Using a Faculty Learning Community to Enhance Creativity in Teaching and Learning

1. Using a Faculty Learning Community to Enhance Creativity in Teaching and Learning Practical Strategies and Successful Outcomes Sara Anne Hook, M.L.S., M.B.A., J.D. Professor of Informatics, Director of Legal Informatics and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Undergraduate Studies Indiana University School of Informatics, IUPUI

2. My Faculty Learning Community (FLC) “Journey” • 2003-2004 Member, Faculty Learning Community on Problem-Based Learning (PBL) • 2004-2005 Facilitator, Faculty Learning Community on Creativity • 2005-2007 Member, Community of Practice – Critical Thinking • Under Anderson’s taxonomy, creativity is one of the facets of critical thinking • Anderson’s taxonomy will likely be adopted in IUPUI’s definition of critical thinking, one of the Principles of Undergraduate Learning (PULs)

3. FLC - Creativity • One of several new Faculty Learning Communities formed for the 2004-2005 academic year • Wide range of faculty appointments – full, associate, assistant, lecturer, etc. • Disciplines/schools: informatics, art history, visual communication, geography, physical education, social work, adult education, architectural technology and business • Members chosen by facilitator through competitive application process

4. Membership in FLC - Creativity • Sara Anne Hook, Professor, Informatics, facilitator • Stephanie Dickey, Associate Professor, Herron • Christopher Vice, Assistant Professor, Herron • Kathy Lay, Assistant Professor, Social Work • Laura Lucas, Lecturer, Engineering & Technology • Henry Merrill, Associate Professor, Continuing Studies • Mark Urtel, Assistant Professor, Physical Education • Owen Dwyer, Assistant Professor, Liberal Arts • Melinda Phillabaum, Lecturer, Business

5. Major Goals • Engaged in looking at the broad spectrum of what constitutes “creativity” • Each FLC member provided with $500 to spend on his or her own professional development (books, conference registration, travel, software, etc.) • How faculty can encourage and embrace creativity: • in our own teaching • In student learning • throughout the institution

6. In August 2004 • Joined other FLC groups for campus on a full-day retreat at elegant facility • Reviewed resource notebook provided by campus • Reviewed policies for Faculty Learning Communities • Discussed group and individual goals and expectations for the coming year • Designed a logo for our FLC • Set up a site on the course management system • Set our agenda and meeting dates for the semester

8. First Step: A Thorough Literature Review • FLC members compiled an extensive bibliography of sources – both print and electronic • This bibliography represents many disciplines, including music and the performing arts, visual arts, business, psychology and education • Please send me an email message at sahook@iupui.edu if you would like a copy of the bibliography. • One of the best books we found is a book by Arthur J. Cropley, Creativity in Education & Learning: A Guide for Teachers and Educators. London: Kogan Page, 2001.

9. Other FLC Activities: VARK • Explored the VARK as tool to assess learning styles • V is for visual • A is for aural • R is for reading/writing • K is for kinesthetic • Faculty members may find it helpful to use VARK to be sure that they appeal to all four learning styles • The majority of students are strongest in visual – yet many courses are based on aural or reading/writing • VARK is free through its web site.

10. Other Tools for Assessing Creativity • True Colors – using a colors of red, blue, yellow and green to provide a career advice as well as communication styles, preferred systems and procedures, dealing with authority and teamwork and competitiveness • Kolb Learning Styles –abstract conceptualization (learning by thinking), active experimentation (learning by doing), concrete experience (learning by feeling), reflective observation (learning by reflection, watching and listening). Divided into four types – diverger, assimilator, converger or accommodator.

11. Other Tools for Assessing Creativity • Teaching Styles Inventory – Anthony F. Grasha: scored for facilitator, personal model, formal authority, expert or delegator • CREAX Creativity Self-Assessment • Available at www.creax.com • Creativity index compares you to the typical population and rates you on persistence, abstraction, connection, perspective, curiosity, boldness, paradox and complexity

12. Other FLC Activities • All FLC members took the expanded Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, Step II • Results were interpreted by a trained facilitator • Description of sixteen types, their frequency in the population, the frequency in the teaching profession and preferred learning styles • For example, those with an “SJ” are described as “responsible learners” who want tot be told what they should be learning and to be provided with a structure for doing so – established classroom routine, clear goals, step-by-step instructions, concrete resources readily available and one assignment at a time

13. How I Spent My $500 • Each FLC member given $500 to spend on his or her own professional development, including purchase of hardware or software, books and journals, travel and conferences • Used my $500 for • MBTI analysis • Short courses on Dreamweaver, Illustrator, Fireworks and ImageReady software - Macromedia software certificate • Part of costs of online course on bioinformatics tools and techniques through Stanford University • Workshop on perspective drawing

14. Final Project • Poster at the IUPUI campus E.C. Moore Symposium • Preparation of a poster gave faculty a chance to be creative in the presentation of the material • Resulted in the creation of a visual display – but also included handouts and an opportunity for FLC members to talk with Moore Symposium attendees • Important to promote creativity as important throughout the campus – and to obtain campus support for creative efforts of faculty, staff and students as well as an atmosphere that encourages risk-taking in teaching and learning

15. Conclusions • FLC – Creativity members were overwhelmingly positive about impact of FLC participation on their teaching • Members of this FLC were motivated to participate in the FLC, to find ways to encourage creativity in their teaching and in student learning and to interact with other faculty • There were really no struggles, failures or challenges throughout the year – other than time! • There was a considerable amount of goodwill and good humor among members of this FLC • We looked forward to spending the time together

16. Conclusions • Key successes were that everyone reported ways that they were more creative in terms of their own teaching and how this translated into encouraging students to be more creative. • We became alert to “creativity” as the new buzzword in the business community. • We also discussed what it means to be “creative”, how to develop rubrics to assess creativity and how to encourage students to take risks and to combat fear of failure. • We reflected on how the educational system does great damage to the natural creativity of children and now higher education has to find ways to re-capture this.

17. Other FLC Outcomes - Personal • Gave a presentation “Thinking Outside the Box: Enhancing Creativity in Teaching and Learning” at The Third International Conference on the Book in September 2005 in Oxford, England • Now a faculty member in school with enormous pool of creative talent in many fields • Conquered my fear of drawing and the “you have no talent” messages I was given by educational system - currently a part-time student at the Herron School of Art & Design • Continue to be fascinated by the creative process – how we can infuse creativity in our teaching and encourage and assess creative activity in our students

18. Lessons Learned – A Successful FLC Experience • I was passionate about the FLC topic of Creativity already (magazines to donate) • Made a careful selection of FLC members based on their applications – looked for members who really wanted to participate, not just in it for the $500 or item on vita • Selected diverse group of FLC members from many disciplines, schools and types of faculty appointments • “Team building” experience of retreat • Goodwill and motivation from outset • Set a schedule of meetings – every 3-4 weeks is best – helped to maintain momentum – 2 hour meetings • Lots of communication from me as facilitator

19. Lessons Learned – A Successful FLC Experience • Set a list of goals and activities at the beginning of the year • Everyone contributed something • Friday afternoons – designated as “our time” • Set a tone of trust, respect and freedom to debate • Actual “hands-on” activities for ourselves, such as the MBTI analysis and other tools for evaluating creativity • One of the most refreshing aspects of the FLC was its multi-disciplinary nature • Incentive of $500 – but feedback showed that this was not as important – would participate even without this

20. Lessons Learned – A Successful FLC Experience • Final Report to campus • Poster at E.C. Moore Symposium • Everyone contributed something • Put the poster together as a group • Handouts, visual aids • Cereal box assignment – social work • Satisfying to have a final group project – an accomplishment of our work and the opportunity to share it with the academic community • Also opportunity for recognition from campus

21. FLC Concept - Now Communities of Practice • CoP – for each of the Principles of Undergraduate Learning • Cop – Critical Thinking • Multi-disciplinary • Definition of “critical thinking” • Presentation at Associate Faculty conference • Research project • Rubrics for assessing critical thinking • Maintains important opportunity for faculty to share and exchange ideas about teaching • Group award rather than individuals awards

22. Final Thoughts • FLC – an excellent experience – appropriate for faculty at all levels and in all disciplines • Expenses can be kept very low - not about the money anyway • Only real “expense” is a faculty member’s time • “If you build it, they will come!” • Select interesting themes for FLC groups • Application process and retreat are key elements • Careful selection of facilitators – so much is up to them • Make it meaningful– goals, schedule, activities and final project

23. Thank you! • Any questions? • Email address: sahook@iupui.edu • PowerPoint slides available at: • http://www.iupui.edu/~facinfo/associatedean/other.html • Under Sara’s Materials