UCU 112 common unit PDF

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KENYATTA UNIVERSITYDIGITAL SCHOOL OF VIRTUAL AND OPEN LEARNINGIN COLLABORATION WITHSCHOOL OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCESDEPARTMENT OF PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGIOUS STUDIESCREATIVITY AND INNOVATIONWRITTEN BY: Dr. Kibaba Makokha Dr. Jacob Magero Dr. Josephat Oyigo Mr. John NziokaVETTED BY: Dr NamwambahI...

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KENYATTA UNIVERSITY DIGITAL SCHOOL OF VIRTUAL AND OPEN LEARNING IN COLLABORATION WITH SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES DEPARTMENT OF PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES

CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION

WRITTEN BY:

Dr. Kibaba Makokha Dr. Jacob Magero Dr. Josephat Oyigo Mr. John Nzioka

VETTED BY:

Dr.Thomas Namwambah

INTRODUCTION Welcome to this interactive instructional module that uses both action and collaborative learning styles that provide you with diverse online learning experiences and effective learning processes. This module introduces you to the basic concepts, principles and issues in creativity and innovation. The module begins with clarification of the concepts, nature and scope of creativity. This enables you to clearly see and appreciate the distinction between creativity and innovation and the importance of both skills in the 21st century. Building on that foundation, we proceed to discuss creative thinking techniques and skills that are required to develop creativity and innovation as deliberate and purposeful endeavors. The module further examines types of creative thinking to help you further understand the scope of creativity and appreciate that creativity is achieved through a process of learning and education. The module then delves into the models of creative thinking, the obstacles to creativity and innovation and provides useful suggestions of how these obstacles can be surmounted. After clarifying the foundational concepts and principles in creativity and innovation, the remaining part of the module concentrates on application of creativity and innovation in diverse aspects of life. In lesson six we look at the process of creativity as a deliberate and purposeful activity that emerges from analytic reasoning not merely spontaneously and assess its practical implications in everyday life. The module also investigates the role of nature and nurture in creativity and innovation. This helps you to clarify and correct the misconception that being creative and innovative is an inborn talent only available in the lucky few. Building on the understanding we proceed to explore the role that an education that is truly quality can play in nurturing the creative and innovative potential of the learners. In the same breath, we also clarify the view that creativity and innovation are truly human endeavors present in both men and women. We however acknowledge that there are variations in men and women expression of creativity and innovation. The module then explores the role of creativity and innovation in advancement of professions, research, academic pursuits, leadership and development. Finally the module concludes with a section on ethical issues in creativity and innovation. This provides a framework within which we can assess creativity and innovation from the perspective of what is good, desirable and worthwhile for society.

We hope that you will find this module exciting, educative, and engaging. We also hope that it provokes your mind so that you can relentlessly pursue and actualize your creative and innovative potential for individual fulfilment as well as societal development.

Table of Contents INTRODUCTION (YOUR EXPECTATIONS, EXPERIENCES, YOUR GOALS)...................8 OVERVIEW OF THE COURSE....................................................................................................9 Week 0: Introduction (Your Expectations, Experiences, Your Goals)..........................................9 Week 1: Definitions and nature of creativity and innovation........................................................9 Week 2: Creative thinking Techniques and Skills..........................................................................9 Week 3: Types of Creative thinking...............................................................................................9 Week 4: Models of creative thinking............................................................................................10 Week 6: The creative process and its practical application.........................................................10 Week 7: Nature and nurture in creativity and innovation...........................................................11 Week 8: The role of quality education in development of creativity and innovation................11 Week 9: Gender issues in creativity and innovation....................................................................11 Week 10: Creativity and innovation in professions, research and academic disciplines...........11 Week 11: Creativity and innovation in leadership and development.........................................12 Week 12: Ethical issues in creativity and innovation...................................................................12 Week 13 &14 End of semester examinations................................................................................12 MODULE LEARNING OUTCOMES..........................................................................................12 COURSE DESCRIPTION.............................................................................................................13 COURSE REQUIREMENTS........................................................................................................13 LESSON 1: DEFINITIONS AND NATURE OF CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION............15 1.1

Introduction............................................................................................................................15

1.2

Lesson Learning Outcomes.....................................................................................................15

1.3 Assessment Questions..............................................................................................................20 1.4

References..............................................................................................................................21

LESSON 2: CREATIVE THINKING TECHNIQUES AND SKILLS......................................22 2.1

Introduction............................................................................................................................22

2.2

Lesson Learning Outcomes....................................................................................................22

2.3

Assessment Question..............................................................................................................26

2.4 References..............................................................................................................................26 LESSON 3: TYPES OF CREATIVE THINKING.......................................................................27 3.1 Introduction............................................................................................................................27 3.2

Lesson learning outcomes.......................................................................................................27

3.3

Assessment Questions............................................................................................................30

3.4

References..............................................................................................................................30

LESSON 4: MODELS OF CREATIVE THINKING.................................................................31 4.1 Introduction...............................................................................................................................31 4.2 Lesson Learning Outcomes........................................................................................................31 4.3 Assessment Questions...............................................................................................................34 4.4 References.................................................................................................................................35 LESSON 5: OBSTACLES TO CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION AND STRATEGIES TO SURMOUNT THEM......................................................................................................................36 5.1 Introduction...............................................................................................................................36 5.2 Lesson Learning Outcomes........................................................................................................36 5.3 Assessment Questions..............................................................................................................39 5.4 References.................................................................................................................................39 LESSON 6: THE CREATIVE PROCESS AND ITS APPLICATION.......................................41 6.1 Introduction..............................................................................................................................41 6.2 Lesson Learning Outcomes........................................................................................................41 6.3 Assessment Questions...............................................................................................................44 6.4 References.................................................................................................................................45 LESSON 7: NATURE AND NURTURE IN CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION...................46 7.1 Introduction...............................................................................................................................46 7.2 Lesson Learning Outcomes........................................................................................................46

7.3 Assessment Questions...............................................................................................................49 7.4 References.................................................................................................................................50 LESSON 8: THE ROLE OF QUALITY EDUCATION IN DEVELOPMENT OF CREATIVITY AND IINNOVATION.....................................................................................................................52 8.1 Introduction...............................................................................................................................52 8.2 Lesson Learning Outcomes........................................................................................................52 8.3 Assessment Questions...............................................................................................................57 8.4 References................................................................................................................................57 LESSON 9: GENDER ISSUES IN CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION..................................59 9.1 Introduction............................................................................................................................59 9 .2 Lesson Learning Outcomes.......................................................................................................59 9.3

Assessment Questions............................................................................................................65

9.4 References..............................................................................................................................66 LESSON 10: CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION IN PROFESSIONS, ACADEMIC DISCIPLINES, AND RESEARCH...............................................................................................67 10.1 Introduction.............................................................................................................................67 10.2 Lesson Learning Outcomes......................................................................................................67 10.3 Assessment Questions............................................................................................................72 10.4 References.............................................................................................................................73 LESSON 11: CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION IN LEADERSHIP AND DEVELOPMENT74 11.1 Introduction.............................................................................................................................74 11.2 Lesson Learning Outcomes......................................................................................................74 11.3 Assessment Questions.............................................................................................................77 11.4 References...............................................................................................................................78 LESSON 12: ETHICAL ISSUES IN CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION...............................80 12.1 Introduction............................................................................................................................80

12.2 Lesson Learning Outcomes.....................................................................................................80 12.3 Assessment Questions............................................................................................................85 12.4 References..............................................................................................................................86 ANSWERS TO LESSON ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS............................................................86

CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION FLOW CHART

WEEK

TOPIC

WEEK 0:

INTRODUCTION (YOUR EXPECTATIONS, EXPERIENCES, YOUR GOALS)

WEEK 1:

DEFINITIONS AND NATURE OF CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION

WEEK 2:

CREATIVE THINKING TECHNIQUES AND SKILLS

WEEK 3:

TYPES OF CREATIVE THINKING

WEEK 4:

MODELS OF CREATIVE THINKING

WEEK 5:

OBSTACLES TO CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION AND STRATEGIES TO SURMOUNT THEM

WEEK 6:

THE CREATIVE PROCESS AND ITS PRACTICAL APPLICATION

WEEK 7:

NATURE AND NURTURE IN CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION

WEEK 8:

THE ROLE OF QUALITY EDUCATION IN DEVELOPMENT OF CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION

WEEK 9:

GENDER ISSUES IN CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION

WEEK 10:

CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION IN PROFESSIONS,RESEARCH AND ACADEMIC DISCIPLINES

WEEK 11:

CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION IN LEADERSHIP AND DEVELOPMENT

WEEK 12:

ETHICAL ISSUES IN CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION

WEEK 13 &14:

EXAMINATIONS

OVERVIEW OF THE COURSE Week 0: Introduction (Your Expectations, Experiences, Your Goals) This lesson is intended to familiarize you to the blended learning approach. You will be required to introduce yourself to your lecturer and colleagues either physically during a face to face session or even online before other academic interactions start. This will be at the discretion of your lecturer. It will be important to also state your expectations, relevant experience as well as your goals as you embark on this course. Week 1: Definitions and nature of creativity and innovation In this lesson, we are going to lay the basis for the entire course by clarifying the concepts and nature of creativity and innovation. It is imperative for us to note that creativity and innovation have been recognized as important skills for the 21 st century. This is because advancement of human societies has largely been driven by creativity and innovation.

Week 2: Creative thinking Techniques and Skills In the last lesson we defined and examined the concepts of creativity and innovation. Building on this objective, the current lesson intends to enhance your understanding of creativity and innovation by delving a little deeper into the identification and explanation of the necessary techniques and skills required of a creative thinker. A creative thinker does not just think impulsively, rather, s/he uses particular techniques and skills of thinking in a specific manner in order to draw maximum benefit from the thinking process.

Week 3: Types of Creative thinking In this lesson we introduce you to types of creative thinking. Thinking is a rational process of considering and reasoning about something. Whereas every person is endowed with the capacity to think, not all human beings are capable of thinking creatively. This is so because thinking creatively is an art that requires learning through time. The creative thinking process is not unilateral but multilateral. Though the goal of creative thinking is to come up with new, much

valuable and improved processes, products or ideas, how various individuals arrive at these differs from one to the other.

Week 4: Models of creative thinking In this lesson we introduce you to the models of creative thinking developed to explain the creative process. It is worthy of note however, that creativity does not have to be viewed necessarily in rigid sequential terms or steps as implied in a model. Creativity in Arts does not, for instance, always seem to be constrained within a model. Creative thinking is also viewed as a largely integrated line of thinking that escapes the straight-jacket and segmentation implied by a model.

Week 5: Obstacles to creativity and innovation and strategies to surmount them In this lesson we examine the obstacles or barriers to creativity and innovation. Creativity and innovation are directed and purposeful engagements that calls for complex higher-thinking and mental activity. This is notwithstanding the fact that creativity and innovation may happen against the background of sub-conscious mental processes and uncontrollable events, mystery, a somewhat magical process. The obstacles are therefore some of the things or ways that imped the mental process, and the activities that are requisite for the emergence of novel ideas, insights, and innovations. In the lesson we also suggest how these barriers may be surmounted. Week 6: The creative process and its practical application In this lesson we focus our discussion on the creative process and its application. Although there are no rote prescriptions and creativity and innovation may happen by chance and as a result of uncontrollable events, random factors, mystery and sub-conscious thoughts, it is important to note that creativity and innovation are founded on conscious, deliberate, purposeful preparation characterized by directed analytical thinking, studying, verification, and judgment. In this lesson we focus on this process and asses its practical application.

Week 7: Nature and nurture in creativity and innovation In this lesson, we investigate the various roles played by a person’s genetics or natural composition, personality as well as their cognitive ability in shaping their creativity and innovative capability. Further, we will interrogate the influence of nurture, which includes factors such as culture, upbringing and environment on formation of the creative and innovative mind. Week 8: The role of quality education in development of creativity and innovation In this lesson we introduce you to the role of education in the development of creativity and innovation. The success of an education systems in achieving its goals is largely determined by its ability to nurture creativity and innovativeness in the learner to enable them to transform theory into practice. This lesson investigates the features the right education ought to have in order to develop these important skills which are invaluable in addressing the needs and challenges of the twenty first century. Week 9: Gender issues in creativity and innovation In this lesson we introduce you to gender issues in creativity and innovation. Creativity and innovation have become a subject of great interest in the fast changing ...