EDN 553 Creativity Creative Thinking Creative Problemsolving 2

EDN 553 Creativity, Creative Thinking & Creative Problem-solving 2 Models of Creative Problem Solving plus The Incubation Model of Teaching: 13 Additional Creative “Qualities”

Creativity is not: The domain of a few individuals – Not known to be linked to specific factors or traits § Exclusive of many individuals – Shared by all, varies by many factors § Exclusively “world-altering” – Personal vs Cultural creativity § Importance of distinguishing between these 2 § Need to develop Personal to achieve Cultural

Creativity is: § Universal – All people have this capacity, as with intelligence § Continuous – Varies by degree, type, as with intelligence § In Potential (subject to “training”) – Identifiable via types of “performances” – Performance competencies can be developed

2 -Factor Model § Novelty: Unique, distinct, “original” responses to environment, experience, circumstances § Usefulness: Serves a purpose; responds to perceived need; solves identified problem/s

4 Factor Model § Fluency: – Frequency of response; actual total number of responses to a stimulus § Flexibility: – Frequency of categories of responses; actual total number of types of responses § Originality: – Statistical infrequency of response for a given individual in a given group at a given time § Elaboration: – Development of responses – Completion of ideas – Integration across ideas – “Marketing” ideas/alternatives

Application of Models § Working in your group, do the following: § Identify a situation in a curriculum (content to be taught/learned) in which you could apply these models § Briefly describe the instructional situation: – Who, what, when, why, how long, what’s expected… § Plan/state an activity that would develop each step of the 4 factor model

The Incubation Model of Teaching: Getting Beyond the Aha! E. P. Torrance & H. T. Safter (1990) § § § What is the “aha”? Moments of “insight” “intuition” “revelation” Moments of “wholeness” or “oneness” uniting with everything § Rational vs Supra-rational view of Creativity § Non-linear sequence/-ing of creative events

The Incubation Model of Teaching § Creative “indicators” beyond the “big 4” factors: 13 additional “qualities” – Highlighting the essence (abstract titles) – Keeping open (resist premature closure) – Emotional awareness – Putting ideas into context – Combining & synthesizing – Visualize richly, colorfully – Using fantasy – Using movement & sound – Unusual visual perspective/s – Internal visualizations – Extending/breaking through boundaries – Using humor – Getting glimpses of infinity

The Incubation Model of Teaching: 3 Additional Issues § Problem-finding – Pervasive impediment: Assuming the problem is known, therefore, focus on finding the solution § Producing Alternatives – At all levels of problem-solving, increased fluency supports the processes; the more alternatives, the greater the probability of creative solution/s § Originality: Acceptance of being “different” – Adequate time – Play with ambiguity/uncertainty – Heightened awareness of importance – Make legitimate

The Incubation Model: Information Processing Strategies for Creative Teaching & Learning § Stage 1: Heightening Anticipation § Stage 2: Deepening Expectations § Stage 3: Keeping it Going

The Incubation Model: Creative Teaching & Learning § Stage 1: Heightening Anticipation (see p. 9) – Create desire to know – Heighten anticipation/expectation – Get attention – Arouse curiosity – Tickle imagination – Give purpose/meaning

The Incubation Model: Creative Teaching & Learning § Stage 2: Deepening Expectations (see p. 10) – Digging deeper – Looking twice – Listening for smells – Crossing out mistakes – Cutting holes so see through – Cutting corners – Getting in deep water – Getting out of locked doors

The Incubation Model: Creative Teaching & Learning § Stage 3: Keeping it Going (see pp. 11 -12) – Having a ball – Singing in one’s own key – Building sand castles – Plugging in the sun – Shaking hands with tomorrow

The Incubation Model of Teaching: 13 Qualities § Highlighting the essence – Retaining sense of importance – Staying focused – Discriminate relevant from irrelevant information

The Incubation Model of Teaching: 13 Qualities § Elaboration – Add details – Develop a plan – Implement/sell a solution

The Incubation Model of Teaching: 13 Qualities § Keep Open – Resistance to premature closure – Need for & use of time – Practice with ideas in variety of circumstances w/o time constraints

The Incubation Model of Teaching: 13 Qualities § Emotional Awareness – Acknowledge role/significance of affective experience/s – Adds to, not replaces, rational-cognitive experience/s – Personal insight/s

The Incubation Model of Teaching: 13 Qualities § Putting Ideas into Context – Meaningful synthesis of ideas & experiences – Personal, individual – Abstract analysis/synthesis: § Part-part relationships § Part-whole relationships § Generalizations across concepts

The Incubation Model of Teaching: 13 Qualities § Combine & Synthesize – Combine types & modes of information acquisition, processing & retrieval – “Brain laterality”: Right- vs Left-brained § Visualize Richly & Colorfully – Alternative perceptions

The Incubation Model of Teaching: 13 Qualities § Using Fantasy – Future possibilities – Varying point-of-view – Feeling comfortable with the “unknown” – Unconstrained by “reality”

The Incubation Model of Teaching: 13 Qualities § Using Movement & Sound – Experience via multiple modalities deepens concept learning – Kinesthetic & auditory experiences: Natural modalities for children (& experienced adults)

The Incubation Model of Teaching: 13 Qualities § Unusual Visual Perspectives – Ability to “see in different ways” heightens experiences of innovation & inventiveness § Internal Visualizations – “Seeing the insides” of objects, events, people, experiences can lead to new, deeper insights; seeing “multiple perspectives”

The Incubation Model of Teaching: 13 Qualities § Extending/breaking through Boundaries – Confronting the “what’s given” limitation/bias – Recognizing that new possibilities always exist – Acknowledging the potential for & ambiguity of the “incomplete” idea, object, etc, & continuing problem-solving work

The Incubation Model of Teaching: 13 Qualities § Using & Enjoying Humor – Integrates or synthesizes physiological, psychological & social processes – Accepting/understanding perceptual, conceptual incongruities – Recognizing unusual, unexpected combinations, surprises

The Incubation Model of Teaching: 13 Qualities § Glimpses of Infinity – Open-ended environment – Positive focus on the future – Actively engaging one’s self as part of perceived future for ideas to transcend the present – Developing anticipation for an open-ended, multi -possibility future

The Incubation Model of Teaching § Creative “indicators” beyond the “big 4” factors: 13 additional “qualities” – Highlighting the essence (abstract titles) – Keeping open (resist premature closure) – Emotional awareness – Putting ideas into context – Combining & synthesizing – Visualize richly, colorfully – Using fantasy – Using movement & sound – Unusual visual perspective/s – Internal visualizations – Extending/breaking through boundaries – Using humor – Getting glimpses of infinity