CreativeClassroom

NTU AL&T Conference 2014“Teaching Differently”

Ken Marsden1 April 2014

Intro• Experimental Session with potential for

unknown /unintended outcomes• Catalyst for unlocking creative potential• Part of on-going research

• Facilitate learning…….

“A person cannot teach…..

…….another person directly…..

a person can only facilitate another's learning”

(Carl Rogers, 1951)

Structure

• Part 1 demonstrate your mental flexibility – importance of shifting in and out of different roles - engage in some visual / practical problem-solving activities

• Part 2 world café style activity designed to formulate ideas for “teaching differently” and generate solutions for turning these ideas into action

• Part 3 display and further discuss your ideas and actions with each other.

Touching the warmth of light

“Vision

is the art of seeing the invisible”

Jonathan Swift

Vision

Is about being able to see beyond what at first may seem impossible ….

….and that leads us nicely into your first task…

When Looking is not Seeing

1 minute task

• Find a partner (the person next to you)• Stand on a large sheet of paper with your

partner• Face each other with your eyes open• How can you look at the person directly in

front of you but not see the person?

Personal Examples of‘Teaching Differently’

Student-led beach seminars(summer term only!)

Student-Tutor role shiftBeing out of comfort zone helped to liven the discussion

What do you see first?

And this?

And this?

“In the absence of guidance or orders…………

….do what?

“In the absence of guidance or orders…………

figure out what they should have been”

Part of a sign on a command-post door in Baghdad, commandeered by General Petraeus

Personal Examples of‘Teaching Differently’

‘The Code of the Custom Cult’ – invited 2 top London designers to an event day that involved presentations, tasking students with a short brief which was then displayed and assessed by the designers

Vision

is about seeing the world…………..

w………from a different viewpoint

Les Meninas, Velazquez, 1656

• The viewer is the sitter, i.e. the King, and you/he is being painted

• So mighty he must only be portrayed indirectly, in a mirror

• Only one person looks openly back at the King (his true friend, courageous and honest)

• Do kings and queens exist only in the eyes of others?

…………. in a different light

………in a different form

Add a single line and turn it into a 6

IX

Answers

SIXor

IX6

Select the one that is different from all the others

Answer………….

• A – only one with no points• B – has only straight lines• C – only one that is asymmetrical• D – only one that has a straight line and a

curved line• E – only one that looks like projection of a

non-Euclidean triangle into Euclidean space

There is no Right Answer…….

• Too much emphasis is on learning to find the right answer

• Too little emphasis is on looking for more than one right answer

The Need to Adapt: why success always starts with failure

“In a complex, changeable world, the process of trial and error is essential…[and] a tremendously powerful process for solving problems”

3 essential steps for successful adapting…..1 Try new things in the expectation that some will fail2 Make failure survivable3 Make sure you know when you’ve failed

Personal Examples of‘Teaching Differently’

• Peer Review – • students discuss each other’s work rather than

just their own• led to peer assessment forming 10% in module

9 dot exercise

Connect up the dots with 4 consecutive lines – without taking your pen off the paper

“Think outside the box”John Adair

How do you get a good idea?

“The best way to get a good idea is to …………….

……………get a lot of ideas”

Linus Pauling (Nobel Prize Winning Chemist, 1954)

Four Roles of the Creative Process

Hallmark of creative people is their mental flexibility (shifting in and out of roles) • Explorer – search for new info and resources• Artist – turn the resources into new ideas• Judge – evaluate the merits of an idea and decide what

to do• Warrior – carry out your idea into action

Roger von Oech (President of Creative Think, USA)

Using your Explorer Role

• Identify a range resources to build your idea• Venture off the beaten track• Use different senses• Pay attention to unusual patterns• Seek out different information sources

Using your Artist Role

• Be spontaneous• Think outside the box• Re-arrange things• Look at things backwards/upside down • Break the rules • Create your own rules• Ask “what if” questions

Using your Warrior Role

• Create a support system around you• Make your idea more attractive to others• Overcome negative reactions• Be persistent!• Get rid of your excuses

Warrior Role (continued)

• Spanish explorer Cortes landed at Veracruz (1519)

• Burned all of his ships• Told his men “you can either fight or die”• This removed a 3rd alternative - return to Spain!• Moral: sometimes it takes more creativity to get

rid of excuses than it does to come up with the idea itself

Part 2:World Café Task – ‘Teaching Differently’

Change one thing about your current practice that you haven’t tried before……… e.g. introduce or further develop a different approach to:• content or delivery of a module• assessment (e-assessment / peer assessment)• types of feedback• flipped learning• ……………?

Process1 Move to another table (from the one that you’re sitting at)

2 Adopt the role as indicated on the table (artist / warrior / explorer) 3 Spend up to 5 minutes thinking (talking to others) and

4 Writing as many different ideas / solutions on that table – adopting that role - as you can (using the pens provided)

5 After 5 minutes (listen out for the bell) move to another table and repeat 2, 3 and 4

Any questions?

now get started!

Part 3

• Display all the A1 sheets on walls (using blutack)

• Spend 5 mins looking at the ideas from the 3 roles / tables

• Return to tables - select 1 or 2 examples from each role / expand on the selected examples / discuss in whole group……

Know your Creative Roles

• Shift back and forth – not always a linear progression

• Use it or lose it – keep all your roles in good shape by using them

• When to use them – timing is paramount don’t get stuck in a role

• Don’t just generate ideas – activate your Warrior to get your ideas into action!

People are more creative when…..

“they have a little bit of time to explore a problem,

reflect on what they're doing, gather new information, and talk to people who might have different perspectives…..”

Daniel Goldman

Supporting Creativity in Organizations

• Autonomy– Individuals need autonomy and clear sense of what they

need to accomplish

• Resources– Information, funding and materials to do the work

• Time– For exploring, reflecting, identifying and communicating

with others

Daniel Goldman

Remember

If you want to be more creative start by

mentally visualizing yourself

as being creative!

References

Adapt: Why Success always Starts with Failure, Tim HarfordWhere Good Ideas Come From: The 7 Patterns of Innovation, Steven JohnsonFocus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence, Daniel GoldmanA Whack on the Side of the Head, Roger von OechStimulated! Habits to Spark Your Creative Genius at Work, Andrew Pek & Jeannine McGladeThe Art of Creative Thinking, John Adair

Thank You

Any questions………….?