EDHD 231: Inside 21st Century Creativity: How Creative Ideas, Concepts, & Products are Generated

EDHD 231: Inside 21st Century Creativity: How Creative Ideas, Concepts, & Products are Generated     Professor: Kevin Dunbar, Benjamin 3304K, (301) ...
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EDHD 231: Inside 21st Century Creativity: How Creative Ideas, Concepts, & Products are Generated  

  Professor: Kevin Dunbar, Benjamin 3304K, (301) 405-7233 [email protected] Office hours Thur 9:00-10:30 or by appointment Graduate Assistant: TBA  

 

         

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e are born into a world of limitless possibility: Art, music, literature, scientific discoveries, dance, sports, and politics. Furthermore, the human species is capable of causing great destruction in endlessly creative ways. What underlies these vastly different aspects of the creative mind? In a highly interactive and inter-disciplinary manner we will examine the nature of the creative mind from multiple perspectives. We will consider the psychological, social, sociological, developmental, cultural, educational, genetic and neural based roots of creativity. More specifically, we will address the following questions: Course objectives. EDHD231 students will demonstrate: 1. An understanding of both the nature and breadth of creativity. The focus will be on the underlying mechanisms of the creative process; 2. An understanding of both the history of creativity research and how this relates to theories of cognitive, social and cultural dimensions of creativity as well as the ways that creativity has been measured; 3. Understanding of the roles of biological processes in creative thought, including brain based mechanisms that influence creativity and genetic and neurochemical factors influencing creativity; 4. Understanding of the different forms that creativity takes in different domains, such as the visual arts, performing arts, and different sciences; 5. Understanding of the concept of “malevolent creativity,” where creativity is used to do harm. How to prevent this from happening also taps a different form of creative imagination; 6. Understanding of ways in which creativity can be enhanced: Educational, pharmaceutical, health & social factors. Course Structure Two classes per week, involving lectures, class discussions, demonstrations, and in-class activities. Lecture slides will also be posted on Canvas after each class. Class starts promptly at 11am. Be on time.

Course Requirements Group Presentation - MSGE Each week (two groups of 3 students, 3 per group) will present together one of the basic themes of the readings for the week, in creative ways, through sketches, quizzes, talks, debates, competitions, etc. These are the

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“Tuesday Creative Explosion.” The goal is to present the information in the readings in an engaging and intelligent manner. Be creative!! This is your chance to fulfill a course requirement in a creative, but intellectually rigorous way. The goal is to not only present the readings but engage the entire class in an active exploration of a theme for the week. You can be critical, or complimentary, you can suggest elements that need to be changed. We, the GA and I, will meet with your group in the week prior to the presentation to help you plan your presentation. No Powerpoint, Keynote, Prezzi, or similar presentation tools are allowed. They are creativity killers! Presentations will begin on week 4. Your group will present twice. Each person will give two group presentations. We will assign you to your groups.

Bi-Weekly Reflection Papers & Creativity Hunts Each week in which your group is not presenting, you will submit (through Canvas) a two page (double-spaced, 1 inch margins) reflection paper in which you reflect upon and react to the issues in the readings for that week. You do not write a reflection paper if you are presenting that week. In your reflection paper you will focus on the overarching themes of the readings for the week. A guide on how to write the reflection papers and how they will be graded will be given in the first week of classes. Now this may maybe confusing, we will alternate handing in of a reflection paper with a creativity hunt. Every second week, you will be asked to find a creative work (e.g., art, video, music, vine, instagram and the like) and analyze this work in light of the week’s readings. Specifically, in half a page (20 lines), explain why you consider this work to be creative, citing one of the week’s readings. Be sure to provide a link to the work in your response. You will post your response in the discussion section of Canvas. This response will be due before class each Tuesday class. Late papers or creativity hunts will be docked 2 points and will be eligible to receive, at most, an 8/10. Papers and hunts will not be accepted 5 days after the original assignment is due (i.e., if the assignment is due Tuesday, then Sunday is the last possible day it will be accepted).

Final Examination Essay – MSGE The final examination in this course is an essay that will be about a key topic in creativity that has been covered in the course and/or is relevant to the course. The topic you choose should be taken from the online Encyclopedia of Creativity. Once you have picked a topic you must have it approved by Sophie Jablansky before writing it. All Essay topics and a 4 sentence summary of what will be in your essay must be submitted through Canvas by April 1. The essay should be submitted in either MLA or APA format. Writing style and the structure of your arguments will be graded. There should be a cover page (with your name, email address, on it as well as the title of your essay), and references with 10 to 15 references. The cover page will not be included in the page count. The essay must be submitted via Canvas no later than the last class. You will receive a zero on this final examination assignment unless you can provide a medical note from a healthcare provider stipulating the dates upon which you were sick and why this illness prevented you from submitting the final exam on time. Remember that computers eat files, so always keep a backup copy of the essay. If you have never written an essay in MLA or APA format there are many guides on the web and at the library. One great place to find either of these referencing styles is OWL at Purdue University (https://owl.english.purdue.edu). REFERENCES FROM WIKIPEDIA, DICTIONARY.COM, ANY NON PEER-REVIEWED JOURNAL, OR INTERNET SITE WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

 

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Evaluation (1) Group Presentation (25%). The group will be graded on the content, creativity, clarity and persuasiveness of the presentation. MSGE (3) Final Examination Essay (20%). MSGE (4) Reflection Papers/Creativity Hunt (40%). (5) In Class Participation (15%). This will be a combination of speaking in class and participation in the class discussion board on Canvas.  

Readings – NO TEXTBOOK Readings for this course are all posted on Canvas and are an integral part of the course. A full list of the readings is included in the course schedule at the end of this syllabus. Each class will have assigned group leaders of 6students who will lead a discussion of the readings for that week. Additional readings may be posted.

  Class Policies Academic Integrity: The University of Maryland, College Park has a student-administered Honor Code and Honor Pledge. For more information on the Code of Academic Integrity or the Student Honor Council, please visit http://www.studenthonorcouncil.umd.edu/whatis.html. This Code sets standards for academic integrity at Maryland for all undergraduate and graduate students. As a student you are responsible for upholding these standards for this course. It is very important for you to be aware of the consequences of cheating, fabrication, facilitation, and plagiarism. The code prohibits students from cheating, fabrication, facilitating academic dishonesty, and plagiarism. Instances of this include submitting someone else’s work as your own, submitting your own work completed for another class without permission, or failing to properly cite information other than your own (found in journals, books, online, or otherwise). Any form of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated, and any sign of academic dishonesty will be reported to the appropriate University officials.

Special needs: If you have a registered disability that will require accommodation, please see the instructor so necessary arrangements can be made. If you have a disability and have not yet registered with the University, please contact Disability Support Services in the Shoemaker Building (301.314.7682, or 301.405.7683 TTD) as soon as possible.

Religious observances: The University of Maryland policy on religious observances states that students not be penalized in any way for participation in religious observances. Students shall be allowed, whenever possible, to make up academic assignments that are missed due to such absences. However, the must contact the instructor before the absence with a written notification of the projected absence, and arrangements will be made for make-up work or examinations.

Course evaluations: As a member of our academic community, students have a number of important responsibilities. One of these responsibilities is to submit course evaluations each term though CourseEvalUM in order to help faculty and administrators improve teaching and learning at Maryland. All information submitted to CourseEvalUM is confidential. Campus will notify you when CourseEvalUM is open for you to complete your evaluations for fall semester courses. Please go directly to the website (www.courseevalum.umd.edu) to complete your evaluations. By completing all of your evaluations each semester, you will have the privilege of accessing online, at Testudo, the evaluation reports for the thousands of courses for which 70% or more students submitted their evaluations.

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Missed single class due to illness: Once during a semester, a student’s self-authored note will be accepted as an excuse for missing a minor scheduled grading event in a single class session if the note documents the date of the illness, acknowledgement from the student that information provided in the note is correct, and a statement that the student understands that providing false information is a violation of the Code of Student Conduct. Students are expected to attempt to inform the instructor of the illness prior to the date of the missed class.*

Major scheduled grading events: Major Scheduled Grading Events (MSGE) are indicated on the syllabus. The conditions for accepting a self-signed note do not apply to these events. Written, signed documentation by a health care professional, or other professional in the case of non-medical reasons (see below) of a University-approved excuse for the student’s absence must be supplied. This documentation must include verification of treatment dates and the time period for which the student was unable to meet course requirements. Providers should not include diagnostic information. Without this documentation, opportunities to make up missed assignments or assessments will not be provided.

Non-consecutive, medically necessitated absences from multiple class sessions: Students who throughout the semester miss multiple, non-consecutive class sessions due to medical problems must provide written documentation from a health care professional that their attendance on those days was prohibited for medical reasons. Non-medical excused absences: According to University policy, non-medical excused absences for missed assignments or assessments may include illness of a dependent, religious observance, involvement in University activities at the request of University officials, or circumstances that are beyond the control of the student. Students asking for excused absence for any of those reasons must also supply appropriate written documentation of the cause and make every attempt to inform the instructor prior to the date of the missed class.

EDHD 231 Detailed Course Schedule Dates, Topics, and Readings

Week 1, January 27, 29: Introduction to Creativity Lehrer, J. (2012). Introduction to Imagine: How Creativity works. Pages i-xx. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. New York. NY. January 29 No Class

Week 2, Feb 3, 5:

Understanding Creativity

Runco, M. A., & Albert, R.S., (2010). Creativity Research: A Historical View. In the Cambridge Handbook of Creativity J.C. Kaufman, & R. J., Sternberg (Eds). Weisberg, R. E. (2010) The study of creativity: from genius to cognitive science. International Journal of Cultural Policy, 16, 235–253

 

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Week 3, Feb 10, 12: Genius, Madness and Creativity Silvia, P. & Kaufman, J. (2010). Creativity and Mental illness. In the Cambridge Handbook of Creativity J.C. Kaufman, & R. J., Sternberg (Eds). The Cambridge Handbook of Creativity pp. 381-394. Becker, G. (2001). The Association of Creativity and Psychopathology: Its Cultural-Historical Origins. Creativity Research Journal, 13, 45-53. Reflection Paper Due 2/11/15 Group 1 & 2 Presents

Week 4, Feb 17, 19: Development of Creativity. Roland, C. (2006). Young in Art: A developmental look at Child Art. www.artjunction.org Russ, S. W., & Fiorelli, J. A. (2010). Developmental Approaches to Creativity. In the Cambridge Handbook of Creativity J.C. Kaufman, & R. J., Sternberg (Eds). The Cambridge Handbook of Creativity. 233-250. Creativity Hunt Discussion Post Due 2/18/15 Group 3 & 4 Presents

Week 5, Feb 24, 26: Creative People: Measuring Creativity Torrance, E. P. (1988). The nature of Creativity as manifest in its testing. In Sternberg, R.S., ed. The Nature of Creativity. Cambridge University Press. Sawyer, K (2012). Defining Creativity Through Assessment. Chapter 3 of Sawyer. K., Explaining Creativity. Oxford University Press, New York: NY. Pages 37-62. Reflection Paper Due 2/25/15 Group 4 &5 Presents

Week 6, March 3, 5: Creative Places A Debate Pro & Anti Creative City Malanga, S. (2004). The Curse of the Creative Class. City Journal. http://www.city-journal.org/html/14_1_the_curse.html Florida, R. The Creative Class Paradigm (2011.) In D.E. Anderson, & C. Mellander Eds. (2011) Handbook of Creative Cities. Edward Elgar NY, NYC. Pages 56-71. Creativity Hunt Discussion Post Due 3/4/15 Group 6 & 7 Presents

Week 7, March 10, 12: Creativity & Cultures: East & West Nisbett, R. (2007). The Geography of Thought. Chapter 3. The social origins of Mind. The Free Press, New York, NY. pp29-47 Reflection Paper Due 3/11/15 Group 8 & 9 Presents

SPRING BREAK: March 15-22

Week 8, March 24, 26: Creativity in Arts & Science Same or different? Sawyer, K. (2012). Chapter 18 (Music), Chapter 19 (Theater), & Chapter 20 (Science). In Sawyer. K., Explaining Creativity. Oxford University Press, New York: NY. Pp 337-388. Creativity Hunt Discussion Post Due 3/25/15 Group 10 & 1a Presents

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Week 9, March 31, April 2: Creativity & Gender Runco, M. A., Cramond, B., & Pagnani (2010). Gender and Creativity. Chapter 17 of Handbook of Gender Research in Psychology, J.C. Chrisler, D.R. McCreary (eds.). Pp 343-357. Baer, J. & Kaufman, B. (2006). Gender differences in Creativity. Journal of Creative Behavior, 42, 75-105. Reflection Paper Due 4/1/15 Group 2a & 3a Presents

Week 10, April 7, 9: The Neuroscience of Creativity Lehrer, J. (2012). Bob Dylan’s Brain. Chapter 1 of Imagine, By Jonah Lehrer. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, New York, NY. Lindell, A.K., & ,Kidd, E. (2011). Why Right-Brain Teaching is Half-Witted: A Critique of the Misapplication of Neuroscience to Education. Mind, Brain, & Education, 5, 121-127. Creativity Hunt Discussion Post Due 4/8/15 Group 4a & 5a Presents

Week 11, April 14, 16: Breaking Bad: Malevolent Creativity Gill, P., Horgan, J., Hunter, S.T., & Cushenberry, L. D. (2013). Malevolent Creativity in Terrorist Organizations (2013). The Journal of Creative Behavior, 47, 125–151. Reflection Paper Due 4/15/15 Group 6a & 7a present

Week 12 April 21 & April 23 Creativity in the age of Social Media From Dronestagram to whats app, Line, buzzfed and whatever is trending!! Readings TBA__________ Group 8a&9a Presents

Week 15, April 28 April 30: Crowdsourcing Creativity (Another 21st century creativity phenomenon) Howe, J. (2006.) The Rise of Crowdsourcing, Wired, 15 (6), http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/15.06/crowds.html Reflection Paper Due 4/29/15 Group 10a presents

Week 15, May 5, May 7: Pulling it all together --Mechanisms of Creativity Boden, M. (2004). Maps of the Mind. Chapter 4 of The Creative Mind: Myths and Mechanisms. 2nd Edition. Routledge New York, NY. 54-87. Creativity Hunt Discussion Post Due 5/6/15

Last Class May 12. A surprise….

And Creativity really is…...

Reflection Paper Due 5/13/15

Additional readings may be assigned to particular weeks

 

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EDHD231 Spring 2015 Reflection Paper/Creativity Hunt Criteria Presentation Paper- 2 pgs. double-spaced 1. Summarization- 3 pts. • Explain what you’ve read in the one or two readings for that week i. What are the main points addressed? ii. What are the underlying questions or assumptions made about creativity? iii. What lasting questions did the authors have? 2. Assessment- 3 pts. • How well, in your opinion, did the authors address the issue? • Was it logical? • What is your own view on this topic? • Justify your position. 3. Drawing Connections- 4 pts. • Discuss an idea not mentioned in the reading that you feel is relevant to the topic • How is it related? • Discuss possible consequences or implications of the research discussed in the readings

  Creativity  Hunt-­‐  ½  page  double-­‐spaced         1. Find Media- 3 pts. • Locate a piece of relevant media (video, song, instagram, etc) • Provide a link to this media 2. Connection to Readings- 3 pts. • Draw a link between this piece of media and the readings o In what ways does this media exemplify, or demonstrate, what you’ve read? 3. Opinion- 4 pts. • What is your opinion on the way in which the readings and the media depict creativity? Do they agree with one another? • What are the consequences or implications for creativity, based on the readings and the media you found?

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EDHD231 Spring 2015 Presentation Criteria 1. Content- 30 pts. • Discuss ideas from the readings • Discuss possible implications for this research or the way in which creativity is explored • Ask new questions about creativity 2. Demonstration- 40 pts. • Engage your audience • Express your own opinion on the way in which creativity is discussed (i.e., Do you agree with the way it is talked about? Why or why not? How would you think about it differently?) • Persuasiveness—try to convince the class of your opinion • Support your argument 3. Originality- 30 pts. • Be creative in how you present your ideas (i.e., create a quiz, use different types of media, create a skit, etc) • Go beyond the readings in making links with outside readings/articles/ideas

 

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