TECHCOMM 7022OL - Creativity and Innovation

Online - Quadmester 2 - 2014

Individual and group creativity; barriers to creativity and approaches for overcoming these; methods for generating or recognising ideas; alternatives or possibilities to solve commercial or operational problems; turning creativity into innovation that benefits the customer and the business venture; bringing creativity and innovation into the organisation and building an environment to support these activities; creative scenarios for the future for the organisation.

  • General Course Information
    Course Details
    Course Code TECHCOMM 7022OL
    Course Creativity and Innovation
    Coordinating Unit Entrepreneurship, Commercialisation & Innov Centre
    Term Quadmester 2
    Level Postgraduate Coursework
    Location/s Online
    Units 3
    Course Description Individual and group creativity; barriers to creativity and approaches for overcoming these; methods for generating or recognising ideas; alternatives or possibilities to solve commercial or operational problems; turning creativity into innovation that benefits the customer and the business venture; bringing creativity and innovation into the organisation and building an environment to support these activities; creative scenarios for the future for the organisation.
    Course Staff

    Course Coordinator: Dr Allan O'Connor

    Name: Gerard Reed

    Short Bio:
    Gerard Reed completed a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of New South Wales where he studied Theatre, History, Politics, Film, and Religion. Gerard holds a Master of Arts degree from the University of the Arts, London where he further developed his interest in the history and production of independent film and documentary. Gerard also completed a Master of Entrepreneurship degree at ECIC and is co-founder of a digital and screen production company. He is currently completing his PhD at the ECIC with a particular focus on screen business.

    Email: gerard.reed@adelaide.edu.au

    Phone: +61 8 8313 7422
    Course Timetable

    The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

    Monday 14 April to Sunday 22 June 2014
  • Learning Outcomes
    Course Learning Outcomes
    1 Understand the nature of creativity and innovation
    2 Explore, develop and demonstrate their creativity
    3 Identify ways of eliminating barriers to creativity
    4 Identify ways to turn creativity into insights, ideas, opportunities and action
    5 Understand how to bring creativity and innovation into an organisation
    6 Understand how to manage creativity and innovation in an organisational context
    University Graduate Attributes

    This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

    University Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s)
    Knowledge and understanding of the content and techniques of a chosen discipline at advanced levels that are internationally recognised. 1,2
    The ability to locate, analyse, evaluate and synthesise information from a wide variety of sources in a planned and timely manner. 1,5,6
    An ability to apply effective, creative and innovative solutions, both independently and cooperatively, to current and future problems. 1,2,4
    Skills of a high order in interpersonal understanding, teamwork and communication. 1,3,5
    A commitment to continuous learning and the capacity to maintain intellectual curiosity throughout life. 4
    A commitment to the highest standards of professional endeavour and the ability to take a leadership role in the community. 1,5,6
    An awareness of ethical, social and cultural issues within a global context and their importance in the exercise of professional skills and responsibilities. 1
  • Learning Resources
    Required Resources
    Zander, Rosamund Stone and Benjamin Zander (2000), The Art of Possibility, Boston: Harvard Business School Press.

    Lightman, Alan (hardcover 1993, Paperback 2004) Einstein’s Dreams.

    Senor, Dan and Saul Singer (2009), Startup Nation: The Story of Israel’s Economic Miracle, available in several formats
     
  • Learning & Teaching Activities
    Learning & Teaching Modes
    This course is offered in online mode.
    Workload

    The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

    As a guide, a 3 unit course comprises a total of 156 hours.
    Learning Activities Summary
    Please refer to weeks 1-10 in the navigation menu
    Specific Course Requirements
    Creativity:
    A recent survey by the American Management Association asked 500 CEOs to answer the following question: “What must one do to survive in the 21st century?” The top answers across the board were “practice creativity and innovation.” The first building block of this course is creativity and a major objective of this course is to “feed our own creativity.” We will examine the nature of creativity, ways to get in touch with our own creativity, and ways of eliminating barriers that prevent us from being creative.

    We are embarking on a journey together to try to answer those questions. This course is designed to open participants to the creativity within themselves so that each participant’s business life can be a “work of art.” This is not a marketing course, a course on managing creative organizations (such as an advertising agency), nor even a course on creative problem solving. It is also not group therapy. Rather, it involves shared introspection. Be prepared to look inside yourself and to pay attention to your innate personal creativity. This course will require dedication to the task.

    Each of us will explore and develop our own creativity through experience and observation from the other participants, Practices or Live-With’s and other assignments, a journal, a series of very short papers and blog postings, electronic interaction with course convener and a driving sense of purpose. (Examples of the Live-With’s include: “have no expectations;” and “ask crazy questions.” We will discuss this more in week one of the course.)

    Innovation:
    The second building block of this course is innovation. In the colloquial sense, innovation can be thought of as applied creativity or invention. How do we turn our creativity into action? How do we bring creativity and innovation into businesses? How do we extend personal creativity to societal creativity? How do we make the world a better place?

    The answers to these difficult questions link with the ability to develop a vision of the future. As such, we will explore several concepts associated with scenarios, e.g., what are they, how can they be used in strategic planning, and techniques associated with scenario development. As part of this course, you will be required to develop two alternate scenarios.

    Approach:
    As this course is a seminar (via an on-line environment) in the real sense of the word, you will be required to read set texts as well as outside materials and to make presentations to the other participants of the course and to lead discussions. Each participant will be required to read a book in addition to The Art of Possibility, Einstein’s Dreams and Startup Nation: The story of Israel’s Economic Miracle. Some possible readings are identified in the booklist at the end of this syllabus (you will not be required to read all of the books). On-line attendance and course participation is required. If you do not think that you can meet the workload and course requirements and be on time with assignments and participation commitments you should not register for this class.

    This will be a dynamic and challenging endeavour with a constant workload that requires your interest, presence, and dedication to return a benefit to yourself and the other participants that will form an on-line community investigating creativity and innovation in an expansive and synergistic way. You will be assessed individually however rely upon your peers to succeed and the community that you create on-line in this environment will be as creative and innovative as you make it!
  • Assessment

    The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

    1. Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
    2. Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
    3. Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
    4. Assessment must maintain academic standards.

    Assessment Summary
    An overview of the course assessment appears in the following Table. Details appear in the following section:
    Assessment No.Form of Assessment/Collaborative TaskLength (in word count)WeightingDue DateLearning outcome covered
    1 Forum Discussion and Contribution (9) 100 + words 15%  On days 3-7 Over weeks 1-9 (grades given weeks 3, 6, 9) 1, 2, 3
    2 Live-With Reflection Blogs 400 – 600 words 12%  Day 7 Weeks 2-4, 6-8 1-3,5
    3 Written Assignments  500 – 1000 words 15%  Day 7 Weeks 3, 8, 9 1-3,5
    4 Presentation Assignment 10 – 15 slides 18% Day 4 of week 7 1-5
    5 Major Project 2500 – 3000 words 40% Day 7 of week 10 1-6
    Total 100%
    Assessment Related Requirements
    Students must complete all course assessment requirements and must attend lectures to be eligible to pass the course.

    Course results are subject to moderation by the ECIC Board of Examiners
    Assessment Detail
    Assessment 1: Forum Discussion and Contribution (9)
    Weighting: 15%
    Due Dates: On days 3-7 over weeks 1-9 (grades given weeks 3, 6, 9)
    Submission Details: Via discussion board in LEARN

    Task:
    Discussion topics are taken from your assigned readings and the online lecture notes. You may also need to do some additional outside research to support your responses. An excellent source of research is the resource list on the Course Home page and in each of the Week Home Assignment tables.

    You will be graded on the quality of your posts, not necessarily on the quantity—what is expected is substantive participation in all assigned discussions.

    Successful online learning requires active participation in the discussions. Examples of expected participation do not include posting of assignments or a question you might have for the faculty or the group. Substantive participation does include responses to discussion questions as well as discourse related to the subject matter between students. Substantive responses must be based upon the course content, theory or personal experiences . . . not mere opinion. A simple ’I agree’ will not count. Substantive responses and inputs should also include appropriate documentation, or citation.

    Scope:
    Chapters 1 - 4 (You do not have to complete the reading to begin posting) Zander, Rosamund Stone and Benjamin Zander (2000), The Art of Possibility, Boston: Harvard Business School Press.

    Length and Presentation:
    You are expected to post an initial response to the assigned discussion prompts by the posted due date. You are expected to read all discussion area postings, and then post 4-5 follow-up responses and comments on your classmates’ within the posted timeframe. The quality of your responses and your demonstrated understanding of the concepts and ability to apply them will be graded.
     
    Learning objectives with this assessment (refer to section 2.1: 1, 2, 3



    Assessment 2: Live-With Reflection Blogs
    Weighting: 12%
    Due Dates: Day 7 of weeks 2-4, 6-8
    Submission Details: Via Drop Box in LEARN

    Task:
    You should submit your 400-600 word blog post in response to the following prompt to the forum below by Day 7.

    Submit your blog to the forum either inline or as an attachment. When posting your assignment, create a new main thread with the title (Example) “Live-With Blog: Week 2 - [your name]”. You are encouraged to read and respond to the blog posts of other students to enrich your creative learning experience.

    Scope:
    Live-With Reflection Blog: Introduction
    Throughout this course you will be presented with a variety of topics that will challenge you to reflect upon the creative process, as well as how you think and react to the world around you. While there are no rigid structural requirements for completing your blog responses, here are a few guidelines to keep in mind.

    · Demonstrate that you tried to implement the live-with. (e.g., specific examples of attempts or experiences.)
    o It is NOT important for you to be “successful” with the live-with --- it is only important that you took the assignment to heart and tried to experience the live-with all week.)
    · Demonstrate that you learned something about yourself and your creative process.
    o If, for example, you find a certain live-with “impossible,” “stupid,” or “absurd,” take notice of this, have no judgments about it, and ask questions. For example, why do I find it so hard? What is it behind my reactions? What am I afraid to let go of? What is the source of this fear? What can I do to overcome it? (You also will learn about yourself with the “live-withs” that you find easy. Please describe these as well.)
    · Demonstrate of risk taking.
    o You are being asked to take risks in this class. You will find that some of the live-withs seem “dangerous” to try. Although it is ultimately your decision about how much risk to take, more risks may lead to more gain. It is up to you.
    · Reactions to other parts of this course in relation to the weekly prompt.
    o Reflect on what things seem to work well for you, things that bother you, personal breakthroughs, insights, etc. You don’t have to do this every post, but when you have a reaction, observation, comment or experience, include it in your post.
    · Experiment and have fun!
    o Finally, feel free to experiment with different approaches to the prompts. It is not important how you do your live-withs, rather that you give it a good solid attempt. Also, feel free to have fun.
    · Read and respond to blogs from other students.

    Length and Presentation:
    400 – 600 words
     
    Learning objectives with this assessment (refer to section 2.1: 1, 2, 3, 5
     
     
    Assessment 3: Written Assignments
    Weighting: 15%
    Due Dates: Day 7 of weeks 3, 8, 9
    Submission Details: Via Drop Box in LEARN

    Task:
    Write a short paper (two pages maximum) describing what you found to be the most interesting and useful ideas in the book under discussion for weeks 3, 8, 9 respectively. Explain how you can best apply the information learned and demonstrate its applicability to your career, experiences, or entrepreneurial endeavors or activities.

    Scope:
    Zander, Rosamund Stone and Benjamin Zander (2000), The Art of Possibility, Boston: Harvard Business School Press. ISBN: 0-87584-770-6 (hc.) ISBN: 0 14 20.0110 4 (pbk.)
    Lightman, Alan (1993) Einstein’s Dreams. ISBN: 1-4000-7780-X
    Senor, Dan and Saul Singer (2009), Startup Nation: The Story of Israel’s Economic Miracle ISBN 978-0-446-54146-6

    Length and Presentation:

    Referencing system
    APA referencing system is necessary in assignments, especially material copied from the internet. For examples of correct citations visit the following links: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/

    Length
    500 -1000 words

     Learning objectives with this assessment (refer to section 2.1): 1, 2, 3, 5
     
     
    Assessment 4: Presentation Assignment
    Weighting: 18%
    Due Dates: Day 4 of week 7
    Submission Details: Via Drop Box in LEARN

    Task:
    You should submit your presentation assignment to the forum below. This page is set up so that submissions are visible to everyone in the class, but only people in your group can post attachments to your thread.
    When you submit your work as an attachment to the forum, create a new main thread with the title “Presentation Assignment - [your name]”. Review and post comments and inputs to the presentations by the other members of your group between Day 4 and Day 7.


    Presentation Assignment: Instructions
    You should create a PowerPoint presentation with audio. Your presentation should discuss one of the readings from the assigned articles in the course. The complete article list can be found in the Course Home on the Assigned Articles course page.
    The presentation will be assessed individually with peer support from your group. You will be required to post relevant comments on the work presented by others in your group to the forum threads associated with the presentation submissions. Please consider the following with regard to posting comments on the presentations of your fellow classmates.
    1. What was your initial impression of the presentation?
    2. What information do you feel was most important?
    3. How effective was the delivery?
    4. Do you think you can apply any of the concepts covered to your personal creative endeavours?
    5. What ideas came to mind as you reviewed the presentation?

    Scope:
    This assignment will assess your understanding of the reading you selected and how well you articulate how it relates to the course topics and real world applications.
    Guidelines and Recommendations
    Please consider the following when creating your presentation:
    · The material must be suitable for presentation to a workplace team meeting in the early stages of initiating and planning a project.
    · Focus on what is important, not on basic definitions or background information.
    · Do not attempt to provide too much detail – the purpose of this presentation is to quickly cover critical concepts found in the readings and evaluate how they can be specifically applied to creativity and innovation in the real world, such as in your careers, personal experiences, and/or entrepreneurial endeavours.
    · It is recommended that the presentation should only make 2 or 3 major points.
    · You must only use your own words in this presentation. Direct quotes from other sources are not acceptable in this case.
    · Any diagrams, graphics or figures must be your own work. You are not to “cut and paste” any material from any other sources.
    · Use audio recording software (either within PowerPoint or using another tool) to record and embed the audio portion of your presentation explaining the critical elements of each slide.

    Length and Presentation:

    Referencing system
    APA referencing system is necessary in assignments, especially material copied from the internet. For examples of correct citations visit the following links: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/

    Length
    10 - 15 slides

    Font
    16 point minimum (except headings)

    Program/File Type
    Submit in PowerPoint

    Inclusions
    Should be pasted into the PowerPoint presentation if possible.
     
    Learning objectives with this assessment (refer to section 2.1): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
     
     
    Assessment 5: Major Project
    Weighting: 40%
    Due Dates: Day 7 of week 10
    Submission Details: Via Drop Box in LEARN

    Task:
    Major Project Prompt
    Write an exploratory essay in the context of a business or entrepreneurial venture examining the following question.

    How does creativity become innovation?
    Recommendations and Tips
    Utilize the definitions and discussions of creativity and innovation in this course as a basis for your exploration. Critically develop an argument supported by the literature to further explore creativity and innovation and how they can be applied in a specific field/career/topic of your choice. Utilize all elements of the creativity and innovation course (including assigned readings, discussions, Live-With learning activities, etc.) to create a portfolio of material. Demonstrate your understanding of the course topics and tie them in to your personal objectives for career, personal life, and/or entrepreneurial endeavors or activities. Support your arguments with examples from the readings, personal experience, and any additional research, as needed. You should work on your Major Project assignment throughout the duration of the course by regularly applying the concepts covered each week to the overarching thesis of your assignment.
    Consider the following questions to help guide your efforts:
    · What is creativity and innovation?
    · What is the nature of creativity and how can it be applied?
    · What are the barriers to creativity and how can they be overcome?
    · What are the similarities and differences between individual and group creativity and what are some of the impacts of each?
    · How can the creative environment impact creativity and innovation?
    · How can understanding the creative thinking process impact creativity and innovation?
    · How can understanding the future influence creativity and innovation?
    · How can you utilize and apply innovation?

    Scope:
    This assignment will assess your understanding of the course topics, readings, learning activities and discussions.

    Length and Presentation:
    Please ensure you include page numbers as a footer in your assignment. It is also advisable to add your name and student number in the footer or header. You may include material developed by others (e.g. schedule), provided you make it clear what you developed and what others developed.


    Referencing system
    APA referencing system is necessary in assignments, especially material copied from the internet. For examples of correct citations visit the following links: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/

    Length
    2500 - 3000 words maximum

     Learning objectives with this assessment (refer to section 2.1): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
    Submission
    All text based assignments must be submitted via Drop Box in LEARN
    There are a few points to note about the submission of assignments:

    · Assignment Submission: Assignments should be lodged via Drop Box in the LEARN system. Please refer to individual assignment tasks for specific submission details relevant to each task. Note that assignments may be processed via TURNITIN which is an online plagiarism prevention tool.

    · Cover Sheet: Please submit, separate to your assignment, the completed University of Adelaide Assessment Cover Sheet providing details of yourself and your team members (if applicable), your assignment, the course, date submitted, etc. as well as the declaration signed by you that this is your (your team’s) work. Note that the declaration on any electronically submitted assignment will be deemed to have the same authority as a signed declaration.

    · Backup Copy of Assignments: You are advised to keep a copy of your assignments in case the submitted copy goes missing. Please ensure that all assignment pages are numbered. If your assignment contains confidential information, you should discuss any concerns with the Course Lecturer prior to submission.

    · Extensions of Time: Any request for an extension of time for the submission of an assignment should be made well before the due date of the assignment to the Course Lecturer. Normally, extensions will only be granted for a maximum of two weeks from the original assignment submission date. Extensions will only be granted in cases of genuine extenuating circumstances and proof, such as a doctor’s certificate, may be required.

    · Failure to submit: Failure to submit an assignment on time or by the agreed extension deadline may result in penalties and may incur a fail grade. Note that a late penalty of 5% of the total available marks for that assessment item will be incurred each day an assignment is handed in late. Assignments handed in after 14 days from the due submission date will fail even if a 100% mark is granted for the
    Course Grading

    Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

    M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
    Grade Mark Description
    FNS   Fail No Submission
    F 1-49 Fail
    P 50-64 Pass
    C 65-74 Credit
    D 75-84 Distinction
    HD 85-100 High Distinction
    CN   Continuing
    NFE   No Formal Examination
    RP   Result Pending

    Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

    Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

    Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

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    SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.

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