Creativity Creative Thinking & Creative Problem-solving

1. CreativityCreative Thinking & Creative Problem-solving 2 Models of Creative Problem Solving plus The Incubation Model of Teaching: 13 Additional Creative “Qualities”

2. 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

3. 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

4. 2-Factor Model • Novelty: Unique, distinct, “original” responses to environment, experience, circumstances • Usefulness: Serves a purpose; responds to perceived need; solves identified problem/s

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

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

15. The Incubation Model of Teaching:13 Qualities • Elaboration • Add details • Develop a plan • Implement/sell a solution

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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

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

21. 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)

22. 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”

23. 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

24. 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

25. 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

26. 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