This one day event was at postgraduate researchers and research staff who are curious to find out the answers to the following questions and explore more about creativity and how it can be nurtured.
- Where do original ideas come from ? How is research progressed ?
- Can I become more creative in my research ?
- Is there a creative method that can be learned ?
This one day workshop explored creativity in the context of doing research. It was an opportunity to acquire and practice the use of ‘tools and techniques'that nurture our innate creative skills. It was an opportunity to reflect on and further develop the behaviour that leads to a more creative approach in all aspects of research activity.
‘I've realised there are a number of methods of encouraging creative thinking if you get stuck.’
The course covered the following topics:
The nature of Creativity: What is it ? Where is it needed (and where is it not indicated) in doing research ? How does it differ from critical thinking ? How research progresses.
Barriers to Creativity and how to overcome them: Risk, stress versus strain, the role of emotion, adaption versus innovation.
A framework for Creative Problem Solving: Better brainstorming (individually or in groups), How to shape a research challenge, three different ways to find ideas to progress your research.
The workshop took a ‘learning by doing' approach. It was a mix of presentation, describing the research that underpins the ideas being discussed, and active small-team participation for experience in using the creative tools and techniques.
We are not running any Creativity in research events this year. However, If you would like us to run this event in the future, please let us know by emailing courses@vitae.ac.uk