Publications & Presentations

In February 2023, we presented about how and why we can use gamelike learning to increase student engagement.

This case study focuses on the design, development and analysis of three consecutive graduate program prototypes in education entitled Creative Development in Educational Practice, Design Thinking for Innovation and Collaborative Creativity & Design Thinking for Innovation over a seven-year period in the Werklund School of Education at the University of Calgary. The design of these program prototypes was informed by the increasing prominence of competencies in creativity, innovation and collaboration in national, state and provincial educational curricula. Central to prototype design and development is the view that it is an educational imperative to move from a general consumptive-intense educational orientation with the primary educator role focused on transfer of knowledge to an educational culture of collaborative creativity across diverse discipline contexts where educator roles encompass that of designer, facilitator, collaborator and mentor. The design of these programs focused on the creative development of the educator to increase creative and collaborative capacity through progressive application of design thinking in a variety of educational contexts. The case study narratives are in the form of a metalogue describing the design, evolution and analysis of these consecutive program prototypes viewed through the lenses of program designer, program instructors and program participants.

Design the Shift (DTS) is an iterative professional learning series for educators,immersing them as learners with an emphasis on design thinking mindsets. Using DTS as the context, we juxtapose field notes, observations, participant data, andreflection with the Teaching Effectiveness Framework (Friesen, 2009) to understand the impact of design thinking on teacher practice. Implications point towards the complexities in defining our methodology as uniquely design thinking;rather it is a responsive combination of design thinking rooted in creativity and the personalization of learning.

This article explores a radical collaboration between system learning specialists and educators to provoke shifts in practice by redefining curriculum through design.

Unlock the creative power of collaborative teams

Imagine telling your group their next task will be building a life-size model of a humpback whale in the foyer. Would they gaze at you with blank stares, or would their eyes light up as they turn to each other to get busy?

Written by a team of five educators, the Collaborative Creativity Idea Book is designed to grow a culture of collaborative creativity in educational and professional environments. This idea book helps educators venture out from Robert Kelly’s seminal Collaborative Creativity: Educating for Creative Development, Innovation and Entrepreneurship to discover a wealth of practical learning activities educators can start using today.

The Collaborative Creativity Idea Book goes beyond team-building exercises and icebreakers to walk you through five stages to establish a culture of collaborative creativity:

- Getting to Know Each Other: build trust and identify strengths among individuals when they first form a group
- Learning to Listen: enhance group interactivity through the development of deep and active listening, allowing ideas to multiply
- The Design Process: prepare as a group to tackle larger-scale initiatives that move into real-world contexts
- Growing the Collaborative Culture of Creativity: establish sophisticated group norms to take on creative-design initiatives of greater complexity
- Collaborative Creativity for Real-World Audiences: tap into the creative power of the group to engage in real-world problems for real-world audiences

Whether as a support for the Collaborative Creativity textbook or as a standalone resource, the Collaborative Creativity Idea Book for Educators empowers groups to exponentially increase their creative potential to accomplish amazing results.

This chapter identifies four elements of design thinking that can be used to enable students as designers in ways that can centre learning on problems of real concern and reach beyond the walls of the classroom. In the design thinking class-room, student designers can become co-creators of their own curriculum, practicing essential mindsets for creativity to flourish.

This paper explores the considerations in designing professional learning for teachers for the purpose of supporting student creativity. A study of relevant literature informed the design of a professional learning series for teachers in a large urban school board, revealing similarities between creativity, maker education, design thinking, and effective professional learning. Observations indicated that teachers engaged in processes that could support student creativity.