Creativity is an integral part of any academic and educational activities. It is fundamental to all disciplines. If we consider innovation as putting forward new ideas, creativity is the main cognitive tool for this process.
‘Creative thinking is defined as the thinking that enables students to apply their imagination to generating ideas, questions and hypotheses, experimenting with alternatives and to evaluating their own and their peers’ ideas, final products and processes.’ Kampylis and Berki (2014, p. 6)
Creativity in education concentrates on providing environment and opportunities for learners and enabling them to generate new and innovative ideas in their academic activities. Coventry University provides brilliant environment in which new ideas can be tested and students have opportunities to develop their creativity skills. Simulation activities in the new Health and Life Sciences building - HLS faculty and Faculty on the Factory ground idea in the EEC faculty are showcasing innovative environments in which learners could flourish and develop their creativity skills. Every course has space to encourage creativity within the classroom and beyond formal learning environments. Figure below presents some of the main elements of creativity in education. Thinking about these elements will help you to embed creativity into design of learning and lesson planning. This in turn, provides opportunity for learners to enhance and develop their creativity skills.
