with Chrissi Nerantzi @chrissinerantzi

Creativity for Learning and FLEX artwork by artist Ellie Livermore

Workshops info • workshop 1 (29.1.15, 1-4pm, AS105): Unit overview, introduction to creativity in HE, enablers and

barriers

• workshop 2 (5.2.15, 1-4pm Manchester City Centre): Creativity in action! Let’s play the “Sell your bargains” game, where game-based learning meets problem-based learning

• workshop 3 (12.2.15, 1-4pm, AS 105): The use of story for learning and teaching

• workshop 4 (19.2.15, 1-4pm, AS105): Learning through making and LEGO® Serious Play®

• workshop 5 (5.3.15, 1-4pm), AS105: Linking theory and practice through creative collaborative inquiry

• BONUS: automatically join the Greenhouse, monthly gatherings with showcase events Creative Spaces

• Next term: – action learning sets (peer support) – Face-to-face and online tutor support – 17 June showcase your innovations at the Greenhouse and BSE pre-conference event, – here on campus, more info to follow – CELT Summer Conference

theory and practical application, activities and development of creative practices

pre-workshop tasks

1. Look back at your idea for an innovation and identify a clear focus.

2. Familiarise yourself with action research. Study Action Research for Professional Development.

3. Have a look at some other innovative pedagogic projects in your discipline/professional area. What do they have in common?

Please read!

"In the varied topography of professional practice, there is a high, hard ground

overlooking a swamp. On the high ground, manageable problems lend themselves to

solution though the application of research-based theory and technique. In the

swampy lowland, messy, confusing problems defy technical solution. The irony of this

situation is that the problem of the high ground tend to be relatively unimportant to

individuals or society at large, however great their technical interest may be, while in

the swamp lie the problems of greatest human concern. The practitioner must choose.

Shall he remain on the high ground where he can solve relatively unimportant

problems according to prevailing standards of rigor, or shall he descend to the swamp

of important problems and non rigorous inquiry?“ (Schön, 1987, 3)

messy learning in the studio using a World Cafe approach:

3 zones of explorative activities

• self-organised and self-determined learning in small groups

• learning through social interactions and co-construction of ideas and knowledge

• emphasis on process but also creating an output that can be shared

• initial leads, self-selected groups, but whole groups rotate after 40 minutes

http://www.theworldcafe.com/

Principles

• Set the context

• Create hospitable space

• Explore questions that matter

• Encourage everyone’s contribution

• Connect diverse perspectives

• Listen together for patterns and insights

• Share collective discoveries

http://www.theworldcafe.com/principles.html

• In flow (Csikszentmihaly)

• Zone of Proximal Development (Vygotsky)

• Anything else you find related to the above

• Kerry (initial lead)

In flow (Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi)

http://indiedevstories.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/flow-channel1.png

Zone of Proximal Development (Vygotsky, 1978)

panic alert

panic

alert

comfy

Where are you as a learner? Where are you as a teacher?

• Four stages of learning (Maslow)

• Learning power (Claxton) http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/09585170701445947#.VNPGt9KsVIE

• Anything else you find related the above

Marcin (initial lead)

4 stages of learning (Maslow)

• you know what you know

• you don’t have to think what you are doing

• you know what you don’t know

• you don’t know what you don’t know

unconscious incompetence

conscious incompetence

conscious competence

unconscious competence

con

scio

us

com

pet

ence

lear

nin

g m

atri

x

htt

p:/

/ww

w.b

usi

nes

sbal

ls.c

om

/co

nsc

iou

sco

mp

eten

cele

arn

ingm

od

el.h

tm

5th s

tage

: R

efle

ctiv

e C

om

pet

ence

4 stages of learning Unconscious incompetence - This basically means that you

don't know what you don't know.

Conscious incompetence - This is where the learner is aware

that s/he does not know something or can learn something new.

Put more plainly, you realize that you are not as expert as perhaps

you thought.

Conscious competence - This is where you have to think about a

task or exercise in order to complete it correctly.

Unconscious competence - Eventually you reach a point where

you no longer have to think about what you are doing in order to

complete it correctly. True experts often do things very well without

thinking about it.

the 7 dimensions of learning power (Claxton)

stre

ngt

h

Changing and Learning

Meaning Making

Critical Curiosity

Creativity

Learning Relationships

Strategic Awareness

Resilience

wea

knes

s Being Stuck and Static

Data Accumulation

Passivity

Being Rule Bound

Isolation & Dependence

Being Robotic

Fragility & Dependence

facilitating/inhibiting learner centredness

faci

litat

ing Belief & professional

vision

positive classroom culture

collaborative teaching

positive relationships

professional dialogue & choice

golden moments

being empowered as a professional

inh

ibit

ing Covering the curriculum

results and targets

performance management

workload

large numbers of students

policing practice

large numbers of classes in week

lack of time

lack of know how

• Action research (Lewin)

• Case study research (Stake)

• Anything else you find related the above

• Helena (initial lead)

Action Learning

“Action Learning is a continuous process of learning and reflection, supported by colleagues, with an intention of getting things done. Through action learning individuals learn with and from each other by working on real problems and reflecting on their own experiences. The process helps us to take an active stance towards life and helps to overcome the tendency to think, feel and be passive towards the pressures of life. (McGill and Beaty, 2001)

experiential learning cycle (Kolb, 1984)

concrete experience

reflective observation

abstract conceptualisation

active experimentation

How? Reflective Cycle (Gibbs, 1988)

25

1. Description

What happened?

2. Feelings

What were you thinking and feeling?

3. Evaluation

What was good and bad

about the experience?

4. Analysis

What sense can you make

of the situation?

5. Conclusion

What else could you

have done?

6. Action plan

If it arose again, what

would you do?

deepening reflection describing

feeling

analysing

reasoning

stepping back

being self-critical

exploring options

linking to action

own perspective

link to theory

colleagues

students

Brookfield Critical Lenses Critical reflection: “... the process by which we research the assumptions informing our own practice by viewing these through four complementary lenses – the lenses of our students’ eyes, colleagues’ perceptions, literature and our own autobiography. [...] Finally, we can review our personal autobiographies as learners so that we can make visceral connections to, and gain a better understanding of, the pleasures and terrors our own students are experiencing.” (Brookfield, 2006, 26)

Action Research Sets • learning in a small group • sharing and supporting

reflection • peer support and challenge • action planning • everybody works on their

own project • regular meetings to

reflect/discuss/challenge and plan further actions

• collaboration as learning/focus is the process of learning

• agree working practices at the outset

Action Learning Cycle source: https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/sites/default/files/id291_action_learning.pdf

Project ideas (action learning set activity)

Individually:

• Brainstorming create a mindmap/use sticky notes to put a plan together

• What is the vision?

• How will you get there?

• How will you know that it has worked? What is your evaluation strategy?

Together:

• Share, discuss and challenge. What are your actions?

post-workshop extensions

• Reflect on what we did and identify how some of it links to your innovation project

• Start putting some thoughts together in your portfolio

• Think about development, implementation and evaluation of your innovation

• What is your plan? • Working closely with your action learning set

over the next few months! Organise regular meetings. Update and invite me to some of them.

Timeline

• March: First action learning set meetings, to discuss innovation projects

• April: Report progress and seek help (development) (tutorial: 16 April, All Saints 105, 1-4pm – David and Helena, academic posters workshop)

• May: Update and share work (implementation) (tutorial: 14 May, All Saints 105, 1-4pm)

• June: Complete evaluation and develop poster (tutorial: 18 June, All Saints 105, 1-4pm)

• 15 July: Present posters at the CELT Conference

Action research sets

• Helena, Najibeh, David

• Kerry, Emma, Susan

• Marcin, Haleh, Olivia, Ellie

Our first little collaborative writing project

We agreed to all write a little something, well 300 words in response to the following statement as contributed by Kerry and agreed by all ;)

Playing with ideas in HE Our contributions will be for the next Creative Academic Magazine and also become open data to write this up

as a paper. Perhaps Kerry, could lead with somebody on this, as it was her idea?

References • Beaty, L. (2003) Action Learning, Continuing Professional Development Series No.

1, York: Learning and Teaching Support Network (LTSN), available at https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/sites/default/files/id291_action_learning.pdf

• Brookfield, S. D. (2006) The Skilful Teacher (2nd edition) San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. • Gibbs, G., 1998. Learning by Doing: A Guide to Teaching and Learning. London:

FEU. • Kolb D A (1984) Experiential Learning, Prentice Hall, New Jersey: Englewood Cliffs. • McGill, I. and Beaty, L. (2001) Action Learning. London: Kogan Page.(3rd ed.) • Nash, R. (2004) Liberating Scholarly Writing. The Power of Personal Narrative, New

York: Teachers College Press. • Schön, D. (1987) Educating the Reflective Practitioner, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. • Vygotsky, L.S. (1978). Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological

Processes. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press

with Chrissi Nerantzi @chrissinerantzi

Creativity for Learning and FLEX artwork by artist Ellie Livermore

https://p2pu.org/en/courses/2615/creativity-for-learning-in-higher-education/

This workshop/course counts towards FLEX, which is a personalised and practice-based CPD programme with formal and informal pathways and enables you to get recognition via the FLEX award for your CPD activities, work towards up to 30 credits of the PgCert/MA in Academic Practice and help in preparation for an application for professional recognition with the HEA. FLEX activities need to have a focus on learning and teaching. To find out more about FLEX and how to submit your claim, please visit FLEX at http://www.celt.mmu.ac.uk/flex/ or on Twitter using the hashtag #flexcpd FLEX lead Chrissi Nerantzi at c.nerantzi@mmu.ac.uk

practice-based CPD