Creativity
Keywords |
Classification |
Keyword |
OFICIAL |
Economics |
OFICIAL |
Engineering |
Instance: 2015/2016 - 1S
Cycles of Study/Courses
Acronym |
No. of Students |
Study Plan |
Curricular Years |
Credits UCN |
Credits ECTS |
Contact hours |
Total Time |
MESG |
26 |
Syllabus since 2007/08 |
1 |
- |
6 |
42 |
162 |
Teaching language
Portuguese
Objectives
- Identification of cognitive abilities and behaviour that enable the development of innovative proposals.
- Understanding of mechanisms and the different phases of the creative process.
- Conscious and flexible utilization of systematic heuristic tools: techniques for problem exploration, methods for idea generation and evaluation techniques.
- Development and of Idea Communication skills and achievement of competences to choose the communicative and persuasive to tools.
- Active participation in a creative group.
Learning outcomes and competences
At the end of the learning process students will be able to:
Identify different models for a creative process;
Identify cognitive and methodological foundations of a creative process; Apply divergent and convergent thinking in data collection, in the idea generation and in the development of solutions; Understand and use abductive reasoning to solve problems.
Apply methods and techniques within small group projects;
Managing tasks and distribute them within a teamwork;
Generate ideas, concepts, solutions and arguments individually and / or collaboratively for the several proposed exercises;
Managing time throughout the process and within the used tools ;
Accept responsibility and divergence within the teamwork;
Present elaborated ideas visual and orally to an audience;
Reflect critically on the implementation of the tried methods.
Working method
Presencial
Program
1 - Creativity. A conceptual defining of creativity in relation to the person, the product, the process and the
environment. The importance of a creativity attitude and its role in the development of a creative culture as well as in
the development towards becoming more creative as individuals.
2 - The creative process and basic skills. Contemporary and historical theories of creativity. Nurture vs nature in
relation to creativity. Personality traits and how they can affect creativity on an individual level. Cognitive style:
innovators and adaptors. Creative flow. Elements needed to achieve creative flow.
3 - Key words, tools and techniques. Design thinking: Exploration, Ideation Reflection and Implementation. Divergent and convergent thinking.
4 - Creativity in Organisations. Inspiring case studies. Human Centered design. Elements that can actively and passively affect the creative mode in Organizations.
6 - Deliver, communicate and demonstrate an innovation. Deliver, communicate an idea. Exploration Ideation and Communication skills.
Mandatory literature
ed James C. Kaufman, Robert J. Sternberg;
The Cambridge handbook of creativity. ISBN: 978-0-521 (Robert Sternberg (Coord.); )
Complementary Bibliography
Mark A. Runco, Steven R. Pritzker ; Encyclopaedia of Creativity, Academic Press, 1999
Roberto Verganti;
Design-driven innovation. ISBN: 978-1-4221-2482-6
Roger Martin;
The design of business. ISBN: 978-1-4221-7780-8
Tom Kelley;
The art of innovation. ISBN: 0-385-49984-1
Kees Dorst; Frame Innovation, knew Thinking by Design, MIT Press, 2015. ISBN: 978-0-262-32431-1
Teaching methods and learning activities
This curriculum unit will privilege two methodologies Experiential and Cooperative learning. The experiential learning will promote acquiring knowledge through reflection on doing. With a cooperative learning methodology the classroom activities will promote social and team learning experiences. Both methodologies will involve the exploration and application of experience-based techniques for problem solving in teamwork that simulate an innovation process within organizations. However the UC also has expositive moments where theoretical concepts will be explained and exemplified and tackle the practical exercises building bridges between the abstract reflection and a practical approach.
Evaluation Type
Distributed evaluation without final exam
Assessment Components
Designation |
Weight (%) |
Participação presencial |
10,00 |
Trabalho de campo |
50,00 |
Trabalho escrito |
40,00 |
Total: |
100,00 |
Calculation formula of final grade
1. Individual assessments with reflexions on concepts and tools worked in the classes [50%].
2. Presentation and discussion of a group work ‘a real challenge’, with the relative weight of [40%].
3. Interest, commitment, quality and regularity of personal attendance [10%].