Review a recent study of perceptions of accelerators and barriers to creativity, innovation, and their relationship to adult learning theory and employability for creative arts learners. Exchange and learn with interactive elements; the 30-circle exercise, NU U, and spirited discussion.
Creativity and innovative thinking are at the core of necessary employability boosting soft-skills along with other dominant skills in communication, collaboration and critical thinking. In ground, blended, or online learning scenarios adult learners encounter opportunities to develop creativity and innovation, but often shy away from them in learning settings for various reasons. This session will review a recent study of perceptions of accelerators and barriers to creativity, innovation, and their relationship to adult learning theory and employability for creative arts learners specifically. Then, through interactive elements such as the 30-circle exercise and NU U, participants will explore their own creativity and participate in a discussion exploring ways to address identified barriers to creativity and innovation.
The study was conducted on creative arts (CA)students from an American arts college program. Innovation and creativity are not always inspired in students by course curriculums or instructors. This study identified the following factors of influence on CA students from arts related programs; (1) negative or sparse feedback from peers or instructors; (2) a poor understanding of necessary creative behaviors in general, or the innovation needed for the professional practice within a discipline; (3) a lack of encouragement of creative or innovative behavior throughout the course curriculum or actions of instructor; (4) a limited understanding of the scope of course activities or project; (5) time constraints between assignments or for course length, and; (6) fear of failure or standing out in a negative way within the classroom setting. Another revelation was that the student responses were unilateral, across age, work experience, and discipline when it came to blocked creativity and innovation. Student responses indicated that successful creativity and innovation occurred when the presence of “fun”, “freedom”, and “flexibility” from the requirement contents, instructor influence, and student approach were present. Equally, each student stressed that one of the most quintessential triggers of successful creativity and innovation was freedom within the scope of an assignment to evolve past the original premise of the coursework.
Linkhauer, L. ( 2017); Perceptions Of Creative Arts Students To Accelerators And Barriers To Creativity, Innovation, And Their Relationship To Adult Learning Theory and Employability; A Qualitative Case Study
The 30-Circle exercise:
This exercise, as presented by Kelley and Kelley (2013) with guidance from Stanford Design programs, Bob McKim, is a creative warm-up activity that portrays a view about ideation. Ideation, or the generation of ideas contends with the goals of fluency, which is the quantity and pace of ideas, and flexibility, which is indicated by the ideas which are distinctly different (Kelley & Kelley, 2013). In practice, if there are many ideas to choose from then it can be easier to select the best one. The difference between many ideas from one theme as opposed to many singular ideas is that the variation are really just different versions of the same thought (Kelley & Kelley, 2013). When the frequency and fluency of ideas are both abundant then the creativity and innovation are significant.
Kelley, T., & Kelley, D. (2013). Creative confidence: unleashing the creative potential within us all. United States of America: Crown Business.
NU U : Is an innovation exercise where particpants will identify a small problem that they experience and draw three possible solutions to the problem. Similar to a mind map with the individual at the center. This short exercise speaks to ideation, creativity, and the frequancy and fluency of new and innovative ideas to resolve even small problems. This activity can have some particpants on a white board or digital source as well to share their solutions.