# data[].attributes.headline
When you fart in your tute and nobody notices

# data[].attributes.subject
When you fart in your tute and nobody notices

# data[].attributes.headline
When Monash tries to scam you for more money.

# data[].attributes.subject
When Monash tries to scam you for more money.

# data[].attributes.headline
When you're late to the lecture and the lecturer points you out in front of everyone.

# data[].attributes.subject
When you're late to the lecture and the lecturer points you out in front of everyone.

# data[].attributes.headline
is there a like button for these things? like seriously, the rogue one deserves them likes

# data[].attributes.subject
is there a like button for these things? like seriously, the rogue one deserves them likes

# data[].attributes.headline
When the Star Wars meme bandit refuses to reveal themselves and someone else tries to claim ownership of their dank memes

# data[].attributes.subject
When the Star Wars meme bandit refuses to reveal themselves and someone else tries to claim ownership of their dank memes

# data[].attributes.headline
When you get automatic two day extensions for assignments in Arts but Education tutors won't budge

# data[].attributes.subject
When you get automatic two day extensions for assignments in Arts but Education tutors won't budge

# data[].attributes.headline
When you messed up the first assignment and leave class bc there's no hope for you

# data[].attributes.subject
When you messed up the first assignment and leave class bc there's no hope for you

# data[].attributes.headline
When you're about to start Assignment 2 but your self-esteem is completely shook.

# data[].attributes.subject
When you're about to start Assignment 2 but your self-esteem is completely shook.

# data[].attributes.headline
When you're confident the blog post assignment for EDF3009 went well but you got a credit and no feedback from your tutor.

# data[].attributes.subject
When you're confident the blog post assignment for EDF3009 went well but you got a credit and no feedback from your tutor.

# data[].attributes.headline
When you're physically and emotionally run down from ife but your EDF3010 tutorial is next

# data[].attributes.subject
When you're physically and emotionally run down from ife but your EDF3010 tutorial is next

# data[].attributes.headline
When your usual tutor is away and you get a cool temp for EDF3010.

# data[].attributes.subject
When your usual tutor is away and you get a cool temp for EDF3010.

# data[].attributes.headline
When you think your EDF3010 tute will cover a new topic but instead recaps last week's one.

# data[].attributes.subject
When you think your EDF3010 tute will cover a new topic but instead recaps last week's one.

# data[].attributes.body
and a very sneaky one at that

# data[].attributes.body
"Did you ever hear the Tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise? I thought not. It's not a story the Jedi would tell you. It's a Sith legend. Darth Plagueis was a Dark Lord of the Sith so powerful and so wise, he could use the Force to influence the midi-chlorians to create...life. He had such a knowledge of the Dark Side, he could even keep the ones he cared about...from dying. He became so powerful, the only thing he was afraid of was losing his power...which, eventually of course, he did. Unfortunately, he taught his apprentice everything he knew. Then his apprentice killed him in his sleep. Ironic. He could save others from death...but not himself"

# data[].attributes.body
One of the most persistent myths circulating within western societies is that creative thought and innovation are restricted to geniuses (such as inventors and artists) working in isolation.1 This perspective has endured partly because of the ways that creative thought has been conceptualized over time. From pre-history to the medieval era, creativity was regarded as supernatural – a process of external inspiration given voice through the work of the genius.2 By the late 1700s, scientific inquiry began to distinguish between “talent” and “creative processes.” As systematic research increased over the 20th century, scholars distinguished between Big-C and little-c creative thinking. Big-C creativity is mainly manifested by an elite few who have significantly changed fields of inquiry or societies whereas little-c creativity is thought to reside in the everyday thought processes that characterize all human populations.3 In short, “we may not all be creative geniuses, but we all have the potential to be creative.”4

This paper outlines contemporary conceptions of creative thinking and innovation. In addition, it examines the varied ways in which researchers have probed these, the key components that have been identified and the nature of developmental stages across the lifespan. The paper closes with a brief discussion of implications for schooling.

Conceptualizing Creative Thinking and Innovation

In recent years, researchers have defined creative thinking as generating ideas that are “novel, appropriate, and of high quality.”5 Notably, creativity is not synonymous with originality. An idea may be new to a specific person within a specific context without being original within greater society. Creativity is further distinguished from mere novelty in that it must be appropriate to the context in which it is generated. For example, if a student writes a story when assigned to do a painting, the story – though novel – would fail the test of appropriateness. Researchers have also noted that creative processes are highly contextual.6 Therefore it is impossible to define precisely what constitutes “high quality.” Suffice it to say that one’s creative idea must be of value as judged within the context in which it is generated. Creative thought is also considered to be a continuum that spans from ideas that significantly transform an entire field or society (Big-C) to the multitude of creative thought processes that all individuals undergo in everyday life (little-c).7

Innovation, on the other hand, is the implementation of a novel idea into practice often on a larger social scale, such as the marketplace.8 As such, innovation and creative thought are interrelated. Indeed, innovation consists of both creative thought and imagination, but is seldom considered within the domain of school-aged students. This is due to the deep levels of understanding required for innovators to be able to move beyond the accepted norms of their given fields of work or study.9

Research on Creative Thought

The first wave of inquiry prompting modern conceptions of creativity was launched in 1950 with J. Paul Guilford’s proposed “structure of intellect.” Guilford argued that models of intelligence had placed too much emphasis on “convergent” thinking, which is the marshaling of information to arrive at one correct answer. He

proposed that thinking was also “divergent,” expanding on existing knowledge in interesting and unforeseen ways.10 Since that time, creativity – and in particular divergent thinking – has been probed by researchers working from multiple disciplinary perspectives including psychology, education, history, the arts, sociology, anthropology, and business). Approaches have been predominantly “psychometric” (to measure and define creativity); “experimental” (to measure outcomes from creativity-promoting interventions); “historiometric” (to create biographies and case studies of Big-C creators/ innovators); and “biometric” (to measure cerebral activity).

In recent years, scholars have acknowledged that creative thought is context specific. This has raised the question as to whether creativity is also culture specific.11 Researchers working in culturally diverse contexts around the globe have determined that although there are culture-specific manifestations of creative thought, there also appear to be components that may be universal.12

Key components of Creative Thought

The components of creative thought identified by researchers include:

making connections; envisaging what might be; exploring/playing with new

ideas; reflecting critically on ideas, actions, and outcomes, questioning and

challenging; building on subject area and interdisciplinary knowledge; risk-taking

valuing creativity; imagining; demonstrating curiosity,13

tolerating complexity,14

open-mindedness15

thinking divergently16

demonstrating willingness to disagree often characterized by questioning and

challenging17

making unusual connections as illustrated, for example, by metaphors and/or

analogies18

Developmental Phases

Researchers have identified three phases in the development of creative thinking. The pre-conventional phase is experienced by children up to ages six to eight. This phase is characterized by spontaneity and concrete visual displays. The conventional phase pertains children aged nine to 12 and is characterized by a diminishment of creative thought that researchers as early as the 1960s dubbed the “grade 4 slump.”19 At first, it was hypothesized that the slump might result from overly-conservative learning experiences. Nevertheless, international studies have revealed a universality to the slump prompting researchers to attribute it to children’s increasing awareness of and response to societal conventions due to maturation.20 Children at this phase tend to be “more sensitive to conventions. They tend to react to peer pressure more than any other time; their art becomes highly representational and realistic; and they stick to the rules in their games rather than making them up as they go along.”21 In addition, during this phase, students find it difficult to work with non-literal language such as idioms and metaphors.

Most children recoup their creative inclinations during what is termed the post- conventional phase, which encompasses children aged 12 to adulthood. “Here they are aware of conventions but choose in a mindful way, for themselves, which conventions

One of the most persistent myths circulating within western societies is that creative thought and innovation are restricted to geniuses (such as inventors and artists) working in isolation.1 This perspective has endured partly because of the ways that creative thought has been conceptualized over time. From pre-history to the medieval era, creativity was regarded as supernatural – a process of external inspiration given voice through the work of the genius.2 By the late 1700s, scientific inquiry began to distinguish between “talent” and “creative processes.” As systematic research increased over the 20th century, scholars distinguished between Big-C and little-c creative thinking. Big-C creativity is mainly manifested by an elite few who have significantly changed fields of inquiry or societies whereas little-c creativity is thought to reside in the everyday thought processes that characterize all human populations.3 In short, “we may not all be creative geniuses, but we all have the potential to be creative.”4

This paper outlines contemporary conceptions of creative thinking and innovation. In addition, it examines the varied ways in which researchers have probed these, the key components that have been identified and the nature of developmental stages across the lifespan. The paper closes with a brief discussion of implications for schooling.

Conceptualizing Creative Thinking and Innovation

In recent years, researchers have defined creative thinking as generating ideas that are “novel, appropriate, and of high quality.”5 Notably, creativity is not synonymous with originality. An idea may be new to a specific person within a specific context without being original within greater society. Creativity is further distinguished from mere novelty in that it must be appropriate to the context in which it is generated. For example, if a student writes a story when assigned to do a painting, the story – though novel – would fail the test of appropriateness. Researchers have also noted that creative processes are highly contextual.6 Therefore it is impossible to define precisely what constitutes “high quality.” Suffice it to say that one’s creative idea must be of value as judged within the context in which it is generated. Creative thought is also considered to be a continuum that spans from ideas that significantly transform an entire field or society (Big-C) to the multitude of creative thought processes that all individuals undergo in everyday life (little-c).7

Innovation, on the other hand, is the implementation of a novel idea into practice often on a larger social scale, such as the marketplace.8 As such, innovation and creative thought are interrelated. Indeed, innovation consists of both creative thought and imagination, but is seldom considered within the domain of school-aged students. This is due to the deep levels of understanding required for innovators to be able to move beyond the accepted norms of their given fields of work or study.9

Research on Creative Thought

The first wave of inquiry prompting modern conceptions of creativity was launched in 1950 with J. Paul Guilford’s proposed “structure of intellect.” Guilford argued that models of intelligence had placed too much emphasis on “convergent” thinking, which is the marshaling of information to arrive at one correct answer. He

proposed that thinking was also “divergent,” expanding on existing knowledge in interesting and unforeseen ways.10 Since that time, creativity – and in particular divergent thinking – has been probed by researchers working from multiple disciplinary perspectives including psychology, education, history, the arts, sociology, anthropology, and business). Approaches have been predominantly “psychometric” (to measure and define creativity); “experimental” (to measure outcomes from creativity-promoting interventions); “historiometric” (to create biographies and case studies of Big-C creators/ innovators); and “biometric” (to measure cerebral activity).

In recent years, scholars have acknowledged that creative thought is context specific. This has raised the question as to whether creativity is also culture specific.11 Researchers working in culturally diverse contexts around the globe have determined that although there are culture-specific manifestations of creative thought, there also appear to be components that may be universal.12

Key components of Creative Thought

The components of creative thought identified by researchers include:

making connections; envisaging what might be; exploring/playing with new

ideas; reflecting critically on ideas, actions, and outcomes, questioning and

challenging; building on subject area and interdisciplinary knowledge; risk-taking

valuing creativity; imagining; demonstrating curiosity,13

tolerating complexity,14

open-mindedness15

thinking divergently16

demonstrating willingness to disagree often characterized by questioning and

challenging17

making unusual connections as illustrated, for example, by metaphors and/or

analogies18

Developmental Phases

Researchers have identified three phases in the development of creative thinking. The pre-conventional phase is experienced by children up to ages six to eight. This phase is characterized by spontaneity and concrete visual displays. The conventional phase pertains children aged nine to 12 and is characterized by a diminishment of creative thought that researchers as early as the 1960s dubbed the “grade 4 slump.”19 At first, it was hypothesized that the slump might result from overly-conservative learning experiences. Nevertheless, international studies have revealed a universality to the slump prompting researchers to attribute it to children’s increasing awareness of and response to societal conventions due to maturation.20 Children at this phase tend to be “more sensitive to conventions. They tend to react to peer pressure more than any other time; their art becomes highly representational and realistic; and they stick to the rules in their games rather than making them up as they go along.”21 In addition, during this phase, students find it difficult to work with non-literal language such as idioms and metaphors.

Most children recoup their creative inclinations during what is termed the post- conventional phase, which encompasses children aged 12 to adulthood. “Here they are aware of conventions but choose in a mindful way, for themselves, which conventions

One of the most persistent myths circulating within western societies is that creative thought and innovation are restricted to geniuses (such as inventors and artists) working in isolation.1 This perspective has endured partly because of the ways that creative thought has been conceptualized over time. From pre-history to the medieval era, creativity was regarded as supernatural – a process of external inspiration given voice through the work of the genius.2 By the late 1700s, scientific inquiry began to distinguish between “talent” and “creative processes.” As systematic research increased over the 20th century, scholars distinguished between Big-C and little-c creative thinking. Big-C creativity is mainly manifested by an elite few who have significantly changed fields of inquiry or societies whereas little-c creativity is thought to reside in the everyday thought processes that characterize all human populations.3 In short, “we may not all be creative geniuses, but we all have the potential to be creative.”4

This paper outlines contemporary conceptions of creative thinking and innovation. In addition, it examines the varied ways in which researchers have probed these, the key components that have been identified and the nature of developmental stages across the lifespan. The paper closes with a brief discussion of implications for schooling.

Conceptualizing Creative Thinking and Innovation

In recent years, researchers have defined creative thinking as generating ideas that are “novel, appropriate, and of high quality.”5 Notably, creativity is not synonymous with originality. An idea may be new to a specific person within a specific context without being original within greater society. Creativity is further distinguished from mere novelty in that it must be appropriate to the context in which it is generated. For example, if a student writes a story when assigned to do a painting, the story – though novel – would fail the test of appropriateness. Researchers have also noted that creative processes are highly contextual.6 Therefore it is impossible to define precisely what constitutes “high quality.” Suffice it to say that one’s creative idea must be of value as judged within the context in which it is generated. Creative thought is also considered to be a continuum that spans from ideas that significantly transform an entire field or society (Big-C) to the multitude of creative thought processes that all individuals undergo in everyday life (little-c).7

Innovation, on the other hand, is the implementation of a novel idea into practice often on a larger social scale, such as the marketplace.8 As such, innovation and creative thought are interrelated. Indeed, innovation consists of both creative thought and imagination, but is seldom considered within the domain of school-aged students. This is due to the deep levels of understanding required for innovators to be able to move beyond the accepted norms of their given fields of work or study.9

Research on Creative Thought

The first wave of inquiry prompting modern conceptions of creativity was launched in 1950 with J. Paul Guilford’s proposed “structure of intellect.” Guilford argued that models of intelligence had placed too much emphasis on “convergent” thinking, which is the marshaling of information to arrive at one correct answer. He

proposed that thinking was also “divergent,” expanding on existing knowledge in interesting and unforeseen ways.10 Since that time, creativity – and in particular divergent thinking – has been probed by researchers working from multiple disciplinary perspectives including psychology, education, history, the arts, sociology, anthropology, and business). Approaches have been predominantly “psychometric” (to measure and define creativity); “experimental” (to measure outcomes from creativity-promoting interventions); “historiometric” (to create biographies and case studies of Big-C creators/ innovators); and “biometric” (to measure cerebral activity).

In recent years, scholars have acknowledged that creative thought is context specific. This has raised the question as to whether creativity is also culture specific.11 Researchers working in culturally diverse contexts around the globe have determined that although there are culture-specific manifestations of creative thought, there also appear to be components that may be universal.12

Key components of Creative Thought

The components of creative thought identified by researchers include:

making connections; envisaging what might be; exploring/playing with new

ideas; reflecting critically on ideas, actions, and outcomes, questioning and

challenging; building on subject area and interdisciplinary knowledge; risk-taking

valuing creativity; imagining; demonstrating curiosity,13

tolerating complexity,14

open-mindedness15

thinking divergently16

demonstrating willingness to disagree often characterized by questioning and

challenging17

making unusual connections as illustrated, for example, by metaphors and/or

analogies18

Developmental Phases

Researchers have identified three phases in the development of creative thinking. The pre-conventional phase is experienced by children up to ages six to eight. This phase is characterized by spontaneity and concrete visual displays. The conventional phase pertains children aged nine to 12 and is characterized by a diminishment of creative thought that researchers as early as the 1960s dubbed the “grade 4 slump.”19 At first, it was hypothesized that the slump might result from overly-conservative learning experiences. Nevertheless, international studies have revealed a universality to the slump prompting researchers to attribute it to children’s increasing awareness of and response to societal conventions due to maturation.20 Children at this phase tend to be “more sensitive to conventions. They tend to react to peer pressure more than any other time; their art becomes highly representational and realistic; and they stick to the rules in their games rather than making them up as they go along.”21 In addition, during this phase, students find it difficult to work with non-literal language such as idioms and metaphors.

Most children recoup their creative inclinations during what is termed the post- conventional phase, which encompasses children aged 12 to adulthood. “Here they are aware of conventions but choose in a mindful way, for themselves, which conventions

3

# data[].attributes.body
There's other stuff online instead of padlet that can be used in the classroom. Maybe interactive quizzes to conclude lessons and assess what students have gained from the class.

# data[].attributes.headline
Could be used to get an idea of students' prior knowledge of a topic at the beginning of the unit, but it runs the risk of teachers not knowing the strengths/weaknesses of individual students as it is anonymous.

# data[].attributes.subject
Could be used to get an idea of students' prior knowledge of a topic at the beginning of the unit, but it runs the risk of teachers not knowing the strengths/weaknesses of individual students as it is anonymous.

# data[].attributes.body
I'd use something like padlet to get a sense of what students already know about a topic before beginning a module

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creating new and improved ways to tackle an issue

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creating new and improved ways to tackle an issue

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Innovation is padlet

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Solving problems by thinking outside the usual way of doing things

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New solutions for existing problems

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Interesting

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New ideas that are developed to  tackle a particular challenge in society

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Coming up with a new way to do something

# data[].attributes.headline
Using creativity to do certain tasks/activities in different ways to experiment and improve situations

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Using creativity to do certain tasks/activities in different ways to experiment and improve situations

# data[].attributes.headline
Coming up with new ideas in response to challenges 

# data[].attributes.subject
Coming up with new ideas in response to challenges 