final Report of the ICJMT Group on Creativity
21 January 2013
Kirk Ambrose – art, classics, environmental design
Bud Coleman – theatre
Mike Eisenberg – computer science, institute of cognitive science
Michelle Ellsworth – dance, CMAP
John Gunther - music
Deborah Haynes - art
Cecilia Pang - theatre
Erika Randall - dance
Eric Stade – math, Libby RAP
Kevin Crowe – Ph.D. student in theatre
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction
1
Gamm Interdisciplinary Course Proposal
4
Syllabus for "Seminar on Creativity," Spring 2013, taught by Dr. Cecilia Pang
8
Bibliography
15
APPENDIX
Note
19
Buffalo State University: International Center for Creativity
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About the Program
Courses Offered
ICSC Press
Creative Studies Library
Letter from Jon Michael Fox, Interim Chair
Letter from Gerard Puccio, Chair
Alex Osborn and “Brainstorming”
History
Alumni Accomplishments
Course Description
Syllabus
Instructor’s Biography
Course Description
Syllabus
Instructor’s Biography
34
35
35
38
Massachusetts Institute of Technology: Philosophy & Linguistics 24: The Nature of Creativity
Course Description
Syllabus
Instructor’s Biography
38
38
38
42
Indiana University, Bloomington: Marketing 344: Creativity and Communication
Stanford University: Management, Science and Engineering 277: Creativity and Innovation 42
Course Description
Instructor’s Biography
42
43
University of Alabama: Humanities I New College 212: Creativity
44
44
44
50
Course Description
Syllabus
Instructor’s Biography
University of California, Berkeley - Haas School of Business: MBA 290T / Engineering 290.2:
Innovation, Creativity & The Entrepreneur
51
Course Description
Syllabus
Instructor’s Biography
51
51
60
University of California, San Diego: Psychology 176: Creativity
61
61
61
65
Course Description
Syllabus
Instructor’s Biography
University of Connecticut: Educational Psychology 5750: Creativity
Course Description
Syllabus
Instructor’s Biography
University of Massachusetts - Critical & Creative Thinking 612: Seminar In Creativity
Course Description
Syllabus
Instructor’s Biography
University of Michigan: University Arts Interdisciplinary Studio 250: The Creative Process
Course Description
Syllabus
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Poincaré on Mathematical Elegance
Websites on Mathematics & Creativity
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Bibliographical Considerations:
Books
Videos:
Articles on the Web
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Creative Education Foundation and The International Conference on Creativity and Innovation
Vision
Journal of Creative Behavior
Creative Problem Solving Institute
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DePaul University: Center for Creativity and Innovation
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Drexel University: Certificate in Creativity and Innovation
Program Description
Course Descriptions
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National Creativity Network
Mission
Resources
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Saybrook University Graduate College of Psychology and Humanistic Studies: MA and Ph.D
with a Specialization in Creativity Studies
MA Program Description
Ph.D. Program Description
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University of Massachusetts Boston: Critical & Creative Thinking
Master of Arts
Certificate
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Mathematics, Elegance and Creativity
Additional Resources
American Creativity Association (ACA)
City University London: Masters in Innovation, Creativity and Leadership.
Overview of Education in Creativity and Problem-Solving in Four-Year Colleges and Universities.
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ICJMT Report from the Creativity Focus Group
Creativity/Innovation is projected to “increase in importance” for future workforce
entrants, according to more than 70 percent (73.6 percent) of employer respondents.
Currently, however, more than half of employer respondents (54.2 percent) report
new workforce entrants with a high school diploma to be “deficient” in this skill set.
- "Are They Really Ready To Work?" Conference Board
According to Rachael Rettner, researchers say that students are not as creative as they used
to be. In a 2010 study of about 300,000 creativity tests going back to the 1970s, Kyung Hee
Kim, a creativity researcher at the College of William and Mary, found creativity has
decreased among American children in recent years. Since 1990, K-12 students have
become less able to produce unique and unusual ideas. They are also less humorous, less
imaginative and less able to elaborate on ideas, Kim found.
The current focus on testing in schools, and the idea that there is only one right answer to a
question, may be hampering development of creativity among K-12 students, argues Ron
Beghetto, an education psychologist at the University of Oregon. "There's not much room
for unexpected, novel, divergent thought," he said. But as a university community, we
refuse to throw in the towel. In fact, there is evidence to suggest that, worldwide,
youngsters are very creative, particularly with their use of digital media. And a recent study
found that, at least in their playtime, kids are becoming more imaginative.
Experts agree changes can be made in the classroom to cultivate creativity. In her study,
Kim analyzed results from the Torrance Test, an exam that measures an aspect of creativity
called divergent thinking. In this test, students might be shown two circles and asked to
draw something out of these shapes. Interestingly, scores on the Torrance Test have been
decreasing while SAT scores are increasing. However, better test scores do not necessarily
translate to improved creativity, Kim explains. You can do well on a test by studying a lot,
but it won't encourage original thinking.
Kim said No Child Left Behind, an act of Congress passed in 2001 that requires schools to
administer annual standardized tests as a way to assess whether they are meeting state
education standards, may be partly responsible for the drop in creativity scores. "If we just
focus on just No Child Left Behind — testing, testing, testing — then how can creative
students survive?" Kim argues. Other culprits may be the rise in TV watching, a passive
activity that doesn't require interactions with others. On the other hand, some video games
call for creative problem-solving strategies.
As we wrote in our proposal for the Gamm Interdisciplinary Course in Creativity, we know
that many faculty on the Boulder campus are embracing the purposeful investigation of the
creative process in their courses, research, and creative work. However, what is missing at
CU is a locus, an academic “umbrella,” a center where the creative process can be studied,
applied, and nurtured across disciplines. As industry is citing creativity as a crucial job
skill, by “institutionalizing” the praxis of creative thinking, the University of Colorado is
clarifying its branding to prospective students and their potential employers that a graduate
of CU has content knowledge and the ability to engage analytically and critically with that
information. The CU graduate can express themselves coherently in written and verbal
communication, and also has experience is working creatively, so that they are poised to be
the innovators and trailblazers of the future.
Even though our Gamm Interdisciplinary Course proposal was not funded for 2013-14, we
would very much like to see the planned course, “Exploring the Creative Process,” to be
offered in Fall 2013. (We are currently looking for $4300 to cover the cost of replacing one
of the professors of this team-taught course.) Both professors Kim Dickey (Art) and Eric
Stade (Math) are very excited by the prospective of offering this course, a sentiment that is
endorsed by the rest of the ICJMT Group on Creativity. In Spring 2013, Professor Cecilia
Pang (Theatre) is teaching an Honors course, NORLIN 3000: SEMINAR on CREATIVITY
In addition to the creation of new interdisciplinary courses, the ICJMT Committee on
Creativity recommends that a Center of Creativity, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship be
created at CU Boulder.
The CU Boulder Center of Creativity, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship could:
• be the repository of information for what courses and initiatives are already
dedicated to creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship on the Boulder campus.
• be a resource for faculty who are seeking “best practices” in the creative process
for their courses.
• be the entity to coordinate efforts of the Deming Center for Entrepreneurship, the
Entrepreneurship Center for Music, Engineering Management & Entrepreneurship
Certificate Program, the Gamm Interdisciplinary Course initiative, Center for Media, Arts,
and Performance (CMAP), etc.
• be a “matchmaker” for faculty and students who are looking for collaborators
• seek funding for pedagogical explorations into the creative process from the
Mellon Foundation, National Science Foundation, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, etc.
• explore assessment tools, such as the Torrance Test, so that data can be collected in
order to inform stakeholders of the efficacy of this investigation of the creative process.
Indeed, multiple forms of assessment may prove to be the most informative. Wesleyan
University, for example, has replaced the standard FCQ-style questionnaire with a narrative
report from the student on a particular course. Another tool is a senior exit interview, which
allows for the distance of time from the completion of a particular course. Sometimes (or
perhaps often), the student is not aware of the relative worth to them of a particular course
until months or years after the course is over.
• broaden the STEM initiative to invest in STEAM: Science, Technology,
Engineering, Art, and Math.
ICJMT Creativty Report
2
Resources necessary to realize the CU Boulder Center of Creativity, Innovation, and
Entrepreneurship:
Director
Staff
Faculty Advisory Board
Community Advisory Board
Flexibility in setting up team-taught courses. As the success of the Gamm
Interdisciplinary courses has shown, the interdisciplinary collaboration which takes
place in such a course (taught by faculty from two different disciplines) is the
foundation of the investigation of how to communicate across disciplines. For
students to learn to be “multi-lingual,” they need a course structure which facilitates
this exploration.
Why a focus on creativity is good for CU:
Not only is “creativity” a focus of the job market, a focus on the creative process is
consistent with many of our Flagship 2030 Initiatives, specifically:
3. Experiential Learning. We will incorporate experiential learning programs more
broadly in every student's education. These experiences may include research or
creative projects with a professor, study abroad, honors or senior thesis projects,
entrepreneurial initiatives, portfolios of creative work, full-time community service
projects, or internships.
5. Transcending Traditional Academic Boundaries. We will build upon our
excellent record in interdisciplinary research and creative work to become a global
leader in ventures that span traditional academic fields. We will strengthen the
university's advocacy, support, recognition, and financial incentives for faculty and
students who engage and excel in interdisciplinary work.
10. Making Enterprise Work. We will seek greater operating flexibility and
expanded resources to meet our role and mission. A new relationship with the state
of Colorado will emphasize our public mission and our accountability under a more
self-reliant and market-driven model. We will enhance our private fundraising
efforts in support of university initiatives.
As our group conceives of these team taught-Interdisciplinary courses which incorporate
creative process, they are very hands-on and collaborative. This embodied investigation has
the benefit of increasing the likelihood that subject matter covered in the course will find its
way into long-term memory. As the university finds itself defending face-to-face learning
provided by a brick-and-mortar institution, it will be increasingly necessary to provide
classroom learning experiences such as these which cannot be achieved in an online course.
3
Gamm Interdisciplinary Course Proposal
RE: Gamm Interdisciplinary Course Proposal: Exploring the Creative Process
DATE: 16 November 2012
FROM: Kim Dickey, Art & Art History
Eric Stade, Mathematics
Bud Coleman, Theatre & Dance
This course came out of brainstorming sessions generated by an ICJMT Proposal on Creativity
faculty group.1 Cognizant of the 21st century reality that workers will change jobs seven to fifteen
times over the course of their careers, this group is seeking ways to insure that graduates of CU
Boulder become nimble, life-long learners with a firm grasp of how to maximize their creative
thinking.
On this campus, there are numerous investigations into the creative process in many
different classes, but the focus is genre specific, whereas the approach of this proposed course,
“Exploring the Creative Process,” is that creative thinking is a skill that can be learned, regardless of
the subject matter. In a team-taught course with professors from different disciplines – Eric Stade
(Mathematics) and Kim Dickey (Art & Art History) – the students (and faculty) will all be working
outside of the comfort zone of their “home” discipline, exploring commonalities in problem solving,
thinking creatively, and learning how to ask intelligent questions of someone who does something
you have no experience with.
Creative thinking is not just important for artists, but for anyone who faces an obstacle or
desires change. When the American Academy’s Commission on the Humanities and Social
Sciences was formed by Congress in 2011, their charge was to make recommendations how “to
maintain national excellence in humanities and social scientific scholarship and education” – not just
invest in STEM disciplines – in order “to achieve long-term national goals for our intellectual and
economic well-being; for a stronger, more vibrant civil society; and for the success of cultural
diplomacy in the 21st century.” Indeed, Commission member David Skorton (Cornell University's
president) argued that the future of national security depends not only on a strong grounding in the
humanities and the social sciences, but also in fostering the imaginative ability in our citizenry to
take what we know of the past and present in order to craft a better future.
It goes without saying that entrepreneurship – thinking entrepreneurially – does not exist
without creative thinking.
1
Kirk Ambrose – art, classics, environmental design
Bud Coleman – theatre
Mike Eisenberg – computer science, institute of cognitive science
Michelle Ellsworth – dance, CMAP
John Gunther - music
Deborah Haynes - art
Cecilia Pang - theatre
Erika Randall - dance
Eric Stade – math, Libby RAP
ICJMT Creativty Report
4
While there will be a structure and theoretical foundation for the course, by necessity it will
be very student-centric. Indeed, in the first class period, the students might be asked to create the
syllabus for the course. This will immediately thrust the students into figuring out how to work
together. Next, by exploring the multiple questions necessary to define a goal, they will start the
journey by identifying areas which require more knowledge in order to move forward. In
“Exploring the Creative Process,” Professors Dickey and Stade will act more as knowledgeable
guides rather than all-knowing experts.
The course will be taught in a flexible space, possibly Carlson 304. This is an old handball
court modestly transformed into a classroom. Exploration is messy, and this room can accommodate
flexibility in ways that most classrooms on campus cannot. The course may also move to different
locations on certain days, for example to ATLAS or outside on the grass or even the swimming pool
in Carlson.
Faculty:
Professor Kim Dickey received her BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design and her
MFA from Alfred University. From 1991 to 1994, she served as Director of Greenwich
House Pottery, New York, where she curated over twenty exhibitions of contemporary
ceramics. Her work has been the subject of nine solo shows: three in New York, two in Los
Angeles, three in Denver, and one in Kansas City. She has participated in many group
invitational shows in Germany, Japan, Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Internationally renown galleries in New York City that have shown her work include
Bronwyn Keenan, Garth Clark, Jack Tilton, Pierogi 2000, Thomas Healy, and White
Columns. Dickey has exhibited at Mass MOCA, the Everson Museum (Syracuse), the
American Craft Museum (New York), the Museum of Contemporary Art in Denver, and the
Museum of Contemporary Art in Honolulu, among others. Dozens of universities and
museums have invited her to present her work, which has featured in numerous articles and
books. Professor Dickey:
I've thought about the connections between math and the arts and feel there is a rich,
though speckled history on this. There are specific artists who have drawn on
mathematical principles to develop their work – Uccello and one-point perspective
(geometry), Mario Merz and Arte Povera and the Fibonacci Series, or Sol Lewitt
and his grid drawings, the Vasulkas Archive and early experimental media art, or
John Cage performances and his experiments with timing, duration, etc.
Professor Eric Stade received his Ph.D. from Columbia University in 1988, and was
recently the Chair of the UCB Department of Mathematics; currently he is Director of Libby
RAP. Professor Stade studies automorphic forms, which lie at the intersection of number
theory and harmonic analysis. In particular, Stade is interested in the interplay between the
Fourier theory of automorphic forms and the classical study of generalized Barnes integrals
and hypergeometric series. He is the recipient of the 2010 Burton Jones Distinguished
Teaching award from the Mathematical Association of America’s Rocky Mountain Section
and was inducted into CU’s President’s Teaching Scholars. Very active in improving the
participation and quality of math instruction in K-12, Professor Stade seeks to demystify the
educational experience: “Playing and learning are really the same thing. When you play
around, when you experiment, that’s when you’re really learning.”
5
Course content: Instead of a fixed syllabus, what follows is a list of guiding principles that will
shape “Exploring the Creative Process”:
a. The typical school experience only rewards success, yet learning how to embrace life’s
inevitable failures is paramount in bringing clarity, innovation, and creativity to a
project. Following Edward Burger’s lead, our goal is to help students to see the power
of failure and how to fail effectively. Imaginative thinking and learning can only occur
in a culture / a space that embraces risk.
b. Creativity comes from curiosity.
c. Just as there as multiple ways of knowing (Howard Gardner), so to there are multiple
ways of being creative. Student will explore different ways of working creatively as an
individual and as the member of a team.
d. Creativity is about process, not the end product.
e. Limitations can inspire creativity; often less can create more. The students will take a
pledge not to spend more than $20 (above the cost of their textbooks) on this course.
Anyone can spend money, but you can’t buy creativity. Part of being creative is being
cognizant of the resources you have and exploiting all the ways to get the most out of
what you have access to.
Some potential course assignments might be:
a. Using the U.S. Postal Service or UPS, mail one of the professors something that is not in
a box or an envelope. This challenges our assumption of what we think the boundaries
are.
b. Learn a physical feat that is new for you: rock climbing, juggling, unicycle, walk on a
ball, hula hoop, calligraphy, learning a new alphabet, etc., something that requires
complete mental concentration and physical integration.
c. To practice creativity is rigorous: Irving Berlin set himself the goal of writing a new
song every day (melody, bridge, and lyrics); many writers set themselves a daily word
count goal; the choreographer Twyla Tharp puts herself into the studio every day. Only
by exploring the student’s own patterns and habits, can they find which regimen(s)
might work best for them. Working creativity means working before inspiration hits.
d. Use a product you have created and generate two new expressions / translations of all
(or part) of that material using two other mediums. For example, if you wrote a work of
fiction or non-fiction, pick two other forms of expression (2D art, 3D art, dance,
mathematical formulas, color, graphs, pie charts, music, etc.) in order to reflect the
original work: its story, themes, theory, structure, etc.
e. Creative teams / partnerships are not composed of people who all know the same thing,
but rather of folks who have radically different skill sets who are put together (or selfselect to work together) on a particular project. Determine the strengths (and
weaknesses) of the knowledge base and ways of working that are contained within your
group, and suggest what types of projects your team may be best suited for.
ICJMT Creativty Report
6
f.
Start with instructions from design basics: draw a line; draw a shape, draw three spaces,
etc. When the students share their work with the class, the point is made that there is no
“right “ answer to these prompts (the line can be straight, circular, fill up the entire page
or only be long enough to distinguish it from a dot, etc.) but rather they open up
possibilities. Students explore ways to ask questions (of themselves, of a group) that
open up possibilities, as opposed to implying that there is a “right” answer.
g. Many classes will start with an association exercise. The teacher will introduce a word,
a line drawing, a movement phrase, a melody line, etc., and the students will be asked to
respond to that prompt: automatic writing / drawing / moving / music making, etc. The
idea is not to think, not to use your head. If the student’s response was not written in
their notebook / computer, then they will be asked to transcribe / describe their
movement / melody / rhythm etc. into their notebook / computer so that there is an
artifact of that exploration. (This way, the work can be referenced later.)
h.
Observe an inanimate object. Interpret this object as a rhythm you can clap out with
your hands or with a stick on the floor. Next move to buildings, then to a person doing a
task: walking in a grocery store, jogging, knitting, texting, etc. Interpret this activity as
a rhythm. Next, think of someone you know extremely well; distill their essence /
history / biography into a rhythm.
Target Audience:
Any student, from any discipline, who is willing to risk the unknown by signing up for a
three-credit hour course which will not count for their major or core, but which they take for the sake
of learning more.
Ideally the course will be taught in one three-hour block in the afternoon (Monday to
Friday).
In order to resist the inference that any one discipline has the “inside track” on creativity, the
course will be listed under ARSC 4040, a special topics number in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Desired enrollment for the course: 30 students
Endorsement from Art & Art History: Associate Chair Jeanne Quinn:
The Department of Art and Art History is supportive of the proposal for a new course on
creativity. There are many possible intersections between the disciplines of math and visual
arts, as both require abstract, symbolic thinking as well as an understanding of processes for
creative problem-solving; a comparison between the systems will no doubt lead to insightful
realizations for both. Professor Dickey is an ideal candidate from visual arts to teach the
course, as she has a rich creative studio practice of her own, as well as a wealth of
knowledge in the areas of history and theory.
Endorsement from Dept. of Mathematics: Judith Packer, Professor and Chair:
This e-mail is to confirm that I endorse your Gamm Interdisciplinary Course Proposal:
``Exploring the Creative Process” to be taught jointly with Kim Dickey
and Eric Stade.
Estimate of necessary replacement teaching cost: $4300
Professor Eric Stade will teach “Exploring the Creative Process” as an overload, so only
$4300 is need to hire a replacement for Professor Dickey’s course.
7
NORLIN 3000: SEMINAR on CREATIVITY
Syllabus for "Seminar on Creativity," Spring 2013, taught by Dr. Cecilia Pang
Instructor: Cecilia J. Pang, Ph.D.
Email: cecilia.pang@colorado.edu
Office: THTRC-232
Phone: 5-3603
Office Hr.: T/R 12-1 pm
Spring 2013
Tuesdays
5:00 – 5:50 pm
Norlin S421
**************************************************************************
“Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.”
-Scott Adams- (cartoonist)-OBJECTIVE:
This focus of this class is on the creative process. It is designed to explore several themes
that stimulate creativity in individuals and teams. This is about making the connections
between images and words, by integrating various disciplines including photography,
design, writing, performance, film, music, engineering, mathematics, or your own field, to
help you unleash your individual creative potential and to “discover your own method and
way of expression.” The objective is not to learn the skills of a specific art and craft, but to
discover ways to develop the possibilities within us, to get out those images, from inside,
that we all have.
The course is entirely hands-on and highly experiential, requiring each student to participate
actively. You will practice your art and craft by working on a series of projects. To foster
collaboration and learning between the students, we will craft teams for each assignment.
Each project will be done with a different team, so students get a chance to work with a
wide variety of participants. This course will adopt a ‘flipped classroom’ model where the
instruction is delivered online via reading and viewing assignments and classroom work will
focus on activity and doing.
“Don't think. Thinking is the enemy of creativity. It's self-conscious, and anything selfconscious is lousy. You can't try to do things. You simply must do things.”
--Ray Radbury (novelist science fiction writer)-COURSE ASSIGNMENTS:
FIVE Portfolio Assignments
1. TRANSFORMING: A mini TED talk
2 IMAGING: Digital Storytelling
3. EMPATHIZING: Interview podcast
4. PLAYING: Creative Swap Stew Personal Project
ICJMT Creativty Report
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5. SYNTHESIZING: Co-create a webpage for the class
“Creativity comes from a conflict of ideas.”
--Donatella Versace (Fashion Designer) –
GRADING EVLUATION
● Portfolio Assignments @ 10 points (x5)
● Weekly Class participation and discussions @ 5 points x 10
50
50
COURSE MATERIALS
Recommended Texts:
(Reading assignments and exercises will be culled from the following books)
● Bohm, David. On Creativity. New York: Routledge. 1996.
● Burger, Edward B., and Michael Starbird. The 5 Elements of Effective Thinking.
Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2012.
● Cameron, Julie. The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity. New
York: Putnam Books, 1992.
● Pink, Daniel H. A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule The World.
New York: The Berkley Publishing Group, 2005, 2006.
● Root-Bernstein, Robert and Michele. Sparks of Genius: The Thirteen Thinking Tools
of the World’s Most Creative People. New York: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1999.
● Tharp, Twyla. The Creative Habit: Learn it and Use it for Life. New York: Simon
& Schuster, 2003.
Recommended Viewing:
● TED.com
● What the Bleep Do We Know (www.whatthebleep.com}
Full movie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioONhpIJ-NY
(Each week you will be given one or two viewing/audio assignments as inspiration to help
you with your portfolio project.)
Recommended: Technological Tools and Software
● Viddler : www.viddler.com (free download)
● Voicethread: www.voicethread.com (free download) or Audacity
www.audacity.com (free download) or Soundcloud: www.soundcloud.com (free
download)
● I-Movie for Mac or Windows Media Player for PCs
● Final Cut Pro for Mac or Premiere for PCs or any editing app of your choice
● Wordpress or googlesite or any free website
9
Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what
you imagine and at last you create what you will.”
--George Bernard Shaw—
CLASS PARTICIPATION
This course is a workshop, and focuses heavily on discussion and practice; above all, it is a
creative, collaborative venture between all the artists in the class. When you are unavailable
to your partner, you deprive her or him, as well as the other members of the course, the
benefit of your contributions. Every person’s input is important to the collective experience
of the course, and to each person’s progress.
CLASS EVALUATION
Because this course focuses on creativity, evaluation of the projects is necessarily
subjective. Our goal is to make sure that you get thoughtful feedback on your submissions
and to showcase the most creative solutions for each challenge. To do this, the entire class
will be involved in providing feedback on the assignments. The majority of the projects will
be showcased on the course webpage that the class creates.
“Every act of creation is first of all an act of destruction.”
--Pablo Picasso (Spanish artist)—
Suggestions for Course Success
You will get frustrated, that’s a given, you will get stuck, that happens; you may not find
inspiration, that’s common. But however you feel, DON’T GIVE UP. Plow on and
sometimes you will learn that simply getting to the finish line of any project…is a process in
creativity…because you have to come up with ingenious and innovative ways to overcome
your obstacles. The important key is: plan ahead and always, always, ALWAYS
communicate—with me and with the class.
● Devote a block of your time every week to each project to help you stay on course.
● Leave your personal ego behind…learn how to accept feedback from a neutral
standpoint so you can stay open to criticism.
● Seek help and ask to brainstorm.
● Make constructive criticism—albeit subjective—learn to make aesthetic choices.
● Use the email function to interact with your instructor, and with your fellow
classmates.
● VERY IMPORTANT: Allow time for technological glitz….so don’t wait till the
last minute to work on your assignment because there will always be unforeseeable
obstacles dealing with technology. Trust me. Make sure to back up your
work…there is nothing more sad that to lose your artistic creation to a computer!
“Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.”
--Steve Jobs (American entrepreneur)
ICJMT Creativty Report
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CLASS SCHEDULE
“Art is the only way to run away without leaving home.”
--Twyla Tharp (Dancer/Choreographer)—
Week 1(Jan 15)
Introduction: Inter-disciplinary Creativity Explored
Viewing Assignment: Amy Tan on “Where Does Creativity Hide”
http://www.ted.com/talks/amy_tan_on_creativity.html
Activity: Creative DNA
Week 2(Jan 22)
Thinking and Working outside the Box
Reading Assignment: “On the Relationship of Science and Art,”
Chapter 2 of On Creativity by David Bohm.
Activity: Seeing, Touching, Feeling, Enacting with a beverage
Week 3 (Jan 29)
Creativity Thinking Tools: S-C-A-M-P-E-R
http://www.creativethinkingwith.com/SCAMPER.html
Reading Assignment: Heller, Nathan. “Listen and Learn: How has
TED Talks turns ideas into an industry.” New Yorker, 9 July 2012.
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2012/07/09/120709fa_fact_heller
Activity: Brain Teaser Games
Week 4 (Feb. 5)
Project #1: TRANSFORMING: Mini TEDTalk
Presentation and Review
Week 5 (Feb 12)
Reading Assignment: “Story,” Chapter 5 of A Whole New Mind by
Daniel Pink.
Activity: Image Theatre/Storyboard Reshuffling
Week 6 (Feb 19)
Viewing Assignment: Andrew Stanton, “The Clues to a Great Story”
http://www.ted.com/talks/andrew_stanton_the_clues_to_a_great_story.html
Activity: Digital Story Collage In-class lab work
Week 7 (Feb 26)
Project #2: IMAGING: Digital Storytelling
Presentation and Review
Week 8 (Mar 5)
Viewing Assignment: Anna Deavere Smith on Language and
Individuality (http://bigthink.com/ideas/5427)
Viewing Assignment: Anna Deavere Smith, “4 American
Characters”
http://www.ted.com/talks/anna_deavere_smith_s_american_character.http
Activity: Mindful Listening
Week 9 (Mar 12)
Listening Assignment: “BBC Interview Series” Podcast
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/specials/924_interview_archiv/
Activity: Audio Podcast In-class lab work
11
Week 10 (Mar 19)
Project #3: EMPATHIZING - Audio Podcast
Presentation and Review
Week 11 (March 25-29)
Week 12 (Apr 2)
Spring Break
No Class
Viewing Assignment: Doodling in Math Class by Vi Hart
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-pyuaThp-c
Viewing Assignment: Typography
http://vimeo.com/3829682
Activity: Concert on Self
Week 13 (Apr 9)
Project #4: PLAYING: Creative Swap Stew Personal Project
Presentation and Review
Week 14 (Apr 16)
Viewing Assignment: “What the Bleep Do We Know”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioONhpIJ-NY
Activity: Artist’s Date (Cameron)- Little Women: the Musical
Week 15 (Apr 23)
Reading Assignment: “Engaging Change: Transform Yourself,”
Chapter 5 of 5 Elements of Effective Thinking by Edward Burger
and Michael Starbird
Activity: Class Website In-class Final Touch-Up
Week 16 (Apr 30)
Project #5: SYNTHESIZING: Class Webpage
Presentation and Review
ICJMT Creativty Report
12
University and Departmental Policies
Attendance:
Regular attendance is required and expected! Because of the unique structure of this class
(content, size and teaching approach), cutting is unacceptable. Each absence will result in
the lowering of 1/3 of a letter grade e.g. B to B-. (Department policy allows one academic
week of absence with no ill consequences for the final semester grade.) Tardiness is
considered an absence.
Students will be administratively dropped if they do not attend the first class (for a onecredit course) and the first two classes (for a three-credit course) so that other students may
enroll.
**************************************************************************
Withdrawal/Incomplete
We understand that over the period of a semester there is the possibility of a medical
situation or family emergency that might impair your ability to participate successfully in
this class. However as this is a performance course, if this situation occurs, it is the student's
responsibility to communicate with the instructor regarding an official withdrawal from the
course.
**************************************************************************
Disability Policy
If you qualify for accommodations because of a disability please submit to me a letter from
Disability Services in a timely manner so that your needs may be addressed. Disability
Services determines accommodations based on documented disabilities (303-492-8671,
Willard 322, www.colorado.edu/disabilityservices)
**************************************************************************
Religious Observance
Campus policy regarding religious observances requires that faculty make every effort to
reasonably and fairly deal with all students who, because of religious obligations, have
conflicts with scheduled exams, assignments or required attendance. In this class, religious
observance or University business MUST be cleared with the instructor in writing prior to
the event. See full details at http://www.colorado.edu/policies/fac_relig.html
**************************************************************************
Classroom Behavior
Students and faculty each have responsibility for maintaining an appropriate learning
environment. Students who fail to adhere to such behavioral standards may be subject to
13
discipline. Faculty have the professional responsibility to treat all students with
understanding, dignity and respect, to guide classroom discussion and to set reasonable
limits on the manner in which they and their students express opinions. Professional
courtesy and sensitivity are especially important with respect to individuals and topics
dealing with differences of race, culture, religion, politics, sexual orientation, gender
variance, and nationalities. Class rosters are provided to the instructor with the student's
legal name. I will gladly honor your request to address you by an alternate name or gender
pronoun. Please advise me of this preference early in
the semester so that I may make appropriate changes to my records. See polices
athttp://www.colorado.edu/policies/classbehavior.html and at
http://www.colorado.edu/studentaffairs/judicialaffairs/code.html#student_code
**************************************************************************
Discrimination and Harassment
The University of Colorado policy on Sexual Harassment and the University of Colorado
policy (http://www.colorado.edu/policies/discrimination.html) on Amorous Relationships
applies to all students, staff and faculty. Any student, staff or faculty member who believes
s/he has been the subject of discrimination or harassment based upon race, color, national
origin, sex, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status should contact the
Office of Discrimination and Harassment (ODH) at 303-492-2127 or the Office of Judicial
Affairs at 303-492-5550. Information about the ODH and the campus resources available to
assist individuals regarding discrimination or harassment can be obtained at
http://www.colorado.edu/odh
Academic Integrity: Honor Code
All students of the University of Colorado at Boulder are responsible for knowing and
adhering to the academic integrity policy of this institution. Violations of this policy may
include: cheating, plagiarism, aid of academic dishonesty, fabrication, lying, bribery, and
threatening behavior. All incidents of academic misconduct shall be reported to the Honor
Code Council
(honor@colorado.edu; 303-725-2273). Students who are found to be in violation of the
academic integrity policy will be subject to both academic sanctions from the faculty
member and non-academic sanctions (including but not limited to university probation,
suspension, or expulsion). Other information on the Honor Code can be found at
http://www.colorado.edu/policies/honor.html and at
http://www.colorado.edu/academics/honorcode/
**************************************************************************
ICJMT Creativty Report
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Alperson, Philip. “Creativity in Art.” The Oxford Handbook of Aesthetics. Ed. Jerrold
Levison. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003. 245-257. Print.
Baker, Paul. The Integration of Abilities: Exercises for Creative Growth. San Antonio:
Trinity University Press, 1972. Print.
Burger, Edward, and Michael Starbird. The Five Elements of Effective Thinking.
Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2012. Print.
Cameron, Julia, and Mark A. Bryan. The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher
Creativity. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1992.
Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly. Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and
Invention. 1st ed. New York: HarperCollinsPublishers, 1996. Print.
---. Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. New York: Harper Collins, Inc.,
2008.
Davis, Jeff. The Journey from the Center of the Page. Rhinebeck, NY:
Monkfish Book Publishing, 2008.
Emerson, Ralph Waldo. Self Reliance. 1841
Fer, Briony. The Infinite Line: Re-Making Art After Modernism. New Haven Conn.;
London: Yale University Press, 2004. Print.
Fields, Jonathan. Uncertainty: Turning Fear and Doubt Into Fuel for Brilliance. New
York, NY: The Penguin Group, 2011. Print.
Gardner, Howard. Creating Minds: An Anatomy of Creativity seen through the Lives of
Freud, Einstein, Picasso, Stravinsky, Eliot, Graham, and Gandhi. New York:
BasicBooks, 1993. Print.
Gelb, Michael J. How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci: Seven Steps to Genius Every
Day. New York: Delta Book, 1998.
Ghiselin, Brewster. The Creative Process: A Symposium. Berkeley: University of
California Press, 1954. Print.
Godin, Seth. We are all Weird: The Myth of Mass and the End of Compliance. 1st ed.
Do You Zoom, Inc., 2011. Print.
15
Goldberg, Natalie. Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within.
Boston, MA: Shambhala Publications Inc, 2005. Print.
Hausman, Carl R. “Creativity: Conceptual and Historical Overview.” Encyclopedia of
Aesthetics Vol. 1. Ed. Michael Kelly. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998.
453-456. Print.
Haynes, Deborah J. “Creativity at the Intersection of Art and Religion.” Oxford
Handbook of Religion and the Arts. Ed. Frank Burch Brown. Oxford: Oxford
University Press, 2008. Print.
Jarvie, I. C. “Explaining Creativity.” Encyclopedia of Aesthetics. Ed. Michael Kelly.
Vol. 1. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998. 456-459. Print.
Johnson, Steven. Where Good Ideas Come From: The Natural History of Innovation.
New York: Penguin Group, 2010. Print.
Kaufman, Gordon D. In the Beginning . . . Creativity. Minneapolis: Fortress Press,
2004. Print.
Lehrer, Jonah. Imagine: How Creativity Works. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt,
2012. Print.
Leonard, George. Mastery: The Keys to Success and Long-term Fulfillment. New
York: Plume, 1992. Print.
Maisel, Eric. The Creativity Book: A Year’s Worth of Inspiration and Guidance. New
York: Putnam, 2000. Print.
May, Rollo. The Courage to Create. 1st ed. New York: Norton, 1975. Print.
Nachmanovitch, Stephen. Free Play :Improvisation in Life and Art. 1st ed. Los
Angeles: Jeremy P. Tarcher/Perigee, 1990. Print.
Pressfield, Stephen. The War of Art. New York, NY: Black Irish Entertainment, 2002.
Richards, Mary Caroline, and Deborah J. Haynes. Opening Our Moral Eye: Essays,
Talks & Poems Embracing Creativity & Community. Hudson, NY: Lindisfarne
Press, 1996. Print.
Rothenberg, Albert. “Creativity and Psychology.” Encyclopedia of Aesthetics Vol. 1.
Ed. Michael Kelly. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998. 459-462. Print.
Rosenthal, Rachel. The DbD Experience Book: Chance Knows What It's Doing!
New York, NY: Routledge, 2010. Print.
ICJMT Creativty Report
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Runco, Mark A., and Steven R. Pritzker, eds. Encyclopedia of Creativity. 2 Vols.
San Diego: Academic Press, 1999. Print
Seelig, Tina. inGenius: A Crash Course in Creativity. New York: Harper One, 2012.
Simic, Charles. The Uncertain Certainty: Interviews, Essays, and Notes on Poetry.
Ann Arbor: University of Michigan, 1985.
Schofield, M. "Aristotle on the Imagination." Aristotle on Mind and the Senses. Eds.
Gwilym Ellis Lane Lloyd and Geoffrey Ernest Richard Owen. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press, 1978. 99-140. Print.
Sternberg, Robert J., ed. The Nature of Creativity. New York: Cambridge University
Press, 1988. Print.
Tharp, Twyla, and Mark Reiter. The Creative Habit: Learn it and Use it for Life:
A Practical Guide. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2006. Print.
Torrance, Ellis Paul. Guiding Creative Talent. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall,
1962. Print.
Weiner, Robert Paul. Creativity and Beyond: Cultures, Values, and Change. Albany,
NY: State University of New York Press, 2000. Print.
Videos:
What the Bleep!? Down the Rabbit Hole . Dirs.William Arntz, Betsy Chasse and Mark
Vicente (2006). Film.
The Quantum Activist. Dirs. Renee Slade, Ri Stewart. With Amit Goswami, Ph.D.
Gravitas Vetures, 2009. Film.
London Knowledge Lab: Exploring, Learning and Creating: Creativity Across
Mathematics and Art
(http://www.lkl.ac.uk/cms/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=66&Itemid=4
8)
Podcasts:
Creativity and the everyday brain
http://being.publicradio.org/programs/2012/creativity-and-the-everyday-brain/
Back to Work (Merlin Mann & Dan Benjamin): http://5by5.tv/b2w
"Back to Work" – Personal productivity for creative
“The Critical Path” – Analyst Horace Dedieu (a protege of disruption theorist Clay
17
Christensen) talks about technology and economic disruption through the lens of
Apple.
www.radiolab.org – one of the best podcasts out there. Fantastic reporting at the
intersection of the cultural sector and science.
Nate DiMeo: http://thememorypalace.us/
http://99percentinvisible.org – Roman Mars on design and architecture
Websites:
“Doodling in Math Class.” Vihart.com. Web. 21 Jan 213. http://vihart.com/doodling/
ICJMT Creativty Report
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APPENDIX
NOTE
What follows are descriptions of programs, centers, institutes, etc., at other
institutions that are focused on the study of the creative process. These include examples
from institutions where the program is campus-wide, and others which are housed in a
specific department: art, communications, humanities, and marketing. There are also
several interdepartmental offerings, including from MIT’s Philosophy and Linguistic
departments and UC Berkeley’s Engineering and MBA programs.
It seems that when researching course offerings connected with the term creativity
there are two areas of study which we did not include in this appendix: those resources or
courses that use the term strictly as a substitute for business related innovation, particularly
in the areas of business administration, human resource management, product development
and advertising (there are a plethora of them); and courses or resources that can be easily
classified as personal wealth management, personal development or “life coaching.”
BUFFALO STATE UNIVERSITY: INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR
CREATIVITY
MOST EXCITING OR ENGAGING FEATURES OF THE PROGRAM:
• Visiting Scholars: Since 1999, the Creative Studies has been visited by more than 20
visiting scholars and professionals from 16 different countries.
• Community Connection: As part of their course work, graduate students in the home
Creative Studies program delivered services to more than 20 local organizations over
the last several years.
• Graduate Degree: Buffalo State is the only institution of higher education in the world
that offers a master of science degree in creativity studies.
• Resource Materials: Buffalo State has one of the largest collections of books on
creativity and related topics in the world. The Creative Studies Collection in E. H.
Butler Library contains more than 3,000 volumes.
19
• Database: The creativity literature database, which is available online, holds more
than 13,000 annotated records on creativity and creativity-related literature, as well as
other resources (e.g., creativity measures, videos).
About the Program
The Creative Studies Department and its International Center for Studies in Creativity
credential creativity through a diverse menu of programs that cultivate skills in creative
thinking, innovative leadership practices, and problem-solving techniques. The department,
through the process of creative thought, enhances an individual’s ability to imagine new
ideas by learning how to envision that which cannot be immediately seen.
This internationally recognized academic department offers a series of courses that lead to a
master of science degree in creative studies or a graduate certificate in creativity and change
leadership (see next program). These unique graduate programs attract students from
business, education, and many diverse fields. Short summer institutes in combination with
distance courses now make the graduate certificate and full master’s degree available to
busy professionals both within and outside Western New York. Students from across the
U.S. and international students from such countries as South Africa, Brazil, Canada, Italy,
England, and Singapore have participated in these programs.
The combination of required and elective courses make this graduate program ideal for
educators who seek permanent and professional licensure through a degree that offers a
unique and valuable set of knowledge and skills (consult with Buffalo State’s Teacher
Certification Office for specific issues regarding licensure in New York State). The required
courses give all students an opportunity to develop practical leadership, facilitation,
training/teaching, and problem-solving skills, while the selection of electives allows
students to concentrate on acquiring knowledge and skills in another area of specialization
(e.g., education, business, organizations, communications). The creative studies program
challenges students to develop their creative talents and to become leaders of change in their
professional lives.
Introductory-level graduate courses may be taken by students from other departments at
Buffalo State to enrich their majors. Students from business, education, and a variety of
other disciplines find this coursework useful. Multidisciplinary degree students integrate
creativity courses to fulfill part of their requirements for a master’s degree.
The master’s degree program consists of three major strands of coursework. The
Foundations of Creativity strand surveys various approaches to assessing and defining
creativity, as well as a variety of models and theories associated with understanding the
nature of creative behavior. The introductory course to this strand is CRS 560. The Creative
Problem Solving and Facilitation strand emphasizes ways to deliberately foster creative
potential by helping the student to learn, apply, and teach specific creative problem-solving
tools. The introductory course to this strand is CRS 559. The third strand, Research,
Development and Dissemination, includes involvement with the department’s program of
research, development, and dissemination. Students pursue a master’s project or thesis that
makes a contribution to the emerging discipline of creativity studies.
ICJMT Creativty Report
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The introductory course to this strand is CRS 580. Students may opt to complete a
comprehensive examination and portfolio review in place of the project or thesis.
Courses Offered
CRS 205: Introduction to Creative Studies
CRS 302: Creative Approaches to Problem Solving
CRS 303: Creative Leadership Through Effective Facilitation
CRS 304: Developing Creative Problem Solving Facilitation
CRS 320: Applications of Creativity and Innovation
CRS 559 Principles in Creative Problem Solving
CRS 560 Foundations of Creative Learning
CRS 580 Creativity Assessment: Methods and Resources
CRS 610 Facilitation of Group Problem Solving
CRS 625 Current Issues in Creative Studies
CRS 635 Creativity and Change Leadership
CRS 670 Foundations in Teaching and Training Creativity
ICSC Press
http://icscpress.com
Created in 2012, ICSC Press is the imprint of the International Center for Studies in
Creativity. The mission of the press supports the vision of the Center to ignite creativity
around the world, facilitating the recognition of creative thinking as an essential life skill.
ICSC Press¹s goal is to put the work of our best teachers, thinkers, and practitioners into the
hands of a wide audience, making titles available quickly and in multiple formats both paper
and electronic.
Creative Studies Library
Visitors from around the world come to Buffalo State College to examine our extensive
collection of creativity related literature—the largest of its kind in the world. This noncirculating collection of books and other materials is known as the Creative Studies Library
and is located within the E. H. Butler Library. It contains almost 6,000 books, dissertations,
and rare archival material relating to creativity.
A wide selection of books, journals, and theses projects are available for reference in the
Creative Studies Information Station Resource Room, Chase Hall 226
********************
Letter from Jon Michael Fox, Interim Chair, International Center for Studies in
Creativity:
Our mission here at the International Center for Studies in Creativity is to ignite
creativity around the world. One way I can do that is to provide you with course
documents so you don’t have to invent everything!
21
I have attached the course syllabus and the course requirements for CRS 205,
Introduction to Creativity, a pdf of the cover and the table of contents of Exploring the
Nature of Creativity. The major focus of the intro course is to answer the questions,
“What is creativity anyway?” and “How do I use it?”
Exploring the Nature of Creativity looks at the classic 4P’s of creativity: the creative
Person (essentially characteristics, level, preferred style, habits and blocks); Process
(such as cognitive tools for creative problem solving when the demand is to come up
with solutions that are both new and useful -- at the same time; Product (any outcome,
tangible or intangible, that meets the criteria of new, useful and communicated in some
way); and Press (the climate or environment that presses on us that helps or hinders
creative thought and action). We look at the 4P’s individually for the sake of
understanding each major element. The real challenge is when we look at how they
work together. (It gets really messy.) The holy grail of creativity research is, “What
works, for whom, under what circumstances?”
For years I had to rely on packaging up a number of articles and chapters of books to
have reading material for the intro course. I decided to write a book to put it all on one
place. To my knowledge it is the only text that looks at all four chunks of creativity.
The Intro course is generic. It is designed to be used as either a stand-alone or as work that
can be incorporated into a discipline. If you want to teach the CRS 205 course as designed,
you are welcome to do that. (Take my name off and put your name on!) You are welcome to
use the syllabus and requirements documents in any way that meets your needs.
I have other course documents you might find useful — such as lesson plans, tests,
handouts. I have attached the course catalog descriptions for all of the courses in the
creative studies minor. If any of these courses look interesting, let me know. I also
have material for graduate level courses if that is of interest.
Let me know what you need and I will send the relevant stuff. I don’t want to
overwhelm with all the material I have available.
********************
Letter from Gerard Puccio, Chair, Int'l Center for Studies in Creativity:
What an exciting undertaking. I am always happy to learn about new creativity
courses at the university level. It has been many years since I have taught an undergraduate
course (I assume the course you refer to is an undergraduate course). As such I am
copying this message to Mike Fox, the undergraduate program coordinator for our
department, to see if he might be able to send some of his course syllabi to you.
Perhaps the most relevant course is our CRS 205 class (Introduction to Creative
Studies). Mike can also describe his book, Exploring the Nature of Creativity, which
provides a broad introduction to creativity. This book is used to support the CRS 205
course.
I am also sending this message to Paul Reali who is the Managing Editor of ICSC
Press. I've already spoken to Paul about sharing a desk copy of our most recent book
"Creativity Rising: Creative Thinking and Creative Problem Solving for the 21st
Century". This books makes a case for why creative thinking is an essential life skill,
particularly in the 21st century, sorts fact from fiction in regard to creativity and then the
ICJMT Creativty Report
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remainder of the book focuses on teaching creative thinking/process - specifically
Creative Problem Solving. Given your intended focus on the cross-disciplinary
application of the creative process this book may be of interest to you.
If you wish to take more of a leadership focus to the course, another option is our
book "Creative Leadership: Skills that Drive Change". Desk copies are available through
Sage Publications.
I wish you great success and do let me know how the course turns out.
Gerard Puccio, Ph.D.
Chair & Professor
International Center for Studies in Creativity
********************
ALEX OSBORN and “BRAINSTORMING”
"It is easier to tone down a wild idea than to think up a new one."- Alex Osborn
That quote pretty much sums up Osborn's ideas on brainstorming and creative thinking.
Brainstorming is method of thinking up solutions, ideas or new concepts. It can be a
difficult process for many reasons: sometimes people are unwilling to suggest a solution for
fear of criticism or the problem may just be a very difficult one, and one that no existing
solutions exist for yet. Osborn's solution, as suggested by the above quote, is to think up as
many ideas as possible regardless of how ridiculous they may seem at first. Since it is very
unlikely to think up the perfect solution right off the bat, he recommends getting every idea
out of your head and then go back to examine them afterwards. An idea that may have
initially sounded off-the-wall may actually turn out to be a plausible idea with a little
modification. Osborn's technique of deferred judgment increases the individual's synthesis
capabilities by releasing the human mind from the analysis mode of thinking. Brainstorming
is considered to be a group method of listing suggested ideas pertaining to a solution for a
specific problem.
Creative thinking requires tools such as the brainstorm and the affinity diagram.
Brainstorming is simply listing all ideas put forth by a group in response to a given problem
or question. In 1939, a team led by advertising executive Alex Osborn coined the term
"brainstorm." According to Osborn, " Brainstorm means using the brain to storm a creative
problem and to do so "in commando fashion, each stormer audaciously attacking the same
objective." Creativity is encouraged by not allowing ideas to be evaluated or discussed until
everyone has run dry. Any and all ideas are considered legitimate and often the most farfetched are the most fertile. Structured brainstorming produces numerous creative ideas
about any given "central question". Done right, it taps the human brain's capacity for lateral
thinking and free association.
Other rules for brainstorming according to Osborn include creating an environment where
team members are not criticized for their ideas. Ideas can be evaluated after the
brainstorming session but judgments during the process will only alienate team members.
Also, after the idea generating process team members should try to combine and modify
ideas.
23
The technique of brainstorming takes place in a panel format. The brainstorming panel is
composed of a leader, recorder, and panel members. The leader is responsible for
maintaining a rapid flow of ideas while the recorder lists all the ideas as they are presented.
The size of the panel may vary but a range of 10 to 12 is usually optimum. If the group were
to get to large there is a greater chance of members remaining in the background or that the
members would not have enough time to express their ideas in a reasonable amount of time.
These practices are essential to any brainstorming process, but many people have criticized
Osborn's methods as incomplete. For instance he does not suggest that team members
prepare for brainstorming sessions. Another downfall of Osborn's teaching is that he does
not offer and tools or exercises for coming up with creative ideas in the first place. However
limited his methods may be they are productive means of acquiring new and innovative
solutions.
[From Skymark, 2012. http://www.skymark.com/resources/leaders/osborne.asp]
HISTORY
As the first and oldest degree granting program in creativity in the world, the foundation of
ICSC dates back to Alex Osborn's seminal work in creativity education in the 1940s and
1950s. Osborn, the developer of brainstorming and the originator of the Creative Problem
Solving process, saw the need for a more creative trend in American education and business.
It was this vision and dream that eventually led to the establishment of the Center for
Studies in Creativity at Buffalo State in 1967.
An experimental study carried out on the courses offered in the late 1960s and early 1970s,
showed that those courses significantly enhanced undergraduate students' creative abilities,
as well as improved their academic and nonacademic performance. Osborn's dream was
fully realized when Dr. Sidney Parnes and Dr. Ruth Noller established a permanent
academic home for the Creative Studies Program at Buffalo State.
ALUMNI ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Alicia Arnold, Class of 2010
Alicia Arnold graduated in 2010 with an MSc in Creative Studies. In 2011 she will be
starting a publishing company and offering three titles. The first, Creativity Unscripted,
originated during Alicia's first summer session at Buffalo State when Blair Miller introduced
the Lucky 7's to a problem finding exercise using the Jack and Jill nursery rhyme. The
positive feedback about the approachability and simplicity of using nursery rhymes as a
teaching tool led to the concept for the book. Creativity Unscripted uses a behind-the-scenes
look into the Land of Nursery Rhyme and the characters Jack and Jill to teach CPS. The
book blends the dryness of learning fact with the pleasure of reading fiction to create a
business fable focused on teaching creativity.
Her next two titles, geared towards children, are part of a series. With the Mack & Cally
titles, Alicia introduces "The Letterman’s" – sibling crime solvers with a phonics bag of
ICJMT Creativty Report
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tricks. Readers can follow 8-year old Cally and 7-year old Mack through a series of
adventures as they recover the Mona Lisa, search for the stolen Hope Diamond and return a
Faberge egg to its rightful owner. The Letterman’s uses an engaging problem solving format
to teach literacy. While solving crimes, Cally finds herself in precarious situations. Luckily,
she has the Linking Letters to help her out. The letters come to life and form what they spell
– that is, if Cally spells and pronounces them correctly. The Letterman’s stimulates
imagination and promotes literacy by focusing on phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency,
vocabulary and comprehension. Each story will feature phonics blends, letter sounds, and
other phonics relationships to reinforce concepts learned in school.
[From the Creativity Connections Alumni Network, 4 Feb 2011.
http://creativeconnectionsnetwork.blogspot.com/2011_02_01_archive.html]
Anneliese Gryta, Class of 2005
Eliminating poverty begins at the source--economic disadvantage. Anneliese Gryta, a
lawyer who has dedicated her work to helping low-income workers gain access to the legal
aid they need to help their businesses function, wants to tackle poverty at the root, rather
than simply treating its symptoms. As an Equal Justice Works Fellow, she has set up the
Microenterprise Legal Assistance Project with Advocates for Basic Equality in Toledo,
Ohio, helping provide legal advice and access to capital for entrepreneurs interested in
starting their own small business.
Anneliese, 28, who grew up in a family of musicians in Buffalo, New York, and was a
classical violinist throughout college, didn't always plan to become a lawyer. It wasn't until
she was exposed to the conditions in inner-city schools as a music teacher while still in
college that her focus changed. "I could never surmount those obstacles with a violin alone,"
she remembers thinking. "I became so angry that I couldn't provide more help to the kids
and families I was working with, and felt like I was going to become very burnt out, very
fast, if I didn't acquire some sharper tools to help fight poverty." A class she took called
"Urban Geography" cemented her belief that she could effect change through working in
law, and made her understand the "connection between law and legislation and all the social
ills that are plaguing our cities."
"That made me really aggressively go on this track of, I just want to learn as much as I can,"
she said. "A seed implanted by that one professor has impacted the rest of my life." After
graduating from law school in 2008, Anneliese immediately set out to help. With the Equal
Justice Works AmeriCorps Legal Fellowship, she began her work helping small businesses
with legal aid and clinics. For those untrained in the legal intricacies of starting a business,
help from seasoned attorneys can be invaluable.
"Sometimes when people go into business and they're looking into getting a commercial
lease, a few people haven't read the contracts at all, and negotiated for themselves," she said
of one instance where legal misunderstanding can harm the budding entrepreneur. "They
just sign on the dotted line and the contract will be completely written in favor of the
property owner." This isn't the only hurdle that businesses might face. Liability, contract
25
drafting, and the administrative tangles of setting up a non-profit are just a few of the
difficulties that may daunt people who are trying to start a business.
The attorneys love to volunteer and the entrepreneurs really love the help," she said. "It's a
win-win."
In her second fellowship with Equal Justice Works, Anneliese is aiming even higher-helping businesses acquire the loans they need to get off the ground, with a focus on the
economically disadvantaged. "In this economy, in a place like Toledo with such a high
unemployment rate you may have to create your own job," she said. "I wanted to do
something that treated the cause of poverty--lack of resources, lack of finances, lack of
credit, lack of education in how to handle money." Her newest project involves founding
two microloans funds for Toledo-based businesses. Assets Toledo helps with very small
loans up to $5,000 for graduates of the business training program they also run, with a
special focus on those with little credit history. The Toledo CDC Alliance revives an older,
defunct program by partnering with local banks to make loans available to established
businesses that want to set up shop in the ailing commercial corridors of the city, so that
they can build tangible assets in communities that need them. Right now, Anneliese is
helping save an 80-year-old community arts center, where the economy and other local
closures have made it impossible to continue paying the bills, from foreclosure. She is
defending the foreclosure and looking for another community group to step up and buy the
property before it goes to auction. "I wanted to expand the capacity of a legal services
organization," she said. "To develop a project and respond to a need that I identified and do
it in a completely new way."
[From Huffington Post, 25 May 2011. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/03/todayshuffpost-greatest-anneliese-grieta_n_803757.html]
Nathan Schwagler, Class of 2008
Prior to completing the MS in Creative Studies, Nathan entered graduate business school in
a Master of Science degree program titled: Entrepreneurship in Applied Technologies – a
fancy degree title that basically means: how to launch a technology company. Essentially, it
was a 10-course blend of tools and skills to assist the person who thinks they want to get
involved in the creation and implementation of something new. While reading the
textbooks, he couldn’t help but notice all of the instances that the terms creativity and
innovation were being used. Consequently, he started flagging page corners and realized this
was something worthy of further investigation. Since then, he’s come to believe that
entrepreneurs – as well as the greater business community – know that they need to be
creative; they just have limited understanding of what to do about it.
Simply doing the basics professed at the ICSC, such as: steadfastly using affirmative
judgment when evaluating ideas (even when it hurts); applying facilitation best-practices
during team-based exercises; and promoting the deliberate separation of divergence and
convergence, professors began asking him to come in and speak to classes about how the
ICJMT Creativty Report
26
students could re-connect with their own creative thinking skills to become more effective
business professionals (read: better thinkers). This recently turned into an opportunity to
join the USF Saint Petersburg College of Business as an adjunct instructor of a course on
Creativity in Entrepreneurship (imagine CRS 559 with an emphasis on business
vocabulary). What really makes the opportunity special is that the administrators of the
Sustainable Entrepreneurship and Innovation Alliance believe that creativity is so important
for successfully launching and sustaining a venture, that they’ve decided to make the
creativity course foundational and mandatory – meaning everyone must take it.
[From the Creativity Connections Alumni Network, 26 Dec 2011.
http://creativeconnectionsnetwork.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2011-0204T12:20:00-08:00&max-results=7]
Janice Francisco, Class of 2007
Creativity in government? Yes, it's possible: innovation consulting isn't just for private
business, it's also been put into play by the Canadian Federal Government to drive
movement, change, and creativity and innovation internally. In recognition of her work to
drive innovation within the Canadian Federal Government, Janice was invited to join the
2010 judging committee for the GTEC (Government Technology Exhibition and
Conference) (GTEC) Distinction Awards Program. The Distinction Awards recognizes
innovation as a creative approach, using Information Management / Information
Technology applications and/or technology, to advance government policy frameworks,
service delivery, organizational transformation, use of customer-centered services, public
consultation and participation, and competition in the global economy. Honorees are
recognized for having outstanding achievements or actions that are clearly above and
beyond what would normally be required or expected in government.
For the past 17 years, the Awards have been the pre-eminent public sector recognition
program in Canada, for the use of information technology and information management in
government service delivery. Each year, the Distinction Awards judging committees
conduct an extensive nominations, evaluation and judging program for hundreds of projects
submitted by federal, provincial and municipal government teams. Janice must have made
an impression on her fellow judges. They've asked her back for 2011 and to facilitate
dialogue on how they could improve the criteria by which they judge innovation.
HARVARD UNIVERSITY: MIND, BRAIN, AND BEHAVIOR 99Z:
CREATIVITY RESEARCH: MADMEN, GENIUSES, AND HARVARD
STUDENTS
Course Description
Examines human creativity from three perspectives: a) empirical research sources, b) case
studies of eminent creative achievers, and c) ourselves as creative subjects. Topics include
the definition and measurement of creativity, the creative process, the neuroscience of
27
creativity, the creative personality, the role of family life and culture in creativity, the
relationship of creativity to IQ, gender differences, and the relationship of creativity to
psychopathology.
Syllabus
CREATIVITY: MADMEN, GENIUSES, AND HARVARD STUDENTS
MBB 99Z FALL 2012
Lecturer: Shelley Carson
Office hours: Tuesdays 3-5 pm
Office hours in Room 1238 William James Hall
Email: carson@wjh.harvard.edu
Time: Tuesdays 1-3 pm
Place: WJH room 474
General Information
Welcome to MBB 99z Creativity: Madmen, Geniuses, and Harvard Students! Human
creativity is essential to our ability to survive and thrive as a species. In addition, creativity
in the arts enriches and adds breadth to our everyday experiences. Creativity in the sciences
has extended our lifespan, made living conditions more comfortable, and opened the worlds
of outer space and inner space to our scrutiny and amazement. However, those creative
individuals who add so much to our world are often vexed by inner demons that lead to
increased risk for mental disorders and, in some cases, suicide. In this course we will use
three different approaches to examine creativity and creative individuals: first, we will
examine empirical research; second, we will employ the case study approach to learn from
the lives of history’s eminent creative achievers; and finally, we will use ourselves as
subjects to arrive at valuable insights about the creative process. Some of the topics we will
cover include the definition and measurement of creativity, the nature of the creative
process, the creative personality, the role of family life and culture in creativity, the
relationship of creativity to IQ, gender differences in creativity, the neurobiological aspects
of creativity, and the relationship of creativity to psychopathology.
Course Requirements
Grading will be based on the following elements:
Class Participation
20%
Short papers
25%
Student-led Discussion
20%
Study Participation
5%
Course Term Paper
30%
Attendance and Participation: This is a seminar course, and its success depends on your
input. Please read the assigned articles before each meeting and be prepared to offer your
own thoughts, ideas, and questions on each topic. Our time together is very limited (only
two hours per week), so class attendance is required. If you must miss a class for any reason,
please contact me ahead of time.
Short papers: You will select an historical creative genius as a subject for your personal
case study, and you will read an approved biography of that subject. You will submit five
ICJMT Creativty Report
28
short papers on your subject, including a personality report, a childhood profile, a timetable
of creative production, a psychopathology report, and an analysis of biopsychosocial factors
that contributed to the subject’s eminence. These reports will be posted on our website
(viewing limited to our class members) and will comprise an integral part of our study of
creative geniuses.
Course term paper: You will be required to write a 15-18-page term paper (double-spaced)
using APA format and style. You may choose any topic that is related to creativity. The
paper should seek to answer a focused research question. The answer to that question will be
your thesis statement. You should support your thesis with evidence from the existing
psychology literature, and you should also address competing explanations or theories.
Student-Led Discussion. You, along with a partner, will be required to lead a 45-minute
discussion of a topic or debate in the field of creativity research. You and your partner will
read several articles on your topic and select one for the class to read prior to your
presentation. You will present basic information on your topic (you may use powerpoint –
but this isn’t required – or other media.) You will also prepare questions to stimulate
discussion about your topic. At the end of the discussion period, you will summarize the
state of knowledge in this area.
Academic Honesty
Attempting to receive credit for written work that is not one’s own will be punished by
receiving a failing grade for the work in question. Additional disciplinary action may be
taken by the Ad Board. It is each student’s responsibility to learn the rules governing the
proper use of sources. If you have questions concerning the appropriate use of sources,
please refer to Writing with Sources,
http://isites.harvard.edu/fs/docs/icb.topic624846.files/WritingSourcesHarvard.pdf,
and Writing with Internet Sources,
http://isites.harvard.edu/fs/docs/icb.topic564566.files/Writing%20with%20Internet%20Sour
ces.pdf, both prepared by Harvard's Expository Writing Program.
Required course materials
Kaufman, J., & Sternberg, R.J. (Eds.) (2010). Cambridge Handbook of Creativity. New
York: Cambridge University Press.
Carson, S. (2010). Your creative brain: Seven steps to maximize imagination, productivity,
and innovation in your life. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Online coursepack (complimentary through the course website)
Approved biography of historical creative genius (more details during Week One)
Schedule
Sept 4
What is “Creativity?”
Introduction & Definitions
29
Sept 11
The Creative Process
Can We Measure Creativity?
Complete online surveys
Sept 18
Cognitive Mechanisms and Creativity
Sept 25
Creativity and Intelligence
Gender Differences in Creativity
Personality Paper Due
Student-led discussion: Are Women Less Creative than Men?
Oct 2
Creativity and Personality
Student-led discussion: Is There a Dark Side to Creativity?
Oct 9
Creativity and Altered States
Creativity and Motivation
Family Paper Due
Student-led discussion: Creative Motivation: Intrinsic versus Extrinsic
Oct 16
Child Prodigies & Creative Achievement
The Influence of Family
Oct 23
Creativity and Social Influences
Cultural Differences in Creativity
Lifespan Paper Due
Student-led discussion:
Is Technology Helping or Hurting Creativity in Youth?
Oct 30
Creativity across the Lifespan
Creativity in Animals
Psychopathology Paper Due
Student-led discussion:
Are Animals Creative? What about Computers?
Nov 6
Creativity and Psychopathology 1
Creativity and Mood Disorders
ICJMT Creativty Report
30
Nov 13
Creativity and Psychopathology 2
Schizotypy and Alcoholism/Drugs
Student-led discussion:
The Mad Genius Debate
Nov 20
Creativity and the Brain
Confluence Paper Due
Student-led discussion: Is Creativity a Function of the Right Brain?
Nov 27
Confluence Theories of Creativity
Can We Enhance Creativity?
Student-led discussion:
Creative Genius: The Nature versus Nurture Debate
Dec 4
Ethics, Morals, and Creativity
Wrap-up
FINAL PAPER DUE
ASSIGNED READINGS
Tuesday, Sept 4 - What is “Creativity?” Introduction & Definitions
(in Your Creative Brain): Carson, S. (2010). Wanted: Your Creative Brain. (Chapter 1, pp.
3-11)
(begin biography of eminent creative luminary)
Tuesday, Sept 11 - Measurement of Creativity and the Creative Process.
Complete online surveys. (In Handbook of Creativity): Plucker, J.A., & Makel, M.C.
(2010). Assessment of Creativity (Chapter 3: pp. 48-73) (online) Ghiselin, B. (1952). The
creative process. Berkeley: University of California Press. (pp. 1-35)(in Your Creative
Brain): Carson, S. (2010). (Chapters 2-4: pp. 13-70).
(online) Smith, S.A. & Dodds, R.A. (1 999). Incubation. In M.A. Runco and S.R. Pritzker
(Eds.), Encyclopedia of creativity (vol. 2). San Diego: Academic Press. (pp. 39-43)(continue
biography of eminent creative luminary)
Optional Reading:
(online) Carson, S., Peterson, J.B. & Higgins, D. (2005). Reliability, validity and factor
structure of the Creative Achievement Questionnaire. Creativity Research Journal, 17(1),
37-50.
Tuesday, Sept 18 - Cognitive Mechanisms and Creativity
31
(online) Runco, M. A. (1999). Divergent thinking. In M.A. Runco and S.R. Pritzker (Eds.),
Encyclopedia of creativity (vol. 1). San Diego: Academic Press. (pp. 577-582)
(online) Fasko, D. (1999). Associative theory. In M.A. Runco and S.R. Pritzker (Eds.),
Encyclopedia of creativity (vol. 1). San Diego: Academic Press. (pp. 135-139)
(online) Rothenberg, A. (1999). Janusian process. In M.A. Runco and S.R. Pritzker (Eds.),
Encyclopedia of creativity (vol. 2). San Diego: Academic Press. (pp. 103-108)
(finish biography of eminent creative luminary)
Optional Reading
(In Handbook of Creativity): Ward, T.B., & Kolomyts, Y. (2010). Cognition and Creativity.
(Chapter 5, pp. 93- 112)
(In Handbook of Creativity): Runco, M. A. (2010). Divergent thinking, creativity, and
ideation. (Chapter 22, pp. 414-446)
Tuesday, Sept 25 - Creativity and Intelligence/Creativity and Gender Issues.
Personality Paper Due (In Handbook of Creativity): Kim, K.H., Cramond, B., & Van
Tassel-Baska, J. (2010). The relationship between creativity and intelligence. (Chapter 21,
pp. 395-412). (online) Lynn, R. (1999). Sex differences in intelligence and brain size: A
developmental theory. Intelligence, 27(1), 1-12. (online) Halpern, D.R. (2004). A cognitiveprocess taxonomy for sex differences in cognitive abilities. Current Directions in
Psychological Science, 13, 135-139. (online) Abra, J. (1991). Gender differences in creative
achievement. Genetic, Social & General Psychology Monographs, 117(3), 233-284.
Tuesday, Oct 2 - Creativity and Personality
(In Handbook of Creativity): Feist, G.J. (2010). The function of personality in creativity:
The nature and nurture of the creative personality. (Chapter 6, pp. 113-130). (online) King,
L.A., Walker, L.M., & Broyles, S.J. (1996). Creativity and the Five-Factor Model. Journal
of Research in Personality, 30, 189-203. (online) Gino, F., & Ariely, D. (2012). The dark
side of creativity: Original thinkers can be more dishonest. Journal of Personality and Social
Psychology, 102(3), 445-459.
Tuesday, Oct 9 - Creativity and Altered States/Creativity and Motivation
Family Paper Due. (online) Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1996). Creativity: Flow and the
psychology of discovery and invention. New York: Harper/Collins. (Chapter 5: The flow of
creativity, pp. 107-126). (In Handbook of Creativity): Hennessey, B.A. (2010). The
creativity-motivation connection. (Chapter 18, pp. 342-365).(online) Eisenberg, R. &
Cameron, J. (1996). Detrimental effects of reward: Reality or myth? American Psychologist,
51(11), 1153-1166.(online) Clydesdale, G. (2006). Creativity and competition: The Beatles.
Creativity Research Journal, 18(2), 129-139.
Tuesday, Oct 16 - Child Prodigies/The Influence of Family
(online) Howe, M.J.A. (1999). Prodigies and creativity. (Chapter 21, pp. 431-448). In R.
Sternberg (Ed.), Handbook of creativity, New York: Cambridge University Press. (online)
Pring, L. (2005). Savant talent. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, 47, 500–503.
(online) Ludwig, A.M (1995). The price of greatness. New York: Guilford Press. (Chapter
4: The early years, pp. 31-58)
ICJMT Creativty Report
32
Tuesday, Oct 23 - Creativity and Social Influences/Cultural Differences in Creativity
Lifespan Paper Due. (online) Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1999). Implications of a systems
perspective for the study of creativity (Chapter 16: pp. 313-338) In R. Sternberg (Ed.),
Handbook of creativity, New York: Cambridge University Press. (online) Kin, S.H.,
Vincent, L.C., & Goncalo, J.A. (2012). Outside advantage: Can social rejection fuel creative
thought?" Journal of Experimental Psychology: General. (In Handbook of Creativity):
Lubart. T.. (2010). Cross-cultural perspectives on creativity. (Chapter 14, pp. 265-278).
(online) Rubin, J. (2012). Technology's impact on the creative potential of youth. Creativity
Research Journal, 24 (2-3),252-256
Tuesday, Oct 30 - Creativity across the Lifespan/Creativity in Animals
Psychopathology Paper Due. (online) Simonton, D.K. (1988). Age and outstanding
achievement: What do we know after a century of research? Psychological Bulletin, 104,
251-267.
(online) Simonton, D.K. (1989). The Swan-song phenomenon: Last-works effects for 172
classical composers. Psychology and Aging, 4, 42-47.(online) Kaufman, A.B., Butt, A.E.,
Kaufman, J.C., & Colbert-White, E.N. (2011). Towards a neurobiology of creativity in
nonhuman animals. Journal of Comparative Psychology, 125(3), 255-72.
Tuesday, Nov 6 - Creativity and Psychopathology 1:Mood Disorders
(online) Jamison, K. (1989). Mood disorders and patterns of creativity in British writers and
artists. Psychiatry, 52: 125-134. (online) Verhaeghen, P., Joormann, J., & Khan, R. (2005).
Why we sing the blues: The relation between self-reflective rumination, mood, and
creativity. Emotion, 5, 226-232. (In Your Creative Brain): Using Emotion Creatively:
Accessing the Transform Brainset. (Chapter 10,pp. 207-232)
Optional Reading:
(online) Andreasen, N. (1987). Creativity and mental illness: Prevalence rates in writers and
their first-degree relatives. American Journal of Psychiatry, 144, 1288-1292.
Tuesday, Nov 13 - Creativity and Psychopathology 2: Schizotypy and Alcohol Abuse
(online) Carson, S.H. (2011). Creativity and psychopathology: A shared-vulnerability
model. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 56(3), 144-153.(online) Norlander, T. (1999).
Inebriation and Inspiration? A Review of the Research on alcohol and Creativity. Journal of
Creative Behavior, 33(1), 22-44. Schlesinger, J. (2009). Creative Mythconceptions.
Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity,
and the Arts, 3, 62–72. doi:10.1037/a0013975
Optional Reading:
(online) Winhusen, S. (2004). Emily Dickinson and schizotypy. The Emily Dickinson
Journal, 13(1), 77-96
Tuesday, Nov 20 - Creativity and the Brain
Confluence Paper Due. (In Handbook of Creativity): Kaufman, A.B., Kornilov, S.A.,
Bristol, A.S., Tan, M., Grigorenko, E.L.(2010). The neurobiological foundation of creative
cognition. (Chapter 11, pp. 216-232). (online) Dietrich, A. (2004). The cognitive
neuroscience of creativity. Psychonomic Bulletin and Review, 11(6), 1011-1026.(online)
Ramachandran, V.S. & Hubbard, E.M. (2001). Synaesthesia: A window into perception,
thought and language. Journal of Consciousness Studies, 8, 3–34.
33
Optional Reading:
(In Your Creative Brain): (Chapter 5, pp. 73-102)
(online) Sawyer, K. (2011). The cognitive neuroscience of creativity: A critical review.
Creativity Research Journal, 23(2), 137-154
Tuesday, Nov 27 - Enhancing Creativity and Confluence Theories
(online) Scott, G., Leritz, L.E., & Mumford, M.D. (2004). The effectiveness of creativity
training: A quantitative review. Creativity Research Journal, 16, 361–388.
(online) Ludwig, A.M (1995). The price of greatness. New York: Guilford Press. (Chapter
9: Predicting “true” greatness, pp. 176-194).(online) Simonton, D.K. (2008). Scientific
talent, training, and performance: Intellect, personality, and genetic endowment. Review of
General Psychology, 12, 28-46.
Friday, Dec 4 - Ethics, Morals, and Creativity
FINAL PAPER DUE. Readings to be announced. I cannot accept papers after this date.
Instructor’s Biography
Dr. Shelley Carson received her Ph.D. in psychology from Harvard University in 2001,
where she continues to conduct research, teach, and advise undergraduates. Her research on
creativity, psychopathology, and resilience has been widely published in both national and
international scientific journals, and her findings have been featured on the Discovery
Channel, CNN, NPR, the BBC, and Radio Free Europe. In addition, Dr. Carson’s work has
been noted in magazines such as Newsweek, Scientific American, and Psychology Today.
While winning multiple teaching awards at Harvard for her popular course Creativity:
Madmen, Geniuses, and Harvard Students, Dr. Carson also maintains an active speaking
schedule outside of the classroom, talking to such groups as the Congressional Biomedical
Research Caucus, the National Council on Disability, the Massachusetts Manic Depressive
and Depressive Association, and the One Day University lecture series.
Since 2006, she has also served as a senior consultant and subject matter expert for the
Department-of-Defense project afterdeployment.org, which provides innovative online
mental health assistance to service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Dr.
Carson also writes the popular Psychology Today blog “Life as Art,” and her new book
titled Your Creative Brain: Seven Steps to Maximize Imagination, Productivity, and
Innovation in Your Life will be released by Jossey-Bass in fall, 2010.
When not engaged in her busy work schedule, Dr. Carson loves to travel, play golf, read
suspense novels, and spend time with her grown children. You can often find her walking in
the woods near her home south of Boston, where she lives with her husband David.
Dr. Shelley Carson’s Website: http://www.shelleycarson.com/speaking
INDIANA UNIVERSITY, BLOOMINGTON: MARKETING 344:
CREATIVITY AND COMMUNICATION
ICJMT Creativty Report
34
Course Description
Develops various creativity and communication skills necessary for marketing careers.
Topics include models of and barriers to creativity and various techniques for stimulating
personal and professional creative skills. In addition, interpersonal, professional, visual
design, and computer skills are developed. Sample assignments include producing various
marketing materials, such as brochures, advertisements, and elaborate communication
packages. In-class activities and examples stimulate interest through hands-on experience.
Unique concluding activities require students to integrate skills acquired into one final
project and/or presentation.
Syllabus
Instructor: BENJAMIN SCHULTZ SCHULTZB@INDIANA.EDU
Office: BU 428M
Rooms: BU209 AND BU425
E-Mail:
Class #: 22355/57/59
M344 Creativity and Communication Fall 2012
Mailbox: BU 428 Office Hours: T/TR 12:15-2:15PM. (OR BY APPOINTMENT)
Teaching Assistants: 2:30:
4:00 AND 5:30: MONICA WOODRICK
(MWWODRIC@UMAIL.IU.EDU)
Textbook:
Williams, Robin. Non-Designer’s Design Book, The .3rd. Ed. Berkeley, CA: Peachtree
Press, 2008.
Course pack: software tutorials (or at http://ittraining.Iu.Edu)
Online text: twelve modules available through the online course web site
Course Overview and Objectives
The Kelley undergraduate program has identified ten learning goals for graduates. In
addition to the overall course goal of creativity and innovation, the goals that will be met in
m344 are as follows:
1. An integrative point of view will be part of the marketing proposal written as a group for
a local non-profit group in a service-learning environment.
2. Ethical reasoning will be addressed in the section on writing for target markets.
3. Critical thinking and decision making will be examined in reading assignments and will
constitute a basis for creativity and innovation, the principle focus of the course.
4. Individualandgrouppresentationswillofferopportunitiestopractice communication, team
membership and leadership skills and will reinforce values of respect and inclusiveness.
5. Assignmentsusingskillsets(adobesoftwareandpencildrawing)andonthe subjects of
semiotics, typography, ambiguity and heuristics, the influences of brain structure, dreams,
35
poetry and art appreciation on the creative process will provide students with professional
and personal development tools.
Course policies and expectations
Students are expected to attend class, to arrive on time, to participate in class discussions
and activities, and to maintain a professional attitude. There is no attendance policy;
students absent from class are responsible for assignments being submitted on time and for
acquiring missed materials and assignments, preferably from another student from class.
Students are also expected to adhere to university and business school academic standards
as outlined at: http://www.Kelley.Iu.Edu/ugrad/honorcode.Cfm.
Homework is due and announcements will take place at the beginning of class. Late
homework will be penalized according to the
particular situation. Print assignments early as
documents with images can present printing problems.
Quizzes cannot be made up, and can include all previously studied material.
Effective group work will be an important aspect of your professional careers. It is expected
that you will make every effort to insure that your group functions effectively.
Students are responsible for regularly checking the accuracy of their
grade books.
There will be no opportunities for extra credit.
Class Mottos:
If you are not asking questions you are not learning.
Class challenge: only dead fish swim with the current. Welcome the ambiguity.
Grade scale:
930 +
900 - 929
870 - 899
830 - 869
800 - 829
770 - 799
730 - 769
700 - 729
670 - 699
630 - 669
600 - 629
Below 600
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
DF
Grade Determination:
Draft proposal (group grade)
Service-learning reflection
Drawing assignment
Client proposal (group grade)
75
50
75
75
ICJMT Creativty Report
36
Client proposal presentation
Photoshop assignment
Indesign assignment
Quiz (5 @ 25 points each)
Individual project
Homework assignments
Participation points*
75
75
75
125
75
200
100
Total: 1000
Date
Class Schedule
Tues. Aug 21st
Thurs. Aug 23rd
Intro/Course Overview. Creativity: Visual Communication
Visual Communication: Design and layout
Tues. Aug 28th
Thurs. Aug 30th
Critical/Creative thinking. Creativity: indicators, phases
Quiz #1. Heuristics and Ambiguity
Tues. Sep 4th
Thurs. Sep. 6th
Photoshop
Photoshop, Semiotics
Tues. Sep. 11th
Thurs. Sep. 13th
Photoshop, Typography
Quiz #2, Illustrator
Tues. Sep. 18th
Thurs. Sep. 20th
Indicators Presentation
Barriers, Drawing
Tues. Sep. 25th
Thurs. Sep 27th
Role of the Brain
Quiz #3, Writing
Tues. Oct. 2nd
Thurs. Oct. 4th
Illustrator
In Design
Tues. Oct 9th
Thurs. Oct 11th
Indesign Service Learning
Indesign
Tues. Oct 16th
Thurs. Oct. 18th
Client Introduction
Quiz #4, Research Client
Tues. Oct. 23rd
Thurs. Oct. 25th
Role of the Senses and Heuristics
Where ideas come from
Tues. Oct. 30th
Thurs. Nov. 1st
Senses Presentation
PS/ID/IL Lab; BYO Tunes.
Tues. Nov. 6th
Thurs. Nov. 8th
PS/ID/IL Lab; BYO Tunes.
PS/ID/IL Lab; BYO Tunes.
37
Tues. Nov. 13th
Thurs. Nov.15th
Quiz #5
PS/ID/IL Lab; BYO Tunes.
Week of Nov. 18th
THANKSGIVING
Tues. Nov 27th
Thurs. Nov 29th
Client Proposal Presentation
Client Proposal Presentation
Tues. Dec. 4th
Thurs. Dec. 6th
Quiz#6, Service Learning
Final Class
Week of Dec. 12th
Final Exam Week
Instructor’s Biography
Benjamin Schultz. Contact Information. (812) 855-5665, schultzb@indiana.edu, Business
School, Room 428M. Senior Lecturer.
Education: MA, Communication, University of Akron, Diplome Superieur, University of
Paris, BA, Modern Languages, University of Akron.
Professional Experience: Indiana University, Lecturer, University of Akron, Lecturer, Story
Group, Inc., President, CEO, Storyville Builders, Inc., President, CEO, Goodyear
International Corp., Import/Export Coordinator
Professional Interests: Communication, Professional, & Computer Skills, Marketing.
Personal Interests: Gardening, Cooking, Bicycling.
MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY: PHILOSOPHY
& LINGUISTICS 24.263: THE NATURE OF CREATIVITY
Instructor: Irving Singer
Note: You can download all course materials and lectures here:
http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/linguistics-and-philosophy/24-263-the-nature-of-creativity-fall2005/download-course-materials
Course Description
This course is an introduction to problems about creativity as it pervades human experience
and behavior. Questions about imagination and innovation are studied in relation to the
history of philosophy as well as more recent work in philosophy, affective psychology,
cognitive studies, and art theory. Readings and guidance are aligned with the student's focus
of interest.
Syllabus
Course Meeting Times
Lectures: 1 session / week, 3 hours / session
ICJMT Creativty Report
38
Description
This course has no quizzes or exams, but students are required to attend every class,
(whether or not there are conflicting exams or study groups in other courses), arrive on time,
and do the assigned reading for each weekly session. Attendance, lateness, class
participation will be a factor in the final grade. Two papers are required: one, due on Lec #9,
will be at least 1500 words long (as indicated by the computer word-count on the first page)
and consisting of an analysis of one or more week's class work on the list above and
scheduled up to Lec #9, plus some outside research. The second paper will be due on Lec
#13, and will deal in a more original way with a philosophical theme, as discussed in class
with the instructor and approved by him. This paper will be at least 2000 words long (as
indicated by the computer word-count on the first page). Both papers will be double-spaced
(28 pts) and with a font of 14 pts.
There is no quantitative grading policy for this course. Attendance and class performance
are a consideration in the final grade, and the two papers are required. The second paper,
being longer and coming at the end of the term, is given greater importance. The two papers
are graded in the usual way: A, B, C, etc.
Calendar
Lecture 1 - Introduction; The Spiritual and the Creative
Lecture 2 - Singer, Irving. “Feeling and Imagination.” Lanham, MD: Rowman and
Littlefield, 2002, pp. ix-58.
Lecture 3 - Singer, Irving. Feeling and Imagination. Lanham, MD: Rowman and
Littlefield, 2002, pp. 59-141
Lecture 4 - Singer, Irving. Feeling and Imagination. Lanham, MD: Rowman and
Littlefield, 2002, pp. 143-207.
Lecture 5 - Bohm, David. On Creativity. London, UK; New York, NY: Routledge, 2004,
pp. vii-26. The Creative Experience (Part 1)
Lecture 6 - Bohm, David. On Creativity. London, UK; New York, NY: Routledge, 2004,
pp. 27-61.The Creative Experience (Part 2)
Lecture 7 - Bohm, David. On Creativity. London, UK; New York, NY: Routledge, 2004,
pp. 62-118. The Creative Experience (Part 1)
Lecture 8 - Tomas, Vincent, ed. Creativity in the Arts. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: PrenticeHall, 1964, pp. 1-34. The Creative Process (Part 2)
Lecture 9 - Tomas, Vincent, ed. Creativity in the Arts. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: PrenticeHall, 1964, pp. 35-66. Aesthetic Creativity (Part 1). Paper #1 due.
Lecture 10 - Tomas, Vincent, ed. “Creativity in the Arts.” Englewood Cliffs, NJ:
Prentice-Hall, 1964, pp. 67-109. Aesthetic Creativity (Part 2)
39
Lecture 11 - Singer, Irving. "Aesthetic Foundations of Ethics and Religion." In The
Harmony of Nature and Spirit. Baltimore, MD, and London, UK: The Johns Hopkins
University Press, 1996. Creativity in Practice
Lecture 12 - Minsky, Marvin. “The Emotion Machine.” New York, NY: Simon and
Schuster, 2006. Creativity in Science and Technology
Lecture 13 - Discussion of Student Drafts of Paper 2. Creativity in Western Philosophy.
Paper #2 due.
Research Readings
Steiner, George. Grammars of Creation. London, UK: Faber and Faber, 2001. ISBN:
0571206816.
Sternberg, Robert J., ed. The Nature of Creativity. Cambridge, UK; New York, NY:
Cambridge University Press, 1988. ISBN: 0521338921.
Koestler, Arthur. The Act of Creation. London, UK: Pan Books, 1975. ISBN:
0140191917.
Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaily. Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and
Invention. New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers, 1996. ISBN: 0060928204.
Rosner, Stanley, and Laurence E. Abt, eds. The Creative Experience. New York, NY:
Grossman Publishers, 1970. ISBN: 0670246573.
Shaw, Melvin P., and Mark A. Runco, eds. Creativity and Affect. Norwood, NJ: Ablex Pub.
Corp., 1994. ISBN: 1567500129.
Currie, Gregory, and Ian Ravenscroft. Recreative Minds: Imagination in Philosophy and
Psychology. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2002. ISBN: 0198238096.
Fiumara, Gemma Corradi. The Mind's Affective Life: A Psychoanalytic and Philosophical
Inquiry. Hove, UK; Philadelphia, PA: Brunner-Routledge, 2001. ISBN: 1583911545.
Phillips, William, ed. Art and Psychoanalysis: Studies in the Application of Psychoanalytic
Theory to the Creative Process. New York, NY: Criterion Books, 1957.
Modell, Arnold H . Imagination and the Meaningful Brain. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press,
2003. ISBN: 026213425X.
Bergson, Henri. Creative Evolution. London, UK: Electric Book Co., 2001.
ICJMT Creativty Report
40
———. "Laughter." In Essay on Comedy. Edited by Wylie Sypher. Garden City, NY:
Doubleday, 1956.
Mullarkey, John, ed. The New Bergson. New York, NY: St. Martin's Press, 1999. ISBN:
0719055539.
Damasio, Antonio. Looking for Spinoza: Joy, Sorrow, and the Feeling Brain.
Orlando, FL: Harcourt, 2003. ISBN: 0151005575.
Minsky, Marvin. The Emotion Machine. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster, 2006. ISBN:
0743276639.
Picard, R. W. Affective Computing. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1997. ISBN: 0262161702.
Boden, Margaret A., ed. Dimensions of Creativity. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1994.
ISBN: 0262023687.
Brann, Eva T. H. The World of the Imagination. Savage, MD: Rowman and Littlefield,
1991. ISBN: 0847676501.
Warnock, Mary. Imagination and Time. Oxford, UK; Cambridge, MA: Blackwell, 1994.
ISBN: 0631190198.
Rawls, John. Interview in The Harvard Gazette, Cambridge, MA, 1981.
Singer, Irving. Meaning in Life: The Creation of Value. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins
University Press, 1996. ISBN: 0801854512.
---. Meaning in Life: The Harmony of Nature and Spirit. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins
University Press, 1996. ISBN: 0801854261.
---. Explorations in Love and Sex. Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers,
2001. ISBN: 074251238X.
Plantinga, Carl, and Greg H. Smith, eds. Passionate Views: Film, Cognition, and Emotion.
Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999. ISBN: 0801860113.
Wechsler, Judith, ed. On Aesthetics in Science. Boston, MA: Birkhäuser, 1988. ISBN:
0817633790.
Churchland, Paul M., and Patricia S. Churchland. On the Contrary: Critical Essays 19871997. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1998. ISBN: 0262032546.
Lightman, Alan. A Sense of the Mysterious. New York, NY: Pantheon Books, 2005. ISBN:
0375423206.
Assignments
41
This course has no quizzes or exams, but students are required to attend every class,
(whether or not there are conflicting exams or study groups in other courses), arrive on time,
and do the assigned reading for each weekly session. Attendance, lateness, class
participation will be a factor in the final grade. Two papers are required: one, due Lec #9,
will be at least 1500 words long (as indicated by the computer word-count on the first page)
and consisting of an analysis of one or more week's class work on the list above and
scheduled up to Lec #9, plus some outside research. The second paper will be due on Lec
#13, and will deal in a more original way with a philosophical theme, as discussed in class
with the instructor and approved by him. This paper will be at least 2000 words long (as
indicated by the computer word-count on the first page). Both papers will be double-spaced
(28 pts) and with a font of 14 pts.
Instructor’s Biography
Irving Singer's new book, Modes of Creativity: Philosophical Perspectives, was published
by The MIT Press in 2011. He is now halfway through a sequel to it entitled Creativity in
the Brain. In 2008 his book Ingmar Bergman, Cinematic Philosopher: Reflections on His
Creativity was selected by the Kraszna-Krausz Foundation’s jury of experts as one of the six
best books on “the moving image” published in 2007. In 2008 The MIT Press published his
book Cinematic Mythmaking: Philosophy in Film, and in 2009 it published his book
Philosophy of Love: A Partial Summing-Up. In 2009 The MIT Press also published, in its
Irving Singer Library, reprints of the three volumes of his trilogy The Nature of Love. The
three volumes of his trilogy Meaning in Life as well as his book Mozart and
Beethoven: The Concept of Love in Their Operas have likewise been reprinted in The Irving
Singer Library in 2010. Each of these volumes contains a new preface written by the author
for this edition.
A.B., Harvard College, summa cum laude, Philosophy, 1948. M.A., Ph.D., Harvard
University, Philosophy, 1949, 1952 .Brooklyn College, 1941-43. Biarritz American
University, Biarritz, France, 1945-46. Oxford University, 1949-50. University of Paris,
France, 1955-56
STANFORD UNIVERSITY: MANAGEMENT, SCIENCE AND
ENGINEERING 277: CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION
Instructor: Dr. Tina Seelig (emailed for syllabus, thoughts, etc. 11/18)
Course Description
Factors that promote and inhibit creativity of individuals, teams, and organizations.
Creativity tools, assessment metrics, and exercises; workshops, field trips, and case studies.
Each student completes an individual creativity portfolio and participates in a long-term
team project. Enrollment limited to 32. Admission by application.
ICJMT Creativty Report
42
Dr, Seelig is also author of the book:
InGENIUS: A Crash Course on Creativity. New York: Harper Collins. 2012.
Here is a video from a TEDx Stanford lecture she delivered on creativity:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyM6rx69iqg
Here is a video of a lecture on creativity she delivered at Google:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dle_GvFIbqY
Instructor’s Biography
Dr. Tina Seelig is the Executive Director for the Stanford Technology Ventures Program
(STVP), the entrepreneurship center at Stanford University's School of Engineering. STVP
is dedicated to accelerating high-technology entrepreneurship education and creating
scholarly research on technology-based firms. STVP provides students from all majors with
the entrepreneurial skills needed to use innovations to solve major world problems. She
teaches courses on creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship in the department of
Management Science and Engineering, and within the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at
Stanford.
Dr. Seelig is also the Director of the National Center for Engineering Pathways to
Innovation (Epicenter), which is dedicated infusing entrepreneurship and innovation skills
into undergraduate engineering in the United States. Funded by the National Science
Foundation and directed by STVP, the Epicenter is an education, research and outreach hub
for the creation and sharing of entrepreneurship and innovation resources among U.S.
engineering schools.
In 2009, Dr. Seelig won the Gordon Prize from the National Academy of Engineering,
recognizing his as a national leader in engineering education. He was also received the
2008 National Olympus Innovation Award, and the 2005 Stanford Tau Beta Pi Award for
Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching. In 2004, STVP was named the NASDAQ
Entrepreneurship Center of the Year.
Dr. Seelig earned her Ph.D. from Stanford University Medical School in 1985 where she
studied Neuroscience. She has worked as a management consultant for Booz, Allen, and
Hamilton, as a multimedia producer at Compaq Computer Corporation, and was the founder
of a multimedia company called BookBrowser.
She has also written 16 popular science books and educational games. Her books include
The Epicurean Laboratory and Incredible Edible Science, published by Scientific American;
and a series of twelve games called Games for Your Brain, published by Chronicle Books.
Her newest books, published by HarperCollins are What I Wish I Knew When I Was 20: A
Crash Course on Making Your Place in the World (2009), and inGenius: Unleashing
Creative Potential, which will be released in April 2012.
43
UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA: HUMANITIES I NEW COLLEGE 212:
CREATIVITY
Instructor: Theodore Trots
Course Description
This first-level humanities seminar uses creativity as its organizing principle. Human
culture, self-awareness, the creative process, and creative expression are explored through
written texts (autobiographies, novels, poetry), film, research papers, oral and written
reports, journals, individual and group projects, conversations with artists, and out-ofclassroom experiences. This four credit seminar carries both the Humanities and the Fine
Arts designations. The "H" designation indicates that the course considers questions of
values, ethics, and aesthetics as they are represented in works of art, literature, philosophy,
and theology. The "FA" designation indicates that the course is designed to increase the
student's awareness of the visual arts, music, theatre, and dance.
Syllabus
Creativity - Humanities I Seminar: New College 212
Mondays and Wednesdays, 9-11 AM.
New College Seminar Room 109 [Carmichael Hall]
Instructor Theodore Trost, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies and New College
E-mail: ttrost@rel.as.ua.edu
Phone: 348-4602
Office: 101A Carmichael Hall
Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 3:30-4:30 PM and by appointment
Course Requirements
New College 212 will be conducted as a participation-intensive seminar. Each member will
contribute actively to the on-going, in-class conversation and will assume group and
individual leadership responsibilities on at least three occasions during the semester.
Written work will include 1] a journal (to be maintained throughout the semester); 2] one 46 page report concerning a visual artist, a composer, or a musician about whom you would
like others to know; 3] three 1-2 page critical reviews of various cultural events that you will
attend during the course of the semester; 4] one 1 page proposal for the final project; and 5]
one 6 page narrative concerning the final project—with details of (among many
possibilities) the project's genesis and development, and an assessment of its significance to
you and, perhaps, to others.
There will also be three in-class presentations. 1] The group presentation will focus on one
of the three assigned books. In collaboration with the instructor, the group will be
responsible for creatively structuring the seminar for two or three meetings around issues of
significance that appear in the texts. 2] The artist, composer, or musician presentation will
be a reinterpretation/representation of the 4-6 page written report. During the course of
fifteen minutes, the student should introduce the class to the biography of the chosen artist,
ICJMT Creativty Report
44
offer some examples of her or his work, and discuss the "value" of this artist's work for you
personally and for society as a whole. 3] The final project should be a creative work that you
have been developing all semester. It may be a dramatic monologue, a song, a painting,
pottery or poetry, or a gourmet meal, for example. The creative work, which constitutes the
final exam, will be presented to the entire class during the last two weeks of class.
This course engages a community of scholars in active, in-class learning. Because the
unfolding classroom drama is essentially unrepeatable, and because your classmates are
depending upon you for support, criticism and feedback, individual absences from class will
diminish the learning experience of all; therefore, no unexcused absences will be accepted.
For the purposes of this class, an excused absence is a University- sanctioned excuse written
on official stationery and signed by a University Health Services professional. The excuse is
due on the day the student rejoins the class. After two unexcused absences, the student's
final grade will be reduced by one increment for each additional unexcused absence. In
other words, if your grade average was A- at the end of the semester but you had four
unexcused absences, your finalgradeforthecoursewouldbeB.
Ifattendanceisaproblemforyoufor whatever reason, you should not take this course.
Class discussions are central to how this course shall proceed. Maintain a journal with your
observations about the films, readings, presentations, concerts, cultural events, in-class
discussions, etc., and bring your journal to each class meeting. Come to class with written
comments and questions that you would like us to pursue together. Good class discussion is
a sustained, wide-ranging-yet-focused, fun and exhilarating inquiry. It increases in quality
and intensity as the semester progresses. Participation involves attentive listening as well as
talking. We have a great deal to learn from each other. Listen respectfully to your
colleagues; respond to their questions; build upon their comments. This is what a "liberal
education" in the classic (i.e., not the "political") sense is meant to be.
Academic honesty is expected of all students. All acts of dishonesty (plagiarism, cheating)
in any work constitute academic misconduct. The Academic Misconduct Disciplinary
Policy will be followed in the event of academic misconduct.
To request disability accommodations, please contact Disability Services (348-4285). After
initial arrangements are made with that office, please see me.
Required Texts
1. Milan Kundera [Michael Henry Heim (Translator)], The Unbearable Lightness of Being
(New York: Harper Perennial, 1999).
Michael Moore, Dude, Where's My Country? (New York: Warner, 2003).
Art Spiegelman, Maus: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History/Here My
Troubles Began (New York: Pantheon, 1993).
NOTE: BE SURE TO PURCHASE BOTH VOLUMES I & 2
These books are available at the usual campus stores. Please obtain them during the first
week or two of classes, as the local booksellers tend to return unpurchased texts very early
in the semester.
Evaluation
45
Sixty percent of the final grade will be based upon written work. With the exception of the
journal, all written work is expected to conform to the standards of excellence established in
the University of Alabama's first year composition courses. The specific breakdown will be
as follows:
10% Journal
[points will be deducted if you do not maintain a journal and do the in-class or at-home
exercises— which will often be the basis for our in-class discussions]
15% Artist/Composer/MusicianWrittenReport
15% PerformanceReviews(3at5%each)
20% ProposalandFinalProject
Forty percent of the final grade will be based upon work done in class.
10% GroupBookPresentation
10% Artist/Composer/MusicianPresentation
10% GeneralClassParticipation
10% FinalCreativeProject
Put another way: half of your grade is based on class participation (adding 10 % for the
Journal) and half is based on traditional writing assignments.
Put yet another way:
25 % is based on the Artist/Composer/Musician Report and Presentation 30 % is based on
the Final Creative Project
30 % is based on other group and individual forms of class participation 15 % is based on
written critical reviews
Introduction to the Course; Questions and Concerns; Determine Book Presentation Groups
Collegiality; Reconsidering the Syllabus
Creativity and Place: Coat of Many Colors
NO CLASS MEETING: Martin Luther King, Jr., Day
Discussion: Coat of Many Colors Studio: Writing the Self
Film: The Joy Luck Club
Discussion: The Joy Luck Club
Discussion: "What culture do I bring to this class?"
DUE: Cultural Event Evaluation # 1 ("Classical Music")
Studio: Beethoven String Quartet
Group One Discussion: The Unbearable Lightness of Being Group One Discussion: The
Unbearable Lightness of Being Group One Discussion: The Unbearable Lightness of Being
Looking Backward/Looking Forward: Midterm Evaluation; Discussion: "What creates a
good individual presentation?" and "What are the components of a final presentation?"
DUE: Cultural Event Evaluations # 2 ("Kinetic")
Discussion: Issues Before Viewing Daughters of the Dust Film: Daughters of the Dust (part
1)
Film: Daughters of the Dust
Discussion: Daughters of the Dust Artist/Composer/Musician Presentations and Reports
NOTE: Artist/Composer/Musician Written Report is due on the day the oral report is
presented in class
Artist/Composer/Musician Presentations and Reports (x 5)
DUE: Proposal for the Final Creative Project
ICJMT Creativty Report
46
Artist/Composer/Musician Presentations and Reports (x 5) Group Two Discussion: Dude
Group Two Discussion: Dude
Film: Smoke Signals
Film: Smoke Signals and Discussion
DUE: Cultural Event Evaluations # 3 ("Painting/Sculpture")
SPRING BREAK SPRING BREAK
Group Three Discussion: Maus Group Three Discussion: Maus Group Three Discussion:
Maus Course Reflections
FINAL CREATIVE PROJECTS (x 5) FINAL CREATIVE PROJECTS (x 5)
Course Evaluation
FINAL CREATIVE PROJECTS (x 4)
FINAL CREATIVE PROJECTS (x 4)
DUE: All written work related to the Final Project from all students
ASSIGNMENT GUIDELINES
A. Written Assignments
There are five types of writing assignments for this class.
1] Journal
You should maintain a writing journal and bring it to class every day. I recommend buying a
bound composition book for this purpose. The journal can be the first pass at all other
writing you will do for this class. You may use it to record experiences, explore ideas, play
with words, hold onto impressions, react to in-class (and out of class) discussions, etc. On
random occasions you will be given a specific problem to consider in your journal. Your
participation grade will suffer if you do not have your journal with you. Two or three entries
per week would be a reasonable average for which to strive.
2] Cultural Event Evaluations
Three 1-2 page TYPED evaluations of a variety of cultural events are due on specific dates
during the semester as indicated on the course syllabus. These evaluations do not need to go
into great detail, but they should include the classic "Five W's" of journalism: who, what,
when, where, and why. Of these, the "why" question is probably the most important. Why
did you choose to spend a portion of your life attending this particular event? Was it worth
it? Why or why not?
3] Visual Artist, Composer, or Musician Report ("Artist" Report)
One 4-6 page TYPED report concerning a visual artist, composer or musician—is required.
The written report is due at the time you give your presentation in class. The form of the
report is up to you to determine, but your report should include at least the following
elements: 1] a brief biographical description of the person in question; 2] a general overview
of the artist's work; 3] a more extended discussion of particular works that you think are
important; and 4] an assessment of this artist's significance to you personally.
4] Proposal for the Final Project
This one page TYPED assignment should describe: 1) what you plan to do for the final
47
project; 2) why you decided to do this particular project; 3) why this project matters to you
personally; and 4) how this project is "creative."
5] Narrative (or Story) Concerning the Final Project
This 6 page TYPED narrative should tell the story of how your final project came into
being. You may wish to revisit your "Proposal for the Final Project" and elaborate upon the
concerns you introduced there. Or you may wish to gather together various journal entries
about the making of your final project and piece them into a coherent tale. In addition, you
might look at some of the issues relating to creativity that our texts raise, such as: the role of
memory in the creative process, or the importance of travel, or the love of learning. You
might also wish to
speculate about whether you will do projects such as this one in the future. How you tell
your story is up to you.
B. Presentations
There are three types of presentations for this class.
1] Group Book Presentation
In collaboration with the instructor and several student colleagues, each student will be
responsible for organizing the discussion about one of the three assigned books. Your task is
to engender lively classroom discussion. This may be accomplished in a number of ways.
For example, you might ask your classmates to draw pictures in response to a particular
passage in your book, then explain why they created these images. Or you might ask them to
name songs that certain characters or themes call to mind. Or you might ask them to act out
scenes of key importance to our overall understanding of the book. The possibilities are
unlimited. The point of the exercise is to be inventive in community.
While the group presentations are meant to engage the entire class in active discussion,
certain elements should be included in each group presentation.
1) A brief (no longer than five minutes) biographical sketch of the author should be offered.
Particular reference should be made to how significant issues in the author's life are
explored through art.
2) Key words, passages, and themes in the book should be identified and introduced into the
in-class conversation.
3) The group should arrive at an overall critical assessment about the value of the particular
book. Majority and minority reports would be welcome if there were not unanimous
agreement on this point.
2] Artist Presentation
During the course of ten—and no more than 15— minutes, each student should
1) introduce the class to key elements of the chosen artist's biography; 2) offer an engaging
example of the artist's work; and
3) discuss how and why this artist speaks to you and others.
The artist (visual artist, composer, or musician) may be from any time period and culture.
She or he may be enormously popular or totally obscure. NOTE: the presentation should
differ dramatically from the written report you will also submit on the day of your
ICJMT Creativty Report
48
presentation. A typical presentation might spend 3 minutes on biography, 8-10 minutes
showing and discussing the artist's work, and 3 minutes evaluating the artist's importance.
3] Final Creative Project
Seize this opportunity to try something you have not been able to do yet during the course of
your college career. Your presentation may last up to 20 minutes; it should be at least 10
minutes long. Key elements in this presentation might include 1) the creative work (a song,
a woodcarving, a piece of pottery, a film, a drawing, a play, a quilt, a gourmet meal that we
can all enjoy, etc.); 2) why you wanted to try your hand at this project; 3) what you learned
during the creative process—whether or not you deem your work a "success" in comparison
to the works of professional artists.
Please feel free to raise questions about these assignments at any time. You may do this in
class—so that others might benefit from your inquiry; or come see me during my office
hours. Have fun!
C. General Notes on Written Work
* All writing should be TYPED and double spaced.
* Recommended fonts include Courier, Palatino, Times, Bookman, and Century
Schoolbook.
* Type size should be 10, 11, or 12.
* Margins on the paper should be 1 to 1 1/2 inches on the sides and 1 inch at the top and
bottom.
* Papers longer than one page in length should have page numbers.
* A cover sheet should be stapled with the body of your paper. It should contain:
1) title of paper
2) your name
3) the date
4) the course name and number 5) the professor
For example, in the middle of the page: "Cancel My Subscription to The Resurrection":
Portraits of the Anti-Christ in the Songs of Jim Morrison and in the lower right corner of the
page: Frank Lee Jackson April 28, 2004 NEW 212: Creativity Professor Trost
* Papers with more than six spelling or grammar errors will be returned for revision prior to
evaluation. Please use the spellcheck function on the computer and review your work to
make certain that properly spelled words are in fact the words you intend to use (for
example: be careful about the difference between "there" and "their" or "its" and "it's").
* Papers with major construction problems will be returned for revision prior to evaluation.
At the very least, make certain that your sentences are complete sentences (they have a
subject and a verb) and that they express one (but not more than one) complete thought.
There should be no run-on sentences.
* If you have writing composition problems, you should consult one of the specialists at the
Writing Center on the first floor in Morgan Hall. Your tuition pays for this kind of expert
assistance. * Even if you have a facility with words, you may wish to sharpen your writing
skills. In addition to the services of the Writing Center, I recommend:
1) John R. Trimble, Writing With Style: Conversations on the Art of Writing (Englewood
Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1975)
2) Laurie G. Kirszner and Stephen R. Mandell, Patterns for College Writing: A Rhetorical
Reader and Guide, 7th Edition (New York: St. Martin's, 1998).
49
These books are available from <amazon.com> among other booksellers.
Instructor’s Biography
Professor Theodore Louis Trost graduated from Harvard University in 1998 with a Ph.D. in
the Study of Religion. His dissertation focused on the career of Douglas Horton, an
American Protestant leader in the ecumenical movement during the 20th century. Previous
degrees were earned at the University of Michigan (BGS), the San Francisco Theological
Seminary (MDiv), and the Graduate Theological Union (MA). He also worked for nine
years as a flight attendant and purser with the now defunct Pan American World Airways.
For over a decade, Dr. Trost held a joint appointment within the College of Arts & Sciences
to both the Department of Religious Studies and to the New College. In the Fall semester
2009, he began a five year term as Chair of the Department of Religious Studies,
temporarily suspending his cross-appointment to New College. Dr. Trost was promoted to
the rank of Professor in August, 2010.
Trost teaches courses in American Religious History, Religion and Popular Culture, Bible,
Religious Rhetoric in Literature and Film, and song writing. He is also songwriter and
member of the group called Thaddaeus Quince and the New Originals.
Current Projects
Professor Trost's research interests lie in three inter-related areas. His work in American
religious history has focused on the ecumenical movement and the survival struggles of
"mainstream" Protestant churches. His article, "Identity and Identification: The United
Church of Christ's 'God is Still Speaking' Television Ad Campaign," Prism 21/2 (2008),
investigates a series of controversial television ads designed to recruit new members to the
United Church of Christ—a denomination that traces its history through the Congregational
churches back to the Puritan founders of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. In the area of
religion and popular culture, Dr. Trost presented recently his conference paper, "'I Give You
a Testimonial': Religious Rhetoric in the Songs of the MC5"; it is part of an ongoing book
project, a collection of essays addressing "religion" as represented in popular songs, film,
and television. The opportunity to teach a course in the New Testament has re-invigorated
Dr. Trost's interest in the category of "Scripture." He is currently investigating ways in
which the Gospel of Mark might be described, historically and rhetorically, as a recruiting
manual for a first century counterculture movement describing itself as "Christian."
Prof. Trost's Books
The African Diaspora and the Study of Religion, Theodore Louis Trost, ed. (New York:
Palgrave-Macmillan, 2007).
Teaching African American Religions, Carolyn M. Jones and Theodore Louis Trost, eds.
(New York: Oxford University Press, 2005).
Douglas Horton and the Ecumenical Impulse in American Religion, Harvard Theological
Studies Series, 50 (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2002).
Other Works by Prof. Trost
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"The Passion and the Compassion of the Christ" in Scott Paeth, ed., Who Do You Say That I
Am? Christology and Identity in the United Church of Christ (Cleveland, OH: United
Church Press, 2006), 145-166; 217-220.
"'Never Have I Witnessed Such Hospitality': Malcolm X's Pilgrimage to Mecca," FootSteps
Magazine of African American Heritage 8/2 (March-April 2006): 17-19.
"Watching for Religion and Race at the Movies" in Carolyn M. Jones and Theodore Louis
Trost, eds., Teaching African American Religions (New York: Oxford University Press,
2005), 219-240.
"Story, Product, Franchise: Images of Postmodern Cinema," co-authored with Bruce Isaacs
in Matthew Kapell and William G. Doty, eds., Jacking into the Matrix Franchise: Cultural
Reception and Interpretation (New York: Continuum, 2004), 65-79.
"'Hooray for Our Side!': Songs, Identity Construction, and Sound Doctrine," Religious
Studies Review 29/3 (July 2003): 215-223.
"Confessional Identity: An Early Exchange," in M. Douglas Meeks, ed., In Essentials Unity:
Essays on the Nature and Purpose of the Church (Minneapolis: Kirk House, 2001), 108-112.
Service Beyond the University of Alabama
In addition to his responsibilities to the University of Alabama, Dr. Trost serves on the
Board of Directors of the Evangelical and Reformed Historical Society and the Editorial
Board of the New Mercersburg Review. With Professor Philip Stoltzfus, he chairs the Music
and Religion Consultation of the American Academy of Religion.
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY - HAAS SCHOOL OF
BUSINESS: MBA 290T / ENGINEERING 290.2: INNOVATION,
CREATIVITY & THE ENTREPRENEUR
Course Description
This is a course for students seeking to learn ways in which some of the world’s greatest
entrepreneurial teams have used creativity and innovation to get ahead. The course will
delve into ways in which some of the world’s most creative entrepreneurs have developed,
launched, grown and built their firms. Throughout the course, students will look at examples
of creativity in many functional areas of the start-up: R&D/product, production, marketing,
sales, financial and fundraising. The course will also explore creative and innovative
approaches to business models, company leadership and global management. Each student
will keep track of the learnings applied to their own individual career tracks, and the final
project will involve a “personal innovation plan” or life assessment of how the student
might inject a creative/innovative approach to their own career development.
Syllabus
MBA 290T.2 and Engineering 290.2: INNOVATION, CREATIVITY &
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Fall Semester, 2009
Instructor: Randy Haykin, haykin@haas.berkeley.edu
51
Class meets Wed. 4-6 pm, C125 Cheit Hall
Course Summary:
Business “innovation” and “creativity” are terms used frequently in today’s business world
to describe companies or projects that go beyond conventional thinking. Many young jobseekers, like those graduating from UC Berkeley, seek jobs with organizations that are
creative in the way that they define their business, run HR practices, and compete in the
marketplace. These innovative businesses – whether they be corporate “intrapreneurial”
projects or small entrepreneurial startups -- and their inspiring leaders are highly valued in
today’s market. This course aims to capture the challenge and excitement of these
companies and provide students with an opportunity to understand the underpinnings of this
innovation.
The Innovative Organization designs, develops, markets, sells and finances its product or
service in a way that sets it apart from its competitors. In today’s fast-paced Internet- and
telephony-driven world, innovation is both a desired trait and a necessity for survival. But
how do organizations capture, develop, embrace, and harness innovation? How do
employees (often the founders or leaders) bring creative individualism to the organization?
Highly differentiated and unique business start-ups are often led by a leader who
understands how to harness the power of the innovative organization.
The ICE course teaches innovation from three distinct points of view:
1.
1) We will examine both “entrepreneurial” (start-up and growth) companies as well
as larger global organizations with “intrapreneurial” departments, projects and “spinouts.”
2.
2) We will chart the lifecycle and time-line of the typical start-up and explore
innovation at each stage of development from product design to development
through manufacturing, to marketing, sales, and finally financing. The course is
designed to give students an understanding of where to look for innovation, how to
lead within an innovative organization, how to harness “functional” creativity within
any department.
3.
3) The course also aims to dig deeper than most other business courses at Berkeley,
by asking each student to synthesize learnings from the semester into a “personal
innovation plan” that they can use in their job search and in their future career. The
ultimate goal of the course is to change the way each student views him or herself
and re-design their focus on career and leadership. Students are expected to leave
this course with a better understanding of themselves and how to recognize and drive
their OWN creativity in the business setting.
Course Objectives:
This course is designed for students who believe they will one day be involved in a creative,
entrepreneurial or “intrapreneurial” (corporate) venture, and would like to understand how
they can draw from their own creative skills. It is also appropriate for students who may
ICJMT Creativty Report
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someday work within an innovative company, such as one in the arts (record label, movie
studio), sciences (biotech, clean energy) or Internet (consumer, enterprise).
The objectives for this course are:
•
To give students a thorough knowledge of where innovation can be found within the
organization, how to recognize it, and how it can be used for competitive advantage.
In other words, what makes an organization creative and innovative?
•
To provide students an understanding of how they, as future leaders of innovative
organizations, can recognize and harness creativity. How do entrepreneurs and
intrapreneurs in the most creative global organizations lead? What can these
examples of creative organizations and leadership teach us?
•
To examine the creative problem solving process and provide access to tools that
students can use in their future careers for solving innovation dilemmas and
challenges.
•
What are the functional elements of the innovative organization and learn from
examples for each functional area (product, sales, finance, etc).
•
To help nurture each student to design their own personal creativity plan for the
business world and apply it to future organizations they will lead.
Course Structure:
The course is divided into five modules:
•
Module one teaches students an understanding of various definitions and examples
of “creativity” and innovation from existing management literature and from a set of
example cases that illustrate innovation in many different settings and markets.
Students will engage in a series of self-awareness inventories to learn more about
their skills and styles related to creativity.
•
The second module explores leadership of the creative organization and various
leadership styles through a series of cases and presentations by creative leaders.
Students will simultaneously learn their leadership “styles” that can be applied to the
creative organization.
•
Module three of the course will explore “functional innovation and creativity” by
exploring creative endeavors and examples in all functions of the organization, from
product development to finance. The module shifts to a focus of innovative business
models in its final two lectures. Students will learn first-hand a method called the
“creative problem solving process” (CPSP) to apply to creative challenges in their
future management careers.
53
•
The fourth module of the course explores the role of culture and social environment
on organizational innovation, through case studies, readings and in-depth classroom
discussions about geographic regions and societies of the world that have spawned
or discouraged innovation. Students will consider the type of company and location
they’d like to focus on for their future job search(es).
•
The fifth module, the “Self-Awareness” module, takes place throughout the semester
as other modules are completed. Students will be asked to construct their own
creative plan (“personal innovation plan”) by synthesizing their personal learnings
from the readings, lectures, speakers, personal inventories and written journals
through the semester.
REQUIRED READING:
The course will require a rigorous self-assessment as well as heavy reading load. Students
will be required to familiarize themselves with the breadth of readings on creativity and the
organization (see required and additional reading lists below), as well as participate in lively
class discussions that will be personally challenging.
The course approach includes readings, cases, discussions, exercises, individual assessment
and journaling, and group projects (see attached syllabus for details). We will draw from
books on the theory of creativity, case studies of innovative organizations and leaders, and
guest lecturers from a variety of creative industries, organizations and perspectives.
Several seminal books have been written on the topic of Creativity, Innovation and
Entrepreneurship and this course will be somewhat heavy on (fun and helpful) reading. We
will have required readings from the following books:
1.
Creativity – Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
2.
The Medici Effect – Frans Johansson
3.
Entrepreneurial Wisdom - Renn Zaphiropoulos
4.
Jack’s Notebook - Gregg Fraley
5.
When Sparks Fly – Dorothy Leonard & Walter Swap
6.
Strength Finder - Gallup (Note: this book & online assessment is being provided
by the MBA program administration gratis to all registered students)
7.
PDF Excerpts from Lateral Thinking – Edward DeBono
8.
PDF Excerpts from How to Think Like Einstein – Scot Thorpe
9.
PDF Excerpts from Conceptual Blockbusting – James Adams
10. PDF Excerpts from Creating Minds – Howard Gardner
REQUIRED WRITING
In addition to reading students writing is expectation will be part of this course:
Journals: Each student will be asked to maintain a journal during the semester for tracking
critical learnings, thoughts from readings and class discussion. You will be asked to record
ideas generated from the materials in this class and the online assessments that each student
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will take and interpret. The journal should be a living document that can include thoughts,
feelings, drawings, pastings, photos, etc.
The integration of materials/thoughts from this journal (which will be handed in at the end
of the semester as part of Final Project grade) will culminate in the “Personal Innovation
Plan.”
Assignments: students will be given 2-3 short writing assignments during the class that will
include writing exercises.
Personal Innovation Plans: at the end of the semester, each student will submit a written or
video-taped PIP (Personal Innovation Plan), details of which will be provided during the
semester. The Plan will integrate learnings from the semester, scores from self-assessment
and will address areas of leadership, team contribution and personal development.
Alternatives to PIP: For a select group of students who enjoy research, there will be several
research topics on Creativity and Innovation that the Professor will offer as substitutes to the
Final PIP to a select number of you that demonstrate superior writing & research
backgrounds and skills. These may include research and writing on famous
entrepreneurs/creative teams and creative start-up companies or corporations. This will be
discussed by week 5 of the course.
GRADING
The course grade is based on the following scheme:
Class participation, includes instructor’s evaluation of preparedness/quality 40% Three
assignments (10% each) 30% Journal and Personal Innovation Plan 30%
Class 1
Aug 26
Introduction to Innovation and Creativity in Entrepreneurship
Introduction to the semester; Review of Syllabus and Reading List; Expectations for
grading; Description of Assignments and Activities to Assess Student Learning and
Creativity; Guidelines for Journaling. The “Who”, “What” and “Where” of creativity.
Readings and Materials:
Class 2
Sept 2
Creativity – Csikszenthmihalyi – Ch. 1-3
“Creativity: A Key Link to Entrepreneurial Behavior,” Ko (HBS BH244) “How Pixar
Fosters Collective Creativity, (HBR reprint R0809D) FastCompany article: “The 6 Myths of
55
Creativity” - - See: http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/89/creativity.html
RH Lecture: Introduction & semester expectations; Intro to creativity; Entrepreneurship vs.
intrapreneurship
Theories on Creativity & Innovation
Introduction to several seminal theories; Discussions on innovation in the organization;
Framework for Innovation and Creativity in the organization
Readings and Materials:
“The Discipline of Innovation,” Peter Drucker (HBR reprint R0208F) The Medici Effect –
Frans Johansson – Ch. 1-3
RH Lecture: Theories of creativity and global experts; Framework for studying creativity
within the growth organization; intrapreneurship vs. entrepreneurship.
Guest Speaker: Lee Lorenzen, Founder of Altura (and 11 other companies)
Leading the Creativity Organization
Discussions of innovative leadership styles for the in the entrepreneurial organization;
exploration of 5 leaders in the organizations; Key principles of leadership for unlocking
creativity
Readings and Materials:
Case: “Renn Zaphiropoulos” (HBS 9-480-044)
“Creativity and the Role of the Leader,” Teresa Amabile (HBR reprint R0810G)
RZ Lecture: Creativity and leadership; creativity tips and practices of the masters;
leadership style in innovation.
Assignment #1: Leadership & Innovation: handout/questions from Renn. Due by start of
class on Sept 23.
StrengthFinder & FourSight online codes passed out
Solving Intrapreneurial/Entrepreneurial Problems
A look at the lifecycle of the start-up at how entrepreneurial & intrapreneurial organizations
can be arranged for optimal creativity through the lifecycle; review of the “Creative Problem
Solving Process” (CPSP) with Gregg Fraley.
Readings and Materials:
Class 3
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Jack’s Notebook – Fraley – pp. 1-100 (complete book by 9/16, Class 5) Creativity –
Csikszentmihalyi – Ch. 4
When Sparks Fly – Leonard/Swap – pp. 1-134
How to Think Like Einstein –Thorpe – pp. 1-54
RH Lecture: Lifecycle of the start-up; creative problem solving process. Guest Speakers:
Gregg Fraley – author/consultant (www.greggfraley.com)
Assignment #2: Creative Problem Solving in teams/groups. Due at start of class 8 (October
14) and five teams will present on Oct. 21.
Functional Creativity: Design and Product (potential to meet in Palo Alto)
Focus on the classic 3M and IDEO cases for Discussion of Creativity in the Design and
Product Development Function; framework for ideation in product realm.
Readings and Materials:
Case: Tesla Motors (watch online video before class) “Design Thinking,” Tim Brown,
IDEO (HBR reprint R0806E)
Watch “The Deep Dive” at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6z-3ejvvGE (part 1)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THz6kbcgw9E&NR=1 (part 2)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTf18QAEkcY&NR=1 (part 3)
Jack’s Notebook – Fraley – finish reading book
Class 6 - Sep 30
Lecture: Creativity and innovation in the R&D and Manufacturing processes. Examples of
innovative companies in numerous sectors
Guest Speaker: Whitney Mortimer, (CMO, IDEO) Possible field trip to Palo Alto – TBD.
Managing & Developing the Creative Organization
Discussion & readings on how to foster creativity within the organization and the “human
equation”.
Readings and Materials:
“Managing for Creativity,” Richard Florida (HBR reprint R0507L)
“How to Kill Creativity,” Teresa Amabile (HBR reprint 98501) Entrepreneurial Wisdom Zaphiropoulos – select your 5 favorite thoughts
RZ Lecture: The “Human Equation” – how to foster creativity within the organization.
Student Presentations: Presentations by 3-4 students in class with Homework #1 assignment.
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Class 7 -Oct 7
Functional Creativity: Human Resources, Company Culture & Unusual Workspaces
Class focus on how companies creatively organize the workforce to meet the challenges of
innovation; Innovative work environments explored; Creative approaches to HR and
recruiting.
Readings and Materials:
Case: Netflix HR (watch online video before class) “Keeping Google Googley” –
Wagonfeld (HBS 9-409-039)
“Managing for Creativity” – Amabile (HBS 9-396-271) When Sparks Fly – Leonard/Swap –
pp. 1-134 Creativity – Csikszentmihalyi – Ch. 6
Google article in Fortune:
- http://money.cnn.com/2007/01/05/magazines/fortune/Search_and_enjoy.fortune/ RH
Lecture: Elements of innovation in the workspace and HR
Innovative Business Modeling
Examination of theory on business models, and practical examples of game- changing
business models. Discussion of StrengthFinder
Readings and Materials:
Case: Reply Inc. (watch online video before class)
“How to Describe and Improve Your Business Model” – Osterwalder paper “Why Business
Models Matter” (HBR reprint R0205F)
RH Lecture: Business modeling and elements of innovation.
Guest Speaker: Karen Miller, Partner, KMA (StrengthFinder assessment)
The corporate environment, “Intrapreneurship” and Innovation
Focus on creativity & innovation in the larger company environment; dissecting the
incubation process through example of AOL, Paramount and Idea Lab.
Readings and Materials:
When Sparks Fly – Leonard/Swap – pp. 135-206
Conceptual Blockbusting –Adams – pp. 175-199
“Innovation: the Classic Traps,” Rosabeth Moss (HBR reprint RO611C) “The Start-Up
Factory”, Inc. Magazine, Feb 1997, Bill Gross
- http://www.inc.com/magazine/19970201/1166.html
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RH Lecture: Corporate innovation and the incubation process.
Student Presentations: Presentations by 3-4 teams in class for Homework #2 (Creative
Problem Solving team) assignment. Gregg Fraley to join via Skype.
Personal Creativity Tools
Discussion and lecture on interpretation of personality and creativity tests and how to apply
them personally (StrengthFinder, FourSight, MBTI, etc). Concept of “Life- Mapping” is
used to assist each member of the class in organizing their own Personal Innovation Plan.
Readings and Materials:
Motivating Creativity in Organizations: Teresea Amable (HBR: CMR096) Your Thinking
Profile” (FourSight assessment) – pp. 1-20
RH Lecture: Lead group exercise on life-mapping
Guest Speakers: Gerard Puccio, CEO/Founder, FourSight (via Skype)
Student Presentations: Presentations by 3-4 teams in class for Homework #2 (Creative
Problem Solving team) assignment.
Creative Alliances & Social Networks & Collaborative Creativity
Discussions on the role of informal and formal (online and offline) social networks and how
they are shaping. Theories of Collaborative creativity.
Readings and Materials:
Re-read: “How Pixar Fosters Collective Creativity, (HBR reprint R0809D)
Additional readings to be assigned prior to class via bSpace
RH Lecture: Review of innovation in marketing – social networking Assignment #3:
Outlines and/or First Drafts for “Personal Innovation Plans” are due.
Veterans Day – no class
Tools for Problem-solving
A review of tools used for organizational creativity for Problem definition, Ideation,
Brainstorming and Lateral Thinking.
Readings and Materials:
Creativity Step by Step,” Twyla Tharp (HBR reprint R0804B) How to Think Like Einstein
– Thorpe - pp. 1-54
Lateral Thinking - Edward DeBono – pp. 25-121, 149-165 Handout – Michael Ray material
– readings to be handed out
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RH Lecture: Review of seminal tools used successfully in business for creative problem
solving and innovative design across many functions.
Managing Global Creativity
Nov 25 - Discussions of ways to globally lead innovation; Issues related to current global
leadership including the virtual organization, outsourcing, and managing the product lifecycle across international boundaries
Readings and Materials:
Case Study : Digital Chocolate (case posted late semester, watch video) “The Global
Entrepreneur” Isenberg (HBR reprint R0812J)
Videos: “The World Is Flat” and “World is Flat 3.0” (Thomas Friedman)
1
- View: http://mitworld.mit.edu/video/266 (75 minutes)
2
- View: http://mitworld.mit.edu/video/519 (48 minutes)
RH Lecture: Businesses innovation in a global economy; a look at
outsourcing, software-as-a-service and entrepreneurship.
Model Yourself – Great Creative Leaders
A look at some of the all-time great creative leaders and what qualities made them
successful or impactful.
Readings and Materials:
Creativity – Csikszentmihalyi – Ch. 4
Creating Minds – Gardner – pp. 3-45; and 88-185
Personal creativity-class share; Course Review
Individual presentations on their own creative paths; review of key course material
with PPT handouts
Student Presentations: Personal Innovation Plans - Presentations by pre- selected 510 students in class with Final Papers and Assessments.
Readings and Materials:
No readings this week.
Final Presentations (week of Dec. 12)
Students will spend the week coming in to present their final Personal Innovation
Plans to the professor.
Student Presentations: Personal Innovation Plans - Presentations by pre- selected 510 students in class with Final Papers and Assessments.
The course offers a very comprehensive set of readings, cases, discussions, exercises, and
individual assessment of what it means to lead and work for an innovative organization. The
instructors offer both training and hands-on experience in this arena.
Instructor’s Biography
Randy Haykin – Haykin@haas.berkeley.edu
Currently on the faculty at the Haas School, Randy has taught New Venture Finance since
2007. Randy has nearly 30 years of experience in entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial
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organizations. He was the Founding VP Sales/Marketing at Yahoo!, followed by a 12-year
career developing and leading his own venture capital fund (Outlook Ventures - $200M
under management). While in previous roles at Apple Computer, Paramount/Viacom and
AOL, Randy was responsible for internal (“intrapreneurial”) endeavors at each of these
organizations – several of which were spun out to form new units or companies. Randy has
lectured or taught classes at Brown, Harvard B-School, Stanford, and University of
Edinburgh. In addition to his MBA from Harvard Graduate School of Business, Randy’s
undergraduate degree at Brown University was in Organizational Behavior and
Management . Randy is also a graduate and long-time participant in the Creative Education
Foundation programs (annual meetings and seminars on many topics of creativity) –
http://www.creativeeducationfoundation.org/ .
Renn Zaphiropoulos – zaph@inxsnet.com
A retired serial entrepreneur from the Silicon Valley, Renn sold his last start-up Versatec to
Xerox and later ran the Xerox Parc division. Renn’s story is recounted in the class HBS
Case “Renn Zaphiropoulos”. Renn is a painter, a rancher, furniture designer, guitar
craftsman, virtuoso musician, collector and corporate visionary for many boards he has
participated on. Renn is currently an Adjunct Professor of Business at Southern Utah
University, and has lectured on around the world (for both corporations and universities) on
the topics of leadership, creativity and entrepreneurship. Renn’s book on creative leadership,
Entrepreneurial Wisdom, is one of the required readings for this course.
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO: PSYCHOLOGY 176:
CREATIVITY
Course Description
The focus is on enhancing creativity in individuals, small groups, and organizations. Topics
include how changes to individuals (e.g., gaining expertise, accepting more risk) and their
environment (e.g., more diverse colleagues, more time for exploring) increase creativity.
Prerequisites: upper-division standing.
Syllabus
Professor: Craig McKenzie
Email: cmckenzie@ucsd.edu
COURSE OVERVIEW
Winter 2011
Tuesday & Thursday, 12:30 - 1:50, 1350 McGill Hall
Creativity involves the generation of an idea that is both novel and valued, and it is critical
to aspects of our lives ranging from mundane (e.g., solving personal and interpersonal
problems) to profound (creating works of art, making scientific discoveries). We will
discuss how to increase creative behavior in individuals, groups, and organizations, and
highlight aspects that are common to all three.
REQUIRED READING
61
There is a course reader available from the bookstore. In addition, you will read from James
Surowiecki’s The wisdom of crowds, also available at the bookstore.
TOPICS AND ASSIGNED READING (to be done before Tuesday’s class each week,
except for Week 5):
Week 1 (Jan 4, 6): Introduction and overview
1. Sternberg, R. J., & Lubart, T. I. (1996). Investing in creativity. American Psychologist,
51, 677-688.
2. Simonton, D. K. (2000). Creativity: Cognitive, developmental, and social aspects.
American Psychologist, 55,
151-158.
Week 2 (Jan 11, 13): Individual creativity in the long run: Breadth and depth of knowledge
3. Leung, A. K-y., Maddux, W. W., Galinsky, A. D., & Chiu, C-y. (2008). Multicultural
experience enhances creativity. American Psychologist, 63, 169-181.
4. Weisberg, R. W. (2006). Case studies of creativity. Creativity: Understanding innovation
in problem solving, science, invention, and the arts (pp. 209-281). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley
& Sons.
5. Smith, S. M. (2003). The constraining effects of initial ideas. In P. B. Paulus & B. A.
Nijstad (Eds.), Group creativity: Innovation through collaboration (pp. 15-31). New York:
Oxford University Press.
Week 3 (Jan 18, 20): Individual creativity in the short run: Conscious and unconscious
interventions
6. Getzels, J. W. (1982). The problem of the problem. In R. M. Hogarth (Ed.), Question
framing and response consistency (pp. 37-49). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
7. Dingli, S. (2009). Thinking outside the box: Edward de Bono’s lateral thinking. In T.
Rickards, M. A. Runco, & S. Moger (Eds.), The Routledge companion to creativity (pp.
338-350). New York: Routledge.
8. Bargh, J. A., & Chartrand, T. L. (1999). The unbearable automaticity of being. American
Psychologist, 54, 462- 479.
9. Dijksterhuis, A., & Nordgren, L. F. (2006). A theory of unconscious thought.
Perspectives on Psychological Science, 1, 95-109.
Week 4 (Jan 25, 27): Individual creativity and decision making
10. Russo, J. E., & Schoemaker, P. J. H. (2001). Avoiding distortion and bias. Winning
decisions: Getting it right the first time (pp. 284-291). New York: Doubleday.
11. Gladwell, M. (March 10, 2003). Connecting the dots. The New Yorker (pp. 83-88).
Week 5 (Feb 1, 3): Midterm exam (Tues) and Group creativity and decision making (Thurs)
12. Surowiecki, J. (2004). Introduction. The wisdom of crowds (pp. xi-xxi). New York:
Doubleday.
13. Surowiecki, J. (2004). The wisdom of crowds. The wisdom of crowds (pp. 3-22). New
York: Doubleday. 14. Surowiecki, J. (2004). The difference difference makes: Waggle
dances, the Bay of Pigs, and the value of
diversity. The wisdom of crowds (pp. 23-39). New York: Doubleday.
Week 6 (Feb 8, 10): Group creativity and social influence
15. Surowiecki, J. (2004). Monkey see, monkey do: Imitation, information cascades, and
independence. The wisdom of crowds (pp. 40-65). New York: Doubleday.
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16. Surowiecki, J. (2004). Committees, juries, and teams: The Columbia disaster and how
small groups can be made to work. The wisdom of crowds (pp. 173-191). New York:
Doubleday.
17. Peters, T. (1994). Ingersoll-Rand: Barbecues, drag tests, medieval warriors, and slowing
things down to speed things up. Liberation management: Necessary disorganization for the
nanosecond nineties (pp. 72-80). Danvers: Ballantine.
Week 7 (Feb 15, 17): Group creativity in the short run
18. Nijstad, B. A., Diehl, M., & Stroebe, W. (2003). Cognitive stimulation and interference
in idea generating groups. In P. B. Paulus & B. A. Nijstad (Eds.), Group creativity:
Innovation through collaboration (pp. 137-159). New York: Oxford University Press.
19. Schatzel, E. A., & Amabile, T. M. (2006). Lumen and Absorb teams at Crutchfield
Chemical Engineering. Harvard Business Review, January.
Week 8 (Feb 22, 24): Organizational creativity
20. Gladwell, M. (May 27, 2002). The televisionary. The New Yorker (pp. 112-116).
21. Hackman, J. R., & Oldham, G. (1980). Motivation through the design of work. Work
redesign (pp. 71-83).
Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall.
22. Amabile, T. M. (1999). How to kill creativity. Harvard Business Review, SeptemberOctober, pp. 77-87. 23. Collins, J., & Porras, J. (1997). Try a lot of things and keep what
works. Built to last: Successful habits of
visionary companies (pp. 140-168). New York: Harper Collins.
24. Surowiecki, J. (2004). The company: Meet the new boss, same as the old boss? The
wisdom of crowds (pp.
192-223). New York: Doubleday.
Week 9 (Mar 1): Organizational creativity: Cases
25. West, M. A., & Richter, A. W. (2008). Climates and cultures for innovation and
creativity at work. In J. Zhou & Christina E. Shalley (Eds.), Handbook of organizational
creativity (pp. 211-236). New York: Erlbaum.
26. Catmull, E. (2008). How Pixar fosters collective creativity. Harvard Business Review,
September (pp. 1-11). 27. Groysberg, B., Thomas, D. A., & Wagonfeld, A. B. (2008).
Keeping Google “Googley”. Harvard Business
Review, September.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
New behavior reports
Four times during the quarter you will turn in a short report of a new behavior that you have
engaged in since the class started. The behavior must be something that you would not have
engaged in had you not been in the class. Your first new behavior report (NBR1) will
describe a change in your routine (e.g., a different route to school, studying in the morning
rather than evening), NBR2 will describe a change in your environment (e.g., rearranged
furniture, a tidied study area), NBR3 will describe learning something new (e.g., culture,
cuisine, music, viewpoint), and NBR4 will describe a discussion of ideas you had with
someone different from you (e.g., different culture, different political views). In each case,
the more different the new experience, the better (but use common sense...). The goal is to
stimulate new thoughts. Explain what you did and what effect, if any, it had on you. These
reports should not exceed 150 words. They will not be graded per se, but content will be
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monitored. A hard copy must be turned in at the beginning of Tuesday’s class on Weeks 2
(Jan 11), 4 (Jan 25), 6 (Feb 8) and 8 (Feb 22). Late reports will not be accepted. Each report
must address a different new behavior.
In-class short essays
Three times during the quarter you will answer a short essay question in class. The topic
will be either material covered previously or reading that was to be done for that week. We
will then discuss the question in class. The goal is to motivate you to be prepared for each
week, make sure you understand important points, and to provide material for discussion.
Content will be monitored, but not graded. These essays cannot be turned in late; we will
do these exercises at the beginning of Tuesday’s class on Weeks 3 (Jan 18), 7 (Feb 15), and
9 (Mar 1). You will need to have pen and paper with you.
Group paper and presentation
You will be randomly divided up into groups of 5 or 6 members and come up with a
creativity project to write up and present to the class. The goal is for you to seek out and
solve a problem, showing what you have learned in this course in the process. These papers
and presentations will be due during weeks 9 and 10. Details will be provided in class.
Midterm exam
The midterm exam is scheduled for Tuesday, February 1, in class. The exam will be
multiple choice.
Final exam
The final exam is scheduled for Tuesday, March 15, 11:30am – 2:30pm. The exam will be
multiple choice and cover the entire course.
GROUP MEMBER EVALUATION
At the end of the quarter, groups will be asked to evaluate the contributions of their
members on the group paper and presentation. This feedback will be considered when
assigning course grades, primarily to adjust for any “free- riders”.
GRADING
Your grade will be evaluated as follows: New behavior reports: 10%
Short in-class essays: 10%
Midterm Exam: 20%
Group paper: 25%
Group member evaluation: 5% Final Exam: 30%
EXTRA CREDIT
You can earn extra credit by participating in UCSD psychology experiments advertised on
the Web (see class handout or go to https://experimetrix2.com/ucsd/ ). You can earn credit
for up to 4 hours of participation. Failing to show up for an experiment you signed up for
will cost you credit. Your final grade must be at least a C- to receive the credit. Completing
the extra credit gives you a very good chance of moving up 1/3 of a grade (e.g., from a B+
to an A-).
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If you want extra credit, but do not wish to participate in psychology experiments, you can
write a 5-8 page research paper. The paper will be due at the beginning of class on March 8.
No late papers will be accepted. You must consult with Professor McKenzie about the topic
before beginning the paper.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
Integrity of scholarship is essential for an academic community. As members of UCSD, we
pledge ourselves to uphold the highest ethical standards. The University expects that both
faculty and students will honor this principle and in so doing protect the validity of
University intellectual work. For students, this means that all academic work will be done
by the individual to whom it is assigned, without unauthorized aid of any kind. The
complete UCSD Policy on Integrity of Scholarship can be viewed at: http://wwwsenate.ucsd.edu/manual/appendices/app2.htm#AP14
Week 2
Nothing
New behavior report #1
In-class short essay #1
New behavior report #2
In-class midterm exam
New behavior report #3
In-class short essay #2
New behavior report #4
In-class short essay #3
Group project paper and presentation
Group project paper and presentation Group project paper and presentation
In-class final exam
Instructor’s Biography
Craig R. M. McKenzie, Professor of Management and Strategy and Professor of Psychology
McKenzie is a professor in the Rady School of Management and in the UC San Diego
Department of Psychology. His interests revolve around inference, uncertainty and choice.
Most of his recent research explains errors people purportedly make in the laboratory by
adopting a different (usually Bayesian) normative approach to the task of interest and taking
into account the typical structure of the natural environment. He argues that many errors are
the result of people behaving as (qualitative) Bayesians who make reasonable assumptions
about task parameters that reflect how the world usually works.
McKenzie has won research awards from the National Science Foundation, the Operations
Research Society of America and the Society for Judgment and Decision Making. He earned
his Ph.D. in psychology in 1994 from the University of Chicago.
UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT: EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY
5750: CREATIVITY
65
Course Description
The major purpose of this introductory course is to study the theoretical and practical
aspects of creativity, namely, what is creativity, and how do we develop it in ourselves and
students? The course is an introductory overview of major definitions, theories, and research
related to the study of creativity and the creative individual. Class members will practice
techniques for stimulating creative thinking as well as strategies for adapting existing
curricula to develop creative thinking abilities in students. Topics also include the
assessment of creative thinking, methods for enhancing personal creative abilities, and
techniques for examining the creative process.
Syllabus
"Reasonable people adapt themselves to the world. Unreasonable people attempt to
adapt the world to themselves. All progress, therefore, depends on unreasonable
people."
George Bernard Shaw
Course Title and Number: EPSY 5750: Creativity
Instructor: Del Siegle, Ph.D.
Class Location: Gentry 119E
Office Phone: 860.486.0616
Home Phone: 860.456.2361
Email: del.siegle@uconn.edu
Web: http://www.delsiegle.info
Office Location: 249 Glenbrook Road (Gentry Bldg - Room 119C)
Office Hours:
Mon., Wed - Fri.: 9:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.;
Tues: 9:30 - 3 p.m.
(You may wish to call before visiting the office, since I am department head and serve on a
number of committees that occasionally schedule meetings during my office hours).
Goals and Objectives
As a result of participation in this course, students should:
Describe the major theories and models of creativity that attempt to describe creative
people, creative processes, and creative products.
Describe factors that influence the development, assessment, and evaluation of creative
potential in individuals.
Apply techniques for stimulating creative thinking abilities in students, including
brainstorming, attribute listing, metaphorical thinking, SCAMPER, and Creative Problem
Solving. Discuss class activities, practices, and organizational strategies that support the
development of creativity.
Analyze programs, such as Future Problem Solving and Odyssey of the Mind, as well as
curricular materials designed for the development of creative thinking abilities.
ICJMT Creativty Report
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Increase personal creative abilities.
This course is aligned with the University of Connecticut Educator Preparation Program’s
Conceptual Framework. Specifically, content and objectives address:
Learning by providing strategies that enhance creative teaching and develop students’
creative thinking and problem solving.
Leading by enabling students to develop expertise in promoting creativity in a variety
of teaching and learning environments.
Lighting the way by incorporating the knowledge they gain from this course to
become a creative educator who appreciates and develops students’ creativity through
classroom learning activities.
Class Meetings and Topics
January 17
Video: Why Man Creates
What is Creativity?
Productive Thinking: Fluency/Flexibility/Originality/Elaboration
Creativity Strategy: Transformations
Games Magazine: Sketchwords
January 24
Creative Product Assessment
Creativity Strategy: SCAMPER
Games Magazine: ConQuest
Video: The Many Faces of Vincent VanGogh
Assignment Due: Can Transformation
January 31
Barriers to Creativity
Creativity Strategy: Metaphorical Thinking (Cartoon Class Activity)
Games Magazine: Now We're Cookin'
Assignment Due: Topic Sketchwords
February 7
Video on Creator of "It"
Creative People
Games Magazine: Hold It
Creative Strategy: Attribute Listing
Discuss Csikszentmihalyi's The Creative Personality
Assignment Due: SCAMPER (random selection of object)
February 14
Creativity Strategy: Types of Brainstorming
Video: Dilbert Cubical
Games Magazine: View from the Top
Wallas Four Stages Model (Archimedes)
Assignment Due: Metaphorical Thinking Cartoon
February 21
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Previously read "Theories of Creativity"
JigSaw Activity with Jeopardy
Games Magazine: Opening Moves
Creative Competitions (Odyssey of the Mind/Destination ImagiNation
Video: OMs
February 28
Creativity Strategy: Creative Problem Solving (CPS) - Future Problem Solving
Games Magazine: Classified Chaos
Assignment Due: Web Site
March 6
Review Interview Findings
Barron-Welsh Figure Preference Test
Gough Personality Scale
Scales for Rating the Behavioral Characteristics of Superior Students - Creativity
Williams Creative Assessment Packet (CAP)
Khatena-Torrance Creativity Perception Inventory
Something About Myself
What Kind of Person Are You?
Creativity Strategy: PMI
Games Magazine: Pict-Analogies
Assignment Due: Interview
March 13
Spring Break -- No Class
March 20
Correcting Torrance Tests
Word Association, Uses for Things, and Fables Assessments
Games Magazine: Arm and Leg
Creative Strategy: Direct/Personal/Fantasy/Symbolic Analogies
Work on OM problems in groups
Assignment Due: Lesson Plans
March 27
Games Magazine: Get the Picture
Assignment Due: Team Creativity Competition
April 3
Games Magazine: Seeing Things
Share lesson plan ideas
Receive Take-Home Test
In Class Activity: Scavenger Hunt (bring digital cameras) USE THIS TEMPLATE
Assignment Due: Torrance Test
April 10
Review Scavenger Hunt \
Games Magazine: Gone but not Forgotten
Creativity Strategy: Inventing Process
Connecticut Invention Convention
April 17
Games Magazine: Handiwork
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Evaluate Inventions
Take Home Test Due
Assignment Due: Inventions
April 24
Games Magazine: Illustrated Explanation
In Class Activity: Creativity Dramatics (one word play)
Assignment Due: Creative Project
6) Texts
Required: NONE
Recommended (Optional):
Starko, A. J. (2010). Creativity in the classroom: Schools of curious delight (4nd ed.).
New York, NY: Routledge.
Assignments and Projects:
Can Transformation: In class we will practice transforming lines into new figures. For this
assignment you will transform a common beverage can (empty) into something. You may
wish to manipulate (bend, cut, twist, etc.) your can. You may wish to paint it or attach other
objects to it. Bring your transformed beverage can to class on January 24. (5% of your final
grade)
Sketchwords: Create eight Sketchword problems related to a discipline you plan to teach.
Submit an 8 1/2 X 11 piece of paper with the eight Sketchword problems. Use a fine, black
felt marker to draw the Sketchwords. This should resemble a student worksheet (provide
directions and a place for the student's name). Bring the Sketchword and an answer key to
class on January 31 (5% of your final grade)
SCAMPER. You will select a common object. Create seven modifications of that object
using the SCAMPER technique (one for each letter). Bring samples or drawings or your
modifications to class on February 7. (5% of your final grade)
Metaphorical Cartoon: In small groups in class we will create cartoons based on
metaphorical thinking. For this assignment you will create a cartoon on your own based on
something you expect to teach. Bring the cartoon to class on February 14 with a paragraph
describing how you would use it in your classroom. (5% of your final grade)
Web Sites: Locate a web site that provides information related to developing creativity or
that could be used to develop creativity. Also include the address of the site. Write two
paragraphs: one describing the site and a second listing how the site could be used with your
students. This is due by February 28. CHANGE--> SEND THIS INFORMATION TO ME
IN AN EMAIL (del.siegle@uconn.edu) I have created a wiki
(http://sites.google.com/site/epsy5750/) for the class where you can post the Web address
and t(5% of your final grade)
Interview: You may complete this project individually or with a partner. Develop a set of
questions to ask someone you consider to be highly creative. The purpose of your interview
is to learn about the interviewee's characteristics and the creative processes the person uses.
Your interview should last about 15 minutes. Type a 3-4 page paper (12 point font, Time or
New Roman type, double spaced, 1 inch margin) describing what you found. This
assignment is due March 6. (5% of your final grade)
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Lesson Plans: Create two lessons: one which teaches students a creative process and one
where you build creativity into your teaching of a topic for the curriculum you expect to
teach. Provide a 3/4 to 1 page (12 point font, Time or New Roman type, double spaced, 1
inch margin) description of each lesson. This assignment is due March 20. (5% of your final
grade)
Team Creativity Competition: Each of you will be assigned to a team with five members. In
class on March 27 we will hold an Odyssey of the Mind (Destination Imagination) type
competition where your team will compete. Include all of the required competition
paperwork when you compete. Your grade is your score in the competition. (10% of your
final grade)
Creativity Assessment: In class we will learn how to score the Torrance Tests of Creative
Thinking (Figural and Verbal). Ask someone you know to take the figural and verbal
versions. Administer and correct the tests. Submit the following by April 3: 1) Subscale and
total raw scores, 2) Brief narrative (one or two paragraphs) describing the person's creative
strengths or weaknesses according to the tests, 3) Brief essay (one or two paragraphs)
describing why you believe each test accurately or inaccurately assessed the individual's
creativity, and 4) The tests you administered. (10% of your final grade).
Invention: Create an invention. Design a model or prototype (not a drawing) of your
invention that responds to a personal or societal need (no Rube Goldberg's please). Create a
background poster for your invention. This exercise will allow you to experience the
creative process and the role of "problem finding" in it. You will share and discuss your
invention with the class on April 17. Bring your invention and poster to class and submit a
description of how it works, the need it meets, and how the idea for the invention came to
you (a sample poster will be shown in class). Your invention will be graded by your peers
on the following criteria:
Novelty (Newness in the product)
Original (Unique – Ordinary)
Surprise (Unexpected – Expected)
Resolution (How well the product does what it is suppose to do)
Valuable (Significant – Insignificant) Logical (Makes sense – Senseless) Useful (Workable
– Unworkable)
Understandable (Understandable – Mysterious)
Elaboration and Synthesis (Style—including attention to detail)
Organic (Complete – Incomplete) Elegant (Elegant – Coarse)
Well Crafted (Durable – Flimsy) (10% of your final grade)
11. Exam: The examination will be a take-home test that is due on April 17. The exam is
open-book/notes and requires application of the course content. (20% of your final grade)
12. Creative Project: Now is your chance to tackle a project that you've always wanted to
do, but have lacked courage, motivation, or time. You may wish to create a web site, music
enhanced slide show, short story, book of poems, play, teaching unit, etc. The project must
result in a product that is creative (by the definition we discussed in class) for you. Your
product is due on April 24. (5% of your final grade)
13. Participation: You will receive 1 point (up to 10 points) for each class you
attend/participate. Participation will be recorded with Weekly Knowledge Checks. Please
complete a Weekly Knowledge Check at the start of each class. Attendance/Participation is
only granted through the Knowledge Checks. (10% of your final grade)
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Additional Comments:
Each week you will complete a Knowledge Check of material covered in class during the
previous week. These are not graded, but must be completed. They will serve as an
attendance/participation check.
We have all accomplished creative things and hearing about them will allow us to realize
this. Throughout the semester, each student will share at least one creative thing he or she
has accomplished. This is a low stress, non graded activity.
Examples of creativity can be found everywhere. If you see something in a newspaper, a
magazine, on a video tape, etc., that relates to creativity and the content of the course,
consider bringing it to class to enhance our discussions.
Articles will be distributed throughout the semester for you to read. We will discuss them
on the week following their distribution.
Some of the ideas used for this course came from Dr. Karen Westberg,
Dr. Susan Baum, and Dr. Jonathan Plucker.
Instructor’s Biography
Del Siegle is a professor and head of the educational psychology department in the Neag
School of Education at the University of Connecticut where he was honored as a teaching
fellow. Prior to earning his Ph.D., Del worked as a gifted and talented coordinator in
Montana and is a president of Montana AGATE (Association of Gifted and Talented
Education). He is also past president of the National Association of Gifted Children and
serves on the board of directors of The Association for the Gifted (CEC-TAG). He is coeditor of the Journal of Advanced Academics and authors a technology column for Gifted
Child Today. Del recently joined Gary Davis and Sylvia Rimm as authors of the sixth
edition of the popular textbook, Education of the Gifted and Talented. Del’s research
interests include web-based instruction, motivation of gifted students, and teacher bias in the
identification of students for gifted programs.
UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS - CRITICAL & CREATIVE
THINKING 612: SEMINAR IN CREATIVITY
Course Description
This course delves deeply into the theory and practice of promoting creativity, using a
specific theme, such as invention and innovation, humor, realizing creative aspirations,
building creative communities, as a focus for the readings, discussions, class activities, and
semester-long student projects. The course materials, which are drawn from a variety of
sources to match the instructor's speciality, student interests, and evolving trends in the
literature, include biographies, intellectual histories, psychological studies, educational
research, the popular media, guest speakers, and outside mentors. Details for the specific
semester are publicized in advance by the Program.
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Invention and Innovation theme for Spring '02-'04, '10, '12
This dynamic "heads-on/hands on" course immerses "invent teams" (I -Teams) in applying
creative thinking and problem solving strategies combined with the best thinking practices
of one of America's most successful inventor/entrepreneurs, Thomas Edison, to unleash
their innovative potential. Edison's 5 competencies encompass 25 powerful aspects of
innovative thinking, enabling I-Teams to learn successful innovation and invention in a
framework of entrepreneurial thinking - all of which has countless implications for
improving our ability to identify and solve everyday-life problems! I-Team objectives
include:
* Understanding innovation and invention as a discipline with specific skills * Applying
Edison's 5 levels of innovation competency as a basis for the developmental process *
Creating an initial working prototype and action plan for marketing an invention
Summer online section; Clark (Video Introduction)
Tagline: "Inside the Creative Process: Exploring Blocks and Finding Creative Ground"
The creative process is a journey through your inner world, where sights along the way are
channeled into a product and eventually are shared with the outer world. Because it is a
process that relies on self-perceptions, self-truths, beliefs and values, it implies that a system
be in place in order to acquire, express and ultimately share this self-knowledge. The
personal nature of this process can give rise to creative works, yet at the same time, it can
become the weight that causes a fracture in the process. This course will examine the
tensions that exist while creating and the blocks they can give rise to. Throughout the
course, students will gain a clearer understanding of the creative individual and his/her
creative process. The course will look at some of the commonalities, both good and bad, that
occur for creative artists and explore ways to maintain a healthy approach in your own
creative process. Through the use of reflective practice, students will learn to identify
obstacles to their creativity as well as learn a number of tools to work through such blocks.
Students will experiment with the skills that lead to meaningful creative works and employ
these skills in their daily living and creative life. Understanding and supporting the link to
your inner world will enhance your ability to nurture your own creative spark and strengthen
your ability to sustain your creative work. By establishing a deeper awareness of the self and
incorporating this into your creative endeavors, you might more readily fan the spark that
helps kindle your creativity.
Theme for Fall '09: Ideas, Action, Context
New ideas come not simply from individual inspiration, but from borrowing and connecting.
The more things in your tool box the more likely you are to make a new connection and see
how things could be otherwise, that is, to be creative. Yet, in order to build up a set of tools
that works for you, it is necessary to experiment, take risks, and reflect on the outcomes.
Such reflective practice is like a journey into unfamiliar or unknown areas-it involves risk,
opens up questions, creates more experiences than can be integrated at first sight, requires
support, and yields personal change. In short, ideas are related to action and take place in a
ICJMT Creativty Report
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context (of support and reception). Through the course activities, we will compile a state of
art tool box for creative endeavors.
Theme for Fall '08: Humor.
Welcome to what should be a required course in every college and university! In the process
of exercising our capacity for humor, we'll delve into how it works and why it's one of our
greatest survival tools. In this extremely engaging seminar students decide what's interesting
to find out about humor, enlighten us with what they find out and, finally, demonstrate how
they would apply this to their lives.
For the first several weeks the instructor leads an exploration of some basic tenets for
understanding humor such as the nature of humor, its origins, theoretical bases and its
relationship to creativity,among some ideas for consideration. Then students take the lead
and, based on specific interests, work in pairs to present perspectives on humor and also
individually to explore a related and/or different domain of humor. The aha /ha ha
relationship is front and center in this dynamic, fun course of study!
Syllabus
Summer, 2012, May 29-July 12
CR-CR-TH-612 Seminar in Creativity
Inside the Creative Process: Exploring Blocks and Finding Creative Ground
Instructor: Suzanne M. Clark
E-mail: Blackboard Vista Mail (preferred) or suzanne.clark@umb.edu
The creative process is a journey through your inner world, where sights along the way are
channeled into a product and eventually are shared with the outer world. Because it is a
process that relies on self- perceptions, self-truths, beliefs and values, it implies that a
system be in place in order to acquire, express and ultimately share this self-knowledge. The
personal nature of this process can give rise to creative works, yet at the same time, it can
become the weight that causes a fracture in the process. The Seminar in Creativity will
examine the tensions that exist in artistic creation and the blocks they can give rise to. The
course will be broken down into three parts: Creative Fundamentals, Creative Blocks and
Creative Ground. The first, Creative Fundamentals, will examine creativity in general, from
defining it to exploring its history. We will look at the creative process and the artistic
personality as a means to then move into part two, Creative Blocks. Through a number of
perspectives, and a look at specific artists, we will examine the how, why and where of
creative blocks. In part three, Creative Ground, we will examine self-inquiry techniques as a
means for finding ground and holding one’s place while engaging in creative work. Through
the use of reflective practice, students will identify creative processes and obstacles within
the process as well as learn a number of tools to work through such blocks. By the end of
the semester you will have gained enough knowledge and experience to be able to better
navigate your own creative engagement and be able to demonstrate to others ways for them
to find creative ground in their own endeavors.
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Outcomes:
By the end of this course, students will:
1) Have a strong basis in historical aspects of the field of creativity
2) Be able to identify the stages involved in their own creative process
3) More clearly understand blocks to creativity
4) Gain understanding of and experience in reflective practice
5) Gain knowledge in navigating their own creative engagement more fully
6) Have a firm foundation in creative exploration which they can use to guide others in
their
creative endeavors
Required textbook(s) or materials:
Kolodny, Susan. The Captive Muse. Psychological Press, 2000. ISBN-10: 188784127X.
ISBN-13: 9781887841276
Nelson, Victoria. On Writer’s Block and How To Use It. New York, New York: Houghton
Mifflin Company, 1993. ISBN: 0395647274
Various Articles
Homework: Weekly research and readings as well as assessments and peer discussion. An
assignment from week 5 will be appropriate for inclusion in the Reflective Practitioner’s
Portfolio required by all CCT students.
Project 1: Research project and Wimba presentation on a creative artist of choice. The main
points to address are the person’s creative process, creative personality and creative product.
Project 2: Research paper and static presentation based on creative blocks.
Grading: This course is process-related and will grade students on comprehension as well as
product.
A (95 – 100) A- (87.5 – 95) B+ (80 – 87.5) B (72.5 – 80)
B- (65 – 72.5) C+ (57.5 – 65)
Final Grade Determination:
Participation/Discussions: 30% Assessments: 15% Project 1: 25% Project 2: 30%
Topical Outline:
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Wk 01 – A. What is Creativity? B. The Creative Process
Wk 02 – A. The Creative Personality B. Blocked Phases
Wk 03 – A. Creativity Applied: Project 1 (Wimba) B. Deeper Meaning
Wk 04 – A. Perfect Expectations B. The Mind: Help or Hindrance?
Wk 05 – A. The Body: Help or Hindrance? B. Self-Reflection and Self-Assessment
Wk 06 – A. Change Your Mind and All Else Follows B. Creating Ground and Future
Vision
Course Design:
This class will start each Tuesday at 12:00pm, EST. At this time the weekly module will
become available on the course home page. All assignments will be included in the module.
You should log on to the course web site at the start of each week to read the notes and
assignments and plan your schedule accordingly. You are expected to log onto this course
web site 4-8 times each week and spend 6-8 hours each week on course work.
Learning about Blackboard
A Blackboard Guide for Students is located at http://bbstudents.wikispaces.umb.edu/. Other
resources and helpful information can be found at the UMass Information Technology site
located at http://www.umb.edu/it/tech/lms/.
Communicating With Me
Instead of sending me email with general questions regarding this course, please post them
in the Q & A folder found in the Blackboard Discussions section. I will respond to any
questions posted within 48 hours (except on weekends). Posting all non-private questions
allows other members of the class to benefit from the answers as well. Always feel free to
contact me via email.
Blackboard Mail
The Mail tool is for use in Blackboard only. It isn’t your UMB or outside email account.
You can ONLY send messages to your instructor and other students enrolled in your course.
You can forward all of your Blackboard email to an outside account by clicking the Mail
Forwarding icon (to the left of “Search this tool”). But you will not be able to reply to
messages from your outside account.
TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS: Blackboard Browser Check
You will have problems using Blackboard if you are not using a supported browser, a
specific version of java, have multiple versions of java on your computer and your pop-ups
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are not enabled. After logging into Blackboard, run Check Browser from the My
UMassOnline Boston web page. This will let you know if your browser is ready. If not you
will find information on how to configure it correctly. You should run Check Browser every
time you log in. The Blackboard Guide for Students is located at:
http://bbstudents.wikispaces.umb.edu/
PDF Files/Adobe Acrobat Reader:
This course contains PDF files. To view them, you need Adobe Acrobat Reader. You can
download this software free from http://www.adobe.com. Click the Download button under
“Solutions and Products” and follow the directions on your screen for downloading and
installing the software. Depending on the speed of your Internet connection (dial-up modem,
cable modem, DSL/broadband), downloading the software could take several minutes.
Powerpoint:
Students will be expected to create a short presentation to be forwarded to the instructor,
which will then be uploaded for the class Wimba session. Presentations do not need to be
fancy, and, in fact, will not run animation when uploaded. Each slide should be static, but
used in addition to your own dialogue to communicate your research to the group.
LIBRARY: Using eReserves:
Please note that additional readings will be available on the course site in PDF form;
therefore, they will not be housed on the library eReserves.
Accessing the UMB Library Virtually
Students enrolled in a UMB online course are eligible to receive a barcode for access to
Healey Library resources located at http://www.lib.umb.edu. The UMB library is a rich and
valuable academic online resource which allows you to do most of your research work offcampus. To access these resources off campus, you will need the barcode number found on
the reverse of your Student ID Card. If you don't have a Student ID Card or are unable to
read the bar code number you can send an e-mail request to: Library.circulation@umb.edu.
Your request should include your first and last name, Student ID number, course name,
course number, and semester. You will receive the address of the library website. Barcode
access terminates at the end of the semester. (Note: This service is available Monday –
Friday, 9 - 5 PM)
SUGGESTED PRACTICES: Best Practice for Composing Text
When composing any text-based information (answering essay questions, posting discussion
replies, etc.) compose your text with your word processor, spell check it and save it on your
computer. Then copy and paste your text by toggling to Blackboard. This way you’ll have a
copy of what you composed if necessary.
MEDIA:
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Streaming Media
This course contains streaming video and/or audio clips. To view or listen to them, you must
have a media program loaded on your machine. The most widely used programs are
RealPlayer, Windows Media and Quick Time. Many computers come with at least one of
these software programs already loaded. If you do not have these installed on your
computer, you will be prompted to download and install it when you click the audio or
video link in the course. Free versions of each of these programs are available for download.
Just be sure that you are choosing the download option that is clearly marked “FREE” on
the sire from which you are downloading. Some “enhanced” versions of these programs
require payment. Here are the links for the downloads:
RealPlayer: http://www.real.com
Windows Media Player: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia Quick Time:
http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/win.html
WIMBA: Synchronous Meetings
We will be meeting synchronously online three times over the semester regarding the first
project.
We will never meet as a class in an actual location. Please arrange your schedule so you can
participate in these meetings. These sessions will be archived and accessible on the course
site.
The dates and times of these meetings are:
Tuesday, June 12 (time to be determined)
Wednesday, June 13 (time to be determined)
Thursday, June 14 (time to be determined)
These sessions are arranged for student presentations and discussion. Depending on the
class size, sessions may be added or subtracted, although students are only required to attend
two sessions. Expect sessions to run 1.5 – 2 hours. Further details will be available closer to
the start of the course.
In addition, IT will be available in week 2 for a test run of Wimba to guide you through and
make sure everything is running before our first Wimba session. The session is slated to run
at the same time and day as the Wimba session, but in the week before the actual session.
Further information will be released after the course has started and with confirmation from
the Wimba staff.
Wimba
Wimba is synchronous online tool available within Blackboard. Wimba allows the instructor
and students to meet in a virtual classroom where you can share applications and talk to
each other in real time. An open Wimba Session can be accessed from the home page for
online class sessions and small group meetings. Below is an short overview about Wimba,
but more detailed information can be found at:
http://www.dlvpc.umb.edu/wimbasupport.htm
Wimba Hardware Requirements
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The only additional hardware necessary for participation in the Wimba sessions is a
computer headset, a combination of headphones and a microphone. These can be purchased
at stores such as Best Buy or at a similar retail facility for between $20 and $30. You should
not use computer speakers during a Wimba session. More information on a headset can be
found on the Wimba support site at: http://www.dlvpc.umb.edu/wimbasupport.htm. Also,
you should not use a wireless signal for the session, but instead, use a wired connection
using an Ethernet cable between your computer and router.
Computer Configuration for Wimba
Prior to participation in your first Wimba Session be sure to run the Setup Wizard. Do not
wait until the session itself to run this. The setup Wizard performs a series of tests to
determine if your computer is properly configured for use with Wimba. If the tests indicate a
problem with your configuration, you will be instructed how to remedy this situation.
Technical Support:
Help for Blackboard and Wimba is available 24/7 via e-mail or phone. Send e-mail to:
bostonsupport@umassonline.net or call 1-800-569-6505. For live text chat, see the link on
the User Login Page http://boston.umassonline.net/.
How to View Your Grade for This Course
Currently students taking courses at UMass Boston use the campus WISER system to access
secure information on their grades. To enter the WISER system go to http://wiser.umb.edu
and enter your UMS number and your PIN number. If you do not have a PIN number,
contact the Registrar's Office at registrar@umb.edu giving your name, course, semester,
student ID (UMS#), and current mailing address. The information will be mailed to you.
Note that for security reasons your browser may not be able to print your grades. For other
WISER questions including having your password reset please email the helpdesk at
helpdesk@umb.edu.
Course Evaluations
Course evaluations will be available during the last session of this course. The following
link will take you to the course evaluation where you can fill out the evaluation
anonymously.
http://bit.ly/CCTEval
CCDE REGISTRATION:
Registration Questions: Please contact University College: uc@umb.edu
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY:
Academic Integrity #1:
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All students are expected to treat each other and the instructor respectfully so as to maintain
an environment conducive to online collaborative learning. This includes a commitment not
to engage in dishonest acts such as copying another student’s work, plagiarizing, using
Internet sources without citation, fabricating data, etc.
The Distance Learning program operates on the assumption that students in class are
thoroughly familiar with the UMass Boston Code of Student Conduct, available at:
http://www.management.umb.edu/undergrad/undergrad_code_of_conduct.php .
An online tutorial from the Healy library will help you to avoid plagiarism and provides
reference material related to proper citation of material from other sources in your work. It
is available at http://www.lib.umb.edu/newtutorial/module6.cfm .
Academic Integrity #2 (If Using Plagiarism software):
Students should be aware that, at the discretion of the instructor, assignments may be
submitted to plagiarism detection software programs for the purpose of detecting possible
plagiarism. Students in this course must be prepared to submit an electronic version of any
written assignment upon request of the instructor.
ONLINE LEARNING TIPS:
How can I be an effective online learner?
Manage your time wisely. Online courses are similar to face-to-face courses in that there are
fixed work requirements and deadlines. However, because there are few live classes to
attend, some participants find that due dates fall off their radar screens. The best way to
avoid this pitfall is to read the course requirements carefully. At the beginning of the course,
record deadlines on your calendar, even deadlines for informal assignments like posting
discussion comments. Budget how much time you can afford to spend on each assignment.
Then schedule exactly when that time will be spent.
Schedule a regular time for your coursework.
Decide what time of day and which days of the week are optimal times for doing your
coursework. Keep your time slots realistic—don’t plan to start your coursework at midnight
if you have to get up at five a.m., and don’t pick two p.m. if sitting at the computer after
lunch makes you sleepy. Once you’ve decided on a time slot in which you generally have
energy, schedule it into your calendar and stick to it! Consider it a weekly investment in
your future.
Expect the unexpected, and reward yourself.
Even the most organized students encounter events they haven’t planned for, so it’s healthy
to expect the unexpected and not get frustrated by technical or scheduling problems.
However, it’s also important to stick to your work schedule as much as you can.
One way to stay motivated is to give yourself small rewards for finishing projects on time.
Whether it’s time spent shooting hoops, playing scrabble, or reading for pleasure, small
incentives can make finishing your work a little more inspiring.
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How much technology knowledge do I need to feel at ease in an online course?
You do not have to be a technological wizard to excel in an online learning environment!
Even novices in the field of computer technology can be star students as long as they
understand a few core concepts, including how to use plug-ins, how to access streaming
video, how to participate in synchronous and asynchronous discussions, and how to send
email attachments. Also, don’t be intimidated by the jargon. These concepts sound more
complicated than they really are.
For more tips and pointers, please see:
http://cct.wikispaces.umb.edu/Pointers
STUDENTS WITH DOCUMENTED DISABILITIES:
Students with Documented Disabilities:
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of
1990 offers guidelines for curriculum modifications and adaptations for students with
documented disabilities. If applicable, students may obtain adaptation recommendations
from UMass Boston's Ross Center for Disability Services http://www.rosscenter.umb.edu/
(617-287-7430). The student must present and discuss these recommendations with each
professor within a reasonable period, preferably by the end of the Drop/Add period.
Instructor’s Biography
Suzanne Clark, Associate Professor, Berklee College of Music. B.M., Berklee College of
Music, M.A., University of Massachusetts
* Acoustic bass player
* Co-leader of the jazz duo Trillium with guitarist Pat Drain
* Member, Stambandet
* Performances with Corey Eisenberg, Mickey Julian, Suzanna Sifter, Klaus Suonsaari, and
Frank Texiera
* Recordings include "All the Nights Magic" with Pat Drain, and "Nordic Voices" and "Red
Wine and Strawberries" with Stambandet, conducted by Allen LeVines.
From her Berklee faculty bio: "I'm teaching a course called the Creative Flame. I developed
it because I felt a class like this would have been helpful for me as an undergraduate-to learn
what it means to be a creative artist and how to work at a creative process. These issues go
hand in hand with technical skill. There are external components to your craft and there are
internal components. You need a mixture of both, in my opinion, not just to be successful,
but to sustain that success."
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UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN: UNIVERSITY ARTS
INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIO 250: THE CREATIVE PROCESS
University of Michigan Program in Creativity & Consciousness Studies
<http://sitemaker.umich.edu/pccs/home>
Multiple Instructors
Course Description
In this course sponsored by ArtsEngine, students explore the creative process through a
structured sequence of exercises in four studio modules: sound, motion, visual
images/objects, and verbal/symbolic language. Faculty from Art & Design, Music, Theatre
& Dance. Architecture, and Engineering introduce a variety of creative strategies for
generating problem solving ideas through hands-on projects. Weekly colloquia, discussions,
and readings supplement projects. Grading is based upon attendance, class participation, a
journal, four mini-projects, evidence of intellectual and creative process development, and a
final culminating project. This course is appropriate for UM undergraduate students at all
levels and in all disciplines. It is a fast paced, information-rich educational experience,
offering insights that will make creativity and innovation an integral part of life and work.
Syllabus
Past Creative Process Syllabus
Winter 2011 Creative Process UARTS 250 - 4 credits
Coordinator: Stephen Rush, School of Music, Theatre and Dance
Professors:
Gregory Saldana, Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning (Room 1258)
Michael Gould, Residential College and School of Music, Theatre and Dance (Room 1006)
Elona Van Gent, School of Art and Design (Design Lab 1)
Herbert Winful, College of Engineering (Room 1108)
Class Description
This is a class where students are encouraged, in an interdisciplinary way, to explore their
own creativity. Faculty with training in Architecture, Visual Arts, Music and Engineering
will teach students their own approaches to creativity within their fields, and encourage
students to find their own approaches (in and out of their current stated disciplines).
Students will have short 2-week “workshops” with each faculty member, as well as work on
a Final Project, either on their own, or in an interdisciplinary team of their own creation.
Structure:
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The class of roughly 60 students will be divided randomly into sections of approximately 15
each. Specific randomness will be used. In other words, “music‐ oriented students” will not
be herded into one section. “Poets” will not be herded into another. Students will be
expected and encouraged to explore creativity without thinking about disciplinary
boundaries. The class meets on Fridays with the following schedule:
9-11 Lecture/Demonstrations with professors in Sound, Visual/3-D Art, Motion and
Language. Professors will demonstrate, experiment and encourage creativity in their fields.
This is a “hands‐ on experience” or workshop, not a dry lecture on the history of their craft.
11-11:30 Lunch (brown-bag, students will be encouraged to eat together, and form
community).
11:30-12:00 Optional meditation session. Meditation will be discussed as a possible means
for encouraging creativity. This will not be a “meditation technique class.” This will simply
be students (and faculty) sitting in silence. No emphasis on God, TM, Centering Prayer, etc.
will be given, but if a student or faculty member wants to approach it that way, it really
makes no difference. No one will be pressured to come, and no credit will be given for this.
(keep reading)
12-1 A Colloquium given by Stephen Rush, the Co-ordinator and Director for the course,
with all students attending. These lectures will attempt to pull together the students under
one umbrella, looking at the wider issues surrounding creativity such as inspiration, fear,
dysfunction, ego and “open-mindedness”. Readings will be extraordinarily varied, including
the Tao Te Ching, Rilke’s Letters to a Young Poet, the Bhagavad Gita and the Four Vias of
Meister Eckhardt.
1:00-3:00 Play/Exploration/Expansion time. With tools and supplies provided by the class,
students will explore creativity through various media. Words, visual image, sound and
motion. These sessions will attempt to be as wide-open as possible, and students will be
provided with ample materials (physical, psychological and creative) to “play”, inspired by
the lecture/workshop from the morning session. Ideally the afternoon session is a
continuation of the free‐ wheeling explorations from the morning session.
Outcomes and Grading:
Students will be evaluated based on attendance, class participation as exemplified by
creative outcomes, and personal risk-taking. Students who are already “wild and wooly”
will be encouraged to explore stillness, slowness and quietude. More internalized folk will
be encouraged to push beyond their perceived external shells to explore different means of
self-expression or creation. Faculty will need to “track” the students in this journey.
On a more concrete level, students will create 4 “mini-projects” at the beginning of the
semester, as well as a final project and a journal. The mini-projects will each be 10% of the
grade. The Final Project will be 40%, and the journal 20%. Students are expected to put an
entry into their journals at least once a week.
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Grading:
4 mini-projects @ 10% each
Journal @ 20%
Final Project @ 40%
The attendance policy will be strictly observed. Students may not come to the morning 9-11
session, then leave. Each student must come to each class, every Friday from 9-3. The lunch
break is open (11-11:30), and the meditation time is optional (11:30-12:00), but students are
encouraged to eat with each other at 11, and to meditate with each other at 11:30. Things
can be learned and shared in these experiences that are completely different from the rest of
the activities planned during the day. Attendance will be taken at the 9am and 1pm
sessions.TWO absences are allowed (or one complete Friday) per semester.
All students will also create a final project and a journal.
The Journal will be a multi-media journal in the Course Tools Site, a kind of “Cyber Magic
Box” that could include sound files, pictures of sculpture, book references, poems, random
number generators, quotes, materials of any sort, even pets or plants on video! The use of a
“thumbdrive” for collecting digital files to upload is encouraged. These are not simply a few
paragraphs where one archives his/her “creative experiences”. These are objects that archive
the actual materials used in the creative process. However, each student is expected to add to
their journal once a week, at least.
The Final Project will remain deliberately undefined until after the Mid-term. However,
during the first “plenary class” of the semester Professor Rush will distribute 60 (or one per
student) ideas. The 60 Ideas are concepts, thoughts, project initiators that can be the focal
point for each students’ final project. Students may trade ideas until the 9th week of
class. At that point students must focus their final project on their “Idea”. Faculty will track
the students’ progress on their Final Project throughout the last 5 weeks of class with an eye
for:
Critical Thinking (did a student “study up” on the idea? was research involved? is this a
clone of a previous idea?)
Iteration (is this the first thing a student came up with and they “stuck to it”? Did they do 5
sketches? Edit? Delete?)
Completion (is the idea fully realized? Does the piece do what the student [and to a lesser
extent, faculty] hoped it would?)
The 9th “plenary class” (with Professor Rush) will focus on “concretizing a creative idea”.
Students at this point will be asked to identify a direction that their final project will take,
without predicting what it will look like, feel like, sound like, etc. An attempt to keep the
project both open-ended and time-consuming will be made. Students are encouraged to
work in pairs (or even larger groups). This will neither help nor hinder one’s grade.
A showing of all the Final Projects will take place during Exam Week at a suitable location.
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MATHEMATICS, ELEGANCE AND CREATIVITY
Poincaré on Mathematical Elegance
Jules Henri Poincaré (29 April 1854 – 17 July 1912) is known as a Renaissance man since
his expertise spanned a significant number of different subjects including theoretic physics,
scientific philosophy and especially mathematics, where he is called “The Last Universalist”
since he was a preeminent master in all fields of the discipline that existed during his
lifetime.
“Mathematicians attach a great importance to the elegance of their results, and this is not
mere dilettantism. What is it that gives us the feeling of elegance in a solution or a
demonstration?…”
“Mathematicians attach a great importance to the elegance of their results, and this is not
mere dilettantism. What is it that gives us the feeling of elegance in a solution or a
demonstration? It is the harmony of the different parts, their symmetry, and their happy
adjustment; it is, in a word, all that introduces order, all that gives them unity, that enables
us to obtain a clear comprehension of the whole as well as of the parts. But that is also
precisely what causes it to give a large return; and in fact the more we see this whole clearly
and at a single glance, the better we shall perceive the analogies with other neighboring
objects, and consequently the better chance we shall have of guessing the possible
generalizations. Elegance may result from the feeling of surprise caused by the unlooked-for
occurrence together of objects not habitually associated. In this, again, it is fruitful, since it
thus discloses relations till then unrecognized. It is also fruitful even when it only results
from the contrast between the simplicity of the means and the complexity of the problem
presented, for it then causes us to reflect on the reason for this contrast, and generally shows
us that this reason is not chance, but is to be found in some unsuspected law. Briefly stated,
the sentiment of mathematical elegance is nothing but the satisfaction due to some
conformity between the solution we wish to discover and the necessities of our mind, and it
is on account of this very conformity that the solution can be an instrument for us.”
— Henri Poincaré, Science And Method, 1908
Websites on Mathematics & Creativity
An essay, “On Creativity (in Mathematics)”. Posted on September 27, 2012 by Broni
Czarnocha on the City University of New York Math Blog.
http://cunymathblog.commons.gc.cuny.edu/2012/09/27/on-creativity-in-mathematics/
“Exploring, Learning and Creating - Creativity Across Mathematics and Art”. This is a
video of a lecture by John Sharp from the London Knowledge Labs.
http://www.lkl.ac.uk/cms/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=66&Itemid=48
Mastic,Vincent J. “On Mathematical Creativity”. Illinois Mathematics and Science
Academy. <http://staff.imsa.edu/~vmatsko/OnCreativity.pdf
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BIBLIOGRAPHICAL CONSIDERATIONS
Books
Gladwell, Malcolm. Outliers: The Story of Success. New York: Little Brown and Co. 2008.
Johansson, Frans. Medici Effect: What Elephants and Epidemics Can Teach Us About
Innovation. Boston: Harvard Business School Publishing, 2006.
Kaufman, J., & Sternberg, R.J., Eds. Cambridge Handbook of Creativity. New York:
Cambridge University Press. 2010.
Koestler, Arthur. The Act of Creation. London: Penguin, 1964.
Kolodny, Susan. The Captive Muse: On Creativity and Its Inhibition. Madison, CT:
Psychological Press, 2000.
Leonard, Dorthy & Walter Swap. When Sparks Fly: Harnessing the Power of Group
Creativity. Boston: Harvard Business School Publishing, 1999.
Videos:
Touch of Greatness, A. Independent Lens. Independent Television Service. 2005.
About this film: http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/touchofgreatness/film.html
Articles on the Web
Akinola, Modupe, and Wendy Berry Mendes. “The Dark Side of Creativity.” Columbia
Business School: Ideas at Work. Columbia University. 2008. Web. November 2012.
<http://www4.gsb.columbia.edu/ideasatwork/researcharchive/advanced?&global.now=&ma
in.id=7213496&main.ctrl=contentmgr.detail&main.view=articlesb.detail>
Fisher, Anne. “Inside Stanford's famous course on creativity.” CNN/Fortune. Cable News
Network. 2012. Web. Nov 2012.<http://management.fortune.cnn.com/2012/04/04/insidestanfords-famous-course-on-creativity>
Lindauer, Martin S. “Interdisiplinarity, the Psychology of Art and Creativity: An
Introduction”. Creative Research Journal vol. 2, no. 1, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1998.
Web. Nov 2012. <http://www.portaldoenvelhecimento.org.br/artigos/artigo3026.pdf>
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Stern, Zelda. “Can Creativity be Taught?”. Focus Pieces. Williams College. 2006. Web.
Nov. 2012.<http://web.williams.edu/home/focus/creativity/>
Stillman, Jessica. “A Crash Course on Creativity”. Inc. Mansueto Ventures LLC. 2012. Web
Nov 2012.<http://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/maximize-your-creativity-a-crashcourse.html>
CREATIVE EDUCATION FOUNDATION AND THE
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON CREATIVITY AND
INNOVATION
Vision
The Creative Education Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit membership organization of
leaders in the field of creativity theory and practice. Every day principles fostered by CEF
programs are helping someone, somewhere in the world, develop new products, make
business operations run more profitably, restructure organization and agencies to become
more effective and less encumbered, reinvigorate economies, make improvements in our
schools, revitalize communities and replace ineffective methods and systems with new,
more workable ones.
Journal of Creative Behavior
The editorial team of the Journal of Creative Behavior is delighted to welcome all readers
and potential contributors to the newest venture for the journal. JCB is the original and
longest-standing journal devoted specifically to work that advances our understanding of the
phenomenon of creativity in the broadest sense. Since 1967 JCB has been published by the
Creative Education Foundation, and the 44 issues to date contain an impressive and
extensive body of knowledge about the topic. Beginning in 2012, JCB will be published by
Wiley-Blackwell, bringing its wealth of experience and breath of reach in the publishing
world to advance our mission.
Although JCB’s reach will greatly expand with our new Wiley-Blackwell partnership, the
core mission of the journal will not change. We still aim to be the prime outlet for the
highest quality and most innovative scholarship on the topic of creativity. The field of
Creativity mirrors the very topic it studies. Just as creativity is complex and multifaceted, so
too are the approaches to its study. There are case study, historiometric, laboratory,
statistical, meta-analytic, and philosophical approaches. There are studies concerned with
social, cultural, personality, developmental, motivational, emotional, cognitive, and
neurophysiological factors. There are emphases on extraordinary creativity, as might be
shown by noted artists, composers, scientists or inventors, and on more normative aspects of
creativity inherent in how ordinary people solve the problems of everyday life, form,
modify, combine and manipulate their concepts, use language in creative ways, and
innovate for its own sake. There are basic research approaches directed at increasing our
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theoretical understanding of the phenomena, and more applied approaches examining the
manifestation and enhancement of creativity in business, educational, scientific, social
policy and decision-making settings in the real world. This is not an exhaustive list, but does
signify the richness of the field.
Our intent is to have JCB continue to serve as a mirror of creativity and of the field itself.
All approaches are welcome. Outside of relevance to the topic of creativity, the sole
criterion for publication in the journal is and should be the quality of the work. We
encourage and look forward to you submitting your very best and innovative work, and to
sharing with you issue after issue the rich tapestry of research on creativity.
Website: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)21626057/homepage/welcome_from_the_editors.htm
Creative Problem Solving Institute
CPSI is an annual international conference hosted by the Creative Education Foundation
focused on three main areas – creativity, innovation and change management. With two
main tracks taught by world-class trainers, one for people new to learning creative thinking
and innovation skills, and one for people who want to advance their skills, the entire
experience is focused on developing the skills you need to take an initial idea and move into
action that matters. You’ll hear from sought-after speakers sharing how their creative and
innovation process works within their organization. You’ll get a chance to meet with top
innovators, creatives, and change managers from all over the world to build your personal
network.
DEPAUL UNIVERSITY: CENTER FOR CREATIVITY AND
INNOVATION
[Primarily Business & Entrepreneurial Management.]
<http://innovation.depaul.edu/About/index.asp>
The Center for Creativity and Innovation teaches innovative strategies and tools for
breakthrough thinking. We offer a variety of programming and workshops and customized
training and consultation for individuals, teams and organizations. Here is a sampling of
what we do:
Help you generate new ideas for your business, whether you are an entrepreneur, a team or
department head, or a member of a non-profit organization. The strategies you learn in our
workshops and programs are easily applied across situations.
Teach you more effective methods for creative problem solving, and enable you to avoid
some of the most common mistakes that people make when trying to resolve situations,
reduce conflict, or even cut costs.
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Introduce contemporary innovative strategies that you can bring into your business, drawn
from the latest research on innovation in business. Embracing change, building powerful
teams, and creating a motivating work environment will help you be on the leading edge in
your career and in your business.
Showcase renowned speakers and experts in the field who share their ideas, models and
experiences with our audiences.
Provide a creative and fun space for your team or organization to hold retreats,
meetings or any group session. Our Center is full of inspirational art and language, and is
decorated in bold colors. Lead your own meeting, or allow our staff to customize facilitation
for you. Full conference capability and catering are available.
Our staff consists of award-winning experts in creativity and innovation who are professors
and practitioners affiliated with DePaul’s Richard H. Driehaus College of Business. They
bring the most contemporary and proven techniques to our programs. Our experts are
authors and researchers who have worked with companies of all sizes and across industries
in the private and public sectors.
Drexel University: Certificate in Creativity and
Innovation
Program Description
The Certificate in Creativity and Innovation is designed to produce individuals who are
equipped with fundamental creative problem solving competencies indicative of innovative
leaders. The certificate is designed to provide knowledge of the major creativity theories, to
enhance one’s latent creative strengths, to foster ability to apply creativity in the workplace,
and to present methods for assessing creative strengths.
Prospective students with or without a bachelor's degree will benefit from this program.
Students who already possess an undergraduate degree and want to increase their knowledge
of creativity and innovation can round out their prior education and experience with this
certificate. Students without a bachelor's degree may choose this certificate as a stand-alone
credential or as a desirable achievement en route to their undergraduate degree.
In particular, evening or online students pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in
Professional Studies or General Studies with a minor in Business will find the certificate to
be a fitting complement to their undergraduate studies, allowing them more flexibility in
their future career options. Also, full-time day students pursuing a variety of majors such as
architecture, business, communication, design arts, education, engineering, and English will
find this certificate attractive.
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Course Descriptions
CRTV 301 Foundations in Creativity 3.0 This course provides a foundation in creativity
including leading creativity theorists and their ideas, and introduction to creativity in many
fields. Students will explore basic creative characteristics including originality, fluency,
flexibility, elaboration, resistance to premature closure, and tolerance of ambiguity. Sets the
foundation for acquiring tools and applying creativity.
CRTV 302 Tools & Techniques to Enhance Creativity 3.0
This hands-on course provides tools for enhancing creative strengths including role-play,
simulation, brainstorming together with synectics, and creative problem solving. A second
focus is the role of inspiration in how creativity, personal maturity, and spirituality interrelate and how this interaction expands our repertoire of tools and techniques in creativity.
CRTV 303 Creativity in the Workplace 3.0
This course focuses on how creative ideas happen and how they become innovations to
reveal a set of principles for infusing creativity into every aspect of an organization.
Examples from a wide range of settings demonstrate how to build systemic creativity at the
individual, team, and leadership levels.
PRST 450 Creative Leadership for Professionals 3.0
This course presents leadership as a collaborative focus for transforming change. Topics
include the leadership crisis, differences between leadership and management, how leaders
create and change culture, and ways in which leaders build creative, enduring organizations.
In addition, the course is designed to help students develop their own leadership potential.
MGMT 260 Introduction to Entrepreneurship 4.0
The course focuses on entrepreneurship as a generic activity, including start-ups and
corporate entrepreneurship. It explores the opportunities and challenges faced by individuals
starting up new ventures and the probable paths of career development for the students
pursuing entrepreneurship.
PRST 212 Creative Studies in the WWW 3.0
This course prepares professionals with an understanding of the process of developing
creative, functional Web sites. Concentrating on the creative flow if the design process, the
course uses Adobe Dreamweaver as the medium for development. Students should possess a
basic level of computer proficiency before taking this course.
PRST 330 Career & Professional Development 3.0
This course explores the literature of careers including preparation, organizational entry,
orientation, nontraditional careers, and early, mid, and later career issues. The course
provides students with opportunities for assessment of interests and capabilities, initiation
and implementation of a personal development plan (PDP), and feedback on personal and
career development.
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NATIONAL CREATIVITY NETWORK
Mission
We believe that by fostering creativity in our society as a whole, and specifically with future
generations, America can remain a leader in innovation and free enterprise. The very future
of our communities and institutions depends on our ability to nurture and harness
imagination to creatively solve problems. If creativity is to be nurtured, systems, institutions
and networks must be transformed.
The opportunities that emerge to transform our nation are largely dependent upon the degree
to which we are connected to each other. Our connection will become a catalyst:
to enhance the flow of relevant information, and to improve the ease with which key nodes
of creativity, be they in the domains of Education, Commerce, Culture or across disciplines,
can gain access to the best thinking, best questions, and most successful practices as well as
other resources their ventures may require
Our strategy is to engage thought leaders across the United States to create a powerful
network for transformation.
Resources
An interesting compilation of articles and lectures on creativity can be found in the news
section of their website: http://nationalcreativitynetwork.org/blog
SAYBROOK UNIVERSITY GRADUATE COLLEGE OF
PSYCHOLOGY AND HUMANISTIC STUDIES: MA AND PHD WITH
A SPECIALIZATION IN CREATIVITY STUDIES
Creativity is increasingly recognized as a vital part of both a healthy psyche and a thriving
economy -- but despite extraordinary work in the field, there is still much about creativity
that we do not understand.
Saybrook's Ph.D. in Psychology specializing in Creativity Studies is designed for those who
wish to find compelling answers to the questions creativity raises, and make a meaningful
contribution to the field. Students will:
Investigate environments that support and discourage creativity
Explore how people find new ways of processing information to find innovative solutions
Discover new frameworks for the familiar
By the conclusion of the program students will be developing their own questions and
researching answers that will impact the way creativity is understood and applied in the
world.
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MA Program Description
A complex and fast changing world demands new, creative approaches to everything from
corporate strategies to household chores.
From schools to big business, the importance of understanding and encouraging creativity
has been widely recognized as essential to success in the modern world. A specialization in
Creativity Studies allows you to tap into one of the most important movements in business,
education, and the arts: the recognition that this is an innovation driven economy.
Creative Studies has direct applications in a variety of areas including the arts, aging,
business and government, education, health, peace and conflict resolution, and psychology.
It most certainly can have applications in your career.
Depending on your professional goals, you can develop skills in areas such as:
1.
Working within corporations and other organizations to facilitate
organizational creativity.
2. Teaching creativity and psychology courses in k-12 schools or colleges
3. Professional creativity coaching.
4. Leading groups in effective collaborative creativity.
5. Researching, writing, and presenting their work.
6. Enhancing their own creative ability in both their professional and personal lives
The MA in Psychology with an emphasis on Creativity Studies begins with a view of
psychology particularly appropriate to the humanistic tradition, looking at human potential
in terms of its broadest and most expansive capacities. Saybrook’s tradition of humanistic
studies includes its association with Rollo May who wrote the classic The Courage to
Create.
A strong system of thought in humanistic psychology also suggests that people must express
themselves creatively to be fully happy and realized, and that creative activities have
therapeutic power.
In this program, you will look at where creativity comes from, what encourages it, and how
it can be applied to practical, everyday circumstances.
Ph.D. Program Description
Creativity is increasingly recognized as a vital part of both a healthy psyche and a thriving
economy -- but despite extraordinary work in the field, there is still much about creativity
that we do not understand.
Saybrook's Ph.D. in Psychology specializing in Creativity Studies is designed for those who
wish to find compelling answers to the questions creativity raises, and make a meaningful
contribution to the field. Students will:
• Investigate environments that support and discourage creativity
• Explore how people find new ways of processing information to find innovative solutions
• Discover new frameworks for the familiar
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By the conclusion of the program students will be developing their own questions and
researching answers that will impact the way creativity is understood and applied in the
world.
UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS BOSTON:
CRITICAL & CREATIVE THINKING
Master of Arts
Offered online, on campus, or blended
The Critical and Creative Thinking (CCT) program at the University of Massachusetts
Boston provides its students with knowledge, tools, experience, and support so they can
become constructive, reflective agents of change in education, work, social movements,
science, and creative arts.
Critical thinking, creative thinking, and reflective practice are valued, of course, in all fields.
In critical thinking we seek to scrutinize the assumptions, reasoning, and evidence brought
to bear on an issue — by others and by oneself; such scrutiny is enhanced by placing ideas
and practices in tension with alternatives. Key functions of creative thinking include
generating alternative ideas, practices, and solutions that are unique and effective, and
exploring ways to confront complex, messy, ambiguous problems, make new connections,
and see how things could be otherwise. In reflective practice we take risks and experiment
in putting ideas into practice, then take stock of the outcomes and revise our approaches
accordingly.
The rationale for a Master’s program of study in CCT is that an explicit and sustained focus
on learning and applying ideas and tools in critical thinking, creative thinking, and reflective
practice allows students involved in a wide array of professions and endeavors to develop
clarity and confidence to make deep changes in their learning, teaching, work, activism,
research, and artistry. By the time CCT students finish their studies they are prepared to
teach or guide others in ways that often depart markedly from their previous schooling and
experience. In these processes of transformation and transfer, CCT students have to select
and adapt the ideas and tools presented by faculty with diverse disciplinary and
interdisciplinary concerns. Although each CCT course is self-contained and is open to
students from other graduate programs, students matriculated in the Program benefit from
extended relationships with core CCT faculty and fellow students that support their
processes of learning — experimenting and taking risks in applying what they are learning,
reflecting on the outcomes and revising accordingly, and building up a set of tools,
practices, and perspectives that work in their specific professional or personal endeavors.
Impact of Studies
The CCT Program appeals to students looking for professional and personal development
who are interested in learning from and with others of diverse backgrounds and interests.
Many are mid-career educators: teachers and college professors, curriculum specialists,
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museum educators, or educational administrators. Others are policy makers or personnel
trainers in government, corporate, scientific, or non-profit settings. Some are artists,
musicians, writers, journalists, and community activists. Through course projects,
independent studies, pre-capstone research courses, and the capstone synthesis projects,
CCT students explore issues they have not had much chance to address before and translate
what they learn into strategies, materials, and interventions for use in diverse educational,
professional, and social settings. Graduates leave CCT well equipped for ongoing learning,
addressing the needs of their schools, workplaces, and communities, adapting and
contributing to social changes, and collaborating with others to these ends. Testimonials and
Notes from Alumni of the program can be viewed on the CCT wiki,
http://cct.wikispaces.umb.edu/impact. Abstracts and full-text versions of theses and
capstone syntheses can be viewed at http://scholarworks.umb.edu/cct_capstone/.
Courses
Students seeking a Master of Arts (MA) degree take 11 courses (33 credits). Most students
undertake the regular track, which involves coursework that draws upon the faculty’s
expertise in psychology, philosophy, education, and other fields. A concentration in Liberal
and Interdisciplinary Studies allows some substitutions to regular track’s foundation
courses. Alternatively, a Graduate Certificate in Critical and Creative Thinking is available
to those who wish to complement a Master’s degree in another program or otherwise do not
wish to pursue a full MA. Students with particular interests in science may instead choose to
pursue a related track called Science in a Changing World, which places an emphasis on
Civic Engagement, Collaborative Processes and Innovative Teaching around current and
historical controversies involving science and technology and also leads to an MA degree or
Graduate Certificate.
The MA in Critical and Creative Thinking can be earned completely through face-to-face
sections, completely through online sections, or through a combination. CCT courses also
allow students from other graduate programs to fulfill requirements or electives for courses
in critical and creative thinking, curriculum development, research and writing for reflective
practice, urban and social justice education, teaching in the different subject areas, and
dialogue and collaboration in organizational change.
Non-degree students can also take CCT courses; this opportunity, together with workshops,
summer institutes, monthly evening forums, and invitations to join online communities of
practice further extend the range of educational experiences offered by the Program. To
accommodate the schedules of teachers and other professionals, courses are offered after 4
pm, in intensive sessions during the summer, and online. While it is possible for a full-time
student to complete the Master’s program in one calendar year, most students combine the
program with their ongoing careers and therefore take at least two or three years. MA
students complete the four foundation courses, four electives, and three final required
"research and engagement" courses including a capstone synthesis. The choice of track,
elective courses, and research and engagement projects allow students to define specific
areas in which they explore their CCT-related interests -- for example, "creative thinking at
work", "gifted and talented education", "critical and creative thinking in
literature/arts/music", "dialogue and collaboration in organizational change." Additional
areas of specialization can be constructed through cooperation with other UMass Boston
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graduate programs, such as Instructional Design, Educational Administration, Public Policy
and Conflict Resolution.
Foundation Courses
CRCRTH601 Critical Thinking
CRCRTH602 Creative Thinking
CRCRTH651L Advanced Cognitive Psychology
PHIL501 Foundations of Philosophical Thought
Electives
CRCRTH611 Seminar in Critical Thinking (theme varies each offering)
CRCRTH612 Seminar in Creativity (theme varies each offering)
CRCRTH616 Dialogue Processes
CRCRTH618 Creative Thinking, Collaboration, and Organizational Change
CRCRTH619 Biomedical Ethics
CRCRTH627 Issues and Controversies in Antiracist and Multicultural Education
CRCRTH630 Criticism and Creativity in Literature and the Arts
CRCRTH640 Environment, Science, and Society: Critical Thinking
CRCRTH645L Biology in Society: Critical Thinking
CRCRTH649L Scientific & Political Change
CRCRTH650 Mathematics Thinking Skills
CRCRTH652 Children and Science
CRCRTH655 Metacognition
CRCRTH670 Thinking, Learning, and Computers
CRCRTH688 Reflective Practice
PPOLG753L Epidemiological Thinking and Population Health
WOST597 Special Topics in Women's Studies/Graduate Consortium in Women's Studies
Research and Engagement
CRCRTH692 Processes of Research and Engagement
CRCRTH693 Action Research for Educational, Professional & Personal Change
CRCRTH694 Synthesis of Theory and Practice Seminar
Certificate
The Critical and Creative Thinking (CCT) program at the University of Massachusetts
Boston provides its students with knowledge, tools, experience, and support so they can
become constructive, reflective agents of change in education, work, social movements,
science, and creative arts.
Critical thinking, creative thinking, and reflective practice are valued, of course, in all fields.
In critical thinking we seek to scrutinize the assumptions, reasoning, and evidence brought
to bear on an issue — by others and by oneself; such scrutiny is enhanced by placing ideas
and practices in tension with alternatives. Key functions of creative thinking include
generating alternative ideas, practices, and solutions that are unique and effective, and
ICJMT Creativty Report
94
exploring ways to confront complex, messy, ambiguous problems, make new connections,
and see how things could be otherwise. In reflective practice we take risks and experiment
in putting ideas into practice, then take stock of the outcomes and revise our approaches
accordingly.
The rationale for a Certificate programs of study in CCT is that an explicit and sustained
focus on learning and applying ideas and tools in critical thinking, creative thinking, and
reflective practice allows students involved in a wide array of professions and endeavors to
develop clarity and confidence to make deep changes in their learning, teaching, work,
activism, research, and artistry. The experience gained through the pursuit of the Graduate
Certificate in CCT leads students to discover new ways to approach their current fields,
establish interdisciplinary connections between existing and emerging interests, and bring
new thinking into their professional and personal lives and organizations. A study of Critical
and Creative Thinking leads to new perspectives and more flexible thinking in one’s field of
expertise; the Graduate Certificate provides an edge to students as they come to understand
their previous knowledge in novel ways as well as explore innovations and new directions.
By the time CCT students finish their studies they are prepared to teach or guide others in
ways that often depart markedly from their previous schooling and experience. In these
processes of transformation and transfer, CCT students have to select and adapt the ideas
and tools presented by faculty with diverse disciplinary and interdisciplinary concerns.
Although each CCT course is self-contained and is open to students from other graduate
programs, students matriculated in the Program benefit from extended relationships with
core CCT faculty and fellow students that support their processes of learning —
experimenting and taking risks in applying what they are learning, reflecting on the
outcomes and revising accordingly, and building up a set of tools, practices, and
perspectives that work in their specific professional or personal endeavors.
Impact of studies
The CCT Program appeals to students looking for professional and personal development
who are interested in learning from and with others of diverse backgrounds and interests.
Many are mid-career educators: teachers and college professors, curriculum specialists,
museum educators, or educational administrators. Others are policy makers or personnel
trainers in government, corporate, scientific, or non-profit settings. Some are artists,
musicians, writers, journalists, and community activists. Through course projects,
independent studies, pre-capstone research courses, and the capstone synthesis projects,
CCT students explore issues they have not had much chance to address before and translate
what they learn into strategies, materials, and interventions for use in diverse educational,
professional, and social settings. Graduates leave CCT well equipped for ongoing learning,
addressing the needs of their schools, workplaces, and communities, adapting and
contributing to social changes, and collaborating with others to these ends. Testimonials and
Notes from Alumni of the program can be viewed on the CCT wiki,
http://cct.wikispaces.umb.edu/impact. Abstracts and full-text versions of theses and
capstone syntheses (showing the range of projects of students completing the entire MA)
can be viewed at http://scholarworks.umb.edu/cct_capstone/.
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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
American Creativity Association (ACA)
The American Creativity Association is the virtual academy that leaders and professionals in
the field of creativity turn to as the primary source of ideas and information dealing with
creativity and where initiates to the field can begin their journey of discovery. It is a national
organization of professionals in the field of creativity. Through its programs and services, it
offers individuals and organizations opportunities for learning, professional development
and networking. It is dedicated to enhancing the use of creativity throughout our society for
the betterment of the human condition.
http://www.aca.cloverpad.org
City University London: Masters in Innovation, Creativity and Leadership.
[Primarily oriented toward business management, entrepreneurs, etc.]
http://www.city.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/innovation-creativity-and-leadership
Overview of Education in Creativity and Problem-Solving in Four-Year Colleges and
Universities.
Compiled by Susan F. Lafferty. 2004.
http://www.apa.org/divisions/div10/pdfs/Creativity.April2005.pdf
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