The document discusses creativity and defines its key elements. It states that creativity involves imaginative thinking or behavior directed toward an original purpose or objective that is valuable. It notes that creative people take risks to produce new things. The learning objectives are to understand the elements of creativity and recognize that creative individuals from all fields take risks. Learners will know they are successful if they can reflect on their own creativity and recognize it in different situations.

2. Learning Objectives:
• To understand the key elements of creative activity.
• To know that creative people from all disciplines take risks.
We are learning this because:
• Being able to be creative is a skill that employers look for and the top
people in every field have a creative edge.
• You have to take risks to produce anything new.
• You need to be creative to progress.
We will know if we have been successful if:
• We can effectively reflect on whether we are being creative in our work.
• We can recognise creativity in a number of different situations.

3. Creative people are not
reliable, systematic or rational

10. How do we define creativity?
The characteristics of
creativity always involve
thinking or behaving
imaginatively.
Second, overall this
imaginative activity is
purposeful: that is, it is
directed to achieving an
objective.
Third, these processes
must generate
something original.
Fourth, the outcome
must be of value in
relation to the objective.

11. Imagination and purpose
• Imagination is definitely a key part of creativity. But are all
imaginative ideas creative?
• Suppose someone imagined a blue and white striped unicorn.
Would this be creative? It may be that no one has conjured up
a unicorn like this before. But what is the point of the idea? If
someone thinks of an imaginative idea like this and then does
not take it any further, are they creative?
• Creative people are purposeful as well as imaginative. Their
imaginative activity is directed at achieving an objective
(although this objective may change over time).

12. Originality
• What do we mean by originality? What does originality mean
when you talk about your learning? Original in relation to your
previous work? Other students' work? Work that has gained
public recognition?
• When you are writing a poem, choreographing a dance or
producing a painting, your work can be unique if it expresses
your ideas and feelings. But what about work in subjects like
science, history and mathematics? While it would be wonderful
for a you to be the first person to discover a new scientific
principle, this is highly unlikely. Does this mean that you can't be
creative in these subjects?
• Not at all. Skilled teachers can help pupils tackle questions, solve
problems and have ideas that are new to them. This makes your
ideas original, the result of genuinely creative behaviour.

13. Value
• Imaginative activity can only be creative if it is of value in
relation to its purpose.
• You must judge the value of what you have done through
critical evaluation. This means asking questions such as, ‘Does
it do the job?’, ‘Is it aesthetically pleasing?’, ‘Is it a valid
solution?’, ‘Is it useful?’
• Sometimes teachers’ and pupils’ views about what is
worthwhile and valuable may differ. Sharing judgements
together can provide useful insight into what other people
value. An act can be highly imaginative and original, but harm
someone or destroy something. Are we happy with this kind
of creativity?

14. Look at the handout in pairs and first guess the names of
the people pictured.
Then try to put them in order from the most creative to the
least creative person and be prepared to give reasons
why.

15. Clockwork radio
iPod
The first phonograph
Which is the most creative
and why?

16. What learning habits, attitudes and skills do you have to have
to be creative?
• Work in groups of 2 or 3 to answer this
question.
• Please group your answers under the
headings of
VALUE, IMAGINATION, ORGINALITY and
PURPOSE.

17. Shell ‘Eureka’ advertisement
Watch this advert and list some of the ways in
which the engineer is thinking creatively.