Embedded Files
What
What
The SCAMPER strategy is a creative thinking tool designed to help students think critically about existing ideas, artworks, or projects by encouraging them to modify or transform elements in various ways.
SCAMPER stands for Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to another use, Eliminate, and Reverse.
It can be used effectively in the art classroom to guide students in exploring alternative solutions, expanding their creative processes, and generating innovative ideas.
How
How
SCAMPER can be applied to various stages of the art-making process, including ideation, creation and reflection.
CAIT 5 (Explores possibilities and generates novel and useful ideas)
Encourage students to think divergently and generate multiple possibilities.
CAIT 6 (Evaluates and refines ideas to formulate novel and useful solutions)
Prompt students to consider different ways to refine and improve their ideas.
The SCAMPER Elements
The SCAMPER Elements
1. Substitute
- Change one part of the artwork for something else. It encourages students to consider what materials, techniques, or elements could be replaced to create a different effect.
- Ask: What can I replace in my drawing or sculpture? Could I use different materials or tools?
2. Combine
- Merge two or more elements to create something new. This helps students consider how combining techniques, mediums, or ideas can result in unique artwork.
- Ask: Can I combine two styles, ideas, or mediums to improve my work?
3. Adapt
- Adjust an idea or artwork to fit a new context. Students explore how they could adapt existing elements to better suit their vision.
-Ask: How can I adjust my design to meet a different purpose or audience?
4. Modify
- Alter the form, scale, or texture of an artwork. Encourages experimentation with different variations in order to generate a more innovative piece.
- Ask: What if I change the size, shape, or texture? How would that impact the overall result?
5. Put to Another Use
- Use an object, material, or idea for a completely different purpose. This encourages thinking outside of traditional uses and considering how elements might be repurposed.
- Ask: Can I use this material or technique in a new way to create something unexpected?
6. Eliminate
- Remove or simplify elements to enhance clarity or focus. Students practice minimalism and critical editing to focus on essential parts of their artwork.
- Ask: What parts of my design can I remove to improve the composition?
7. Reverse
- Flip or rotate the design, consider opposites, or reverse steps in the process. This opens up opportunities to challenge typical structures and norms in art-making.
- Ask: What happens if I flip or reverse my design? How can I look at my artwork from a different perspective?
Suggested Strategies for Using SCAMPER in the Classroom:
Suggested Strategies for Using SCAMPER in the Classroom:
1. Use SCAMPER for Creative Brainstorming Sessions
Begin art projects with a group brainstorming activity using the SCAMPER technique. Pose open-ended questions that encourage students to explore ideas through substitution, combination, adaptation, etc.
Example Activity: Present students with a common object (like a chair) and ask them to apply SCAMPER to design a new, inventive version of it. They could substitute its legs for wheels, combine it with elements from a tree, or modify it to serve a different purpose.
2. SCAMPER-Driven Sketchbook Prompts
Provide SCAMPER-based sketchbook prompts where students must explore various art-making possibilities. This encourages regular engagement with creative thinking.
Prompt Example: “How can you combine an animal and a machine? Use the SCAMPER process to think of ways to adapt or reverse features of the animal and machine in your drawing.”
3. Collaborative SCAMPER Projects
Divide students into small groups and assign each group a different aspect of SCAMPER to apply to a single artwork or design task. This fosters teamwork while allowing students to explore inventive thinking through different perspectives.
Example Project: Students collaborate to design a playground. One group will use "Substitute" (e.g., swap swings for something else), another will use "Combine" (e.g., combine a slide with another feature), and so on. At the end, each group presents how they used their SCAMPER element to innovate.
4. Encourage Reflection with SCAMPER
After completing an art project, guide students in using SCAMPER as a reflection tool to assess their work and think of ways it could be further improved or transformed.
Reflection Question Example: "If you had to modify your artwork by eliminating one element, what would you remove and why? How would that change the overall effect?"
5. SCAMPER Art Challenges
Set up creative challenges using SCAMPER, where students are tasked to solve design problems in inventive ways.
Challenge Example: Give students a simple design (e.g., a basic flower painting) and ask them to apply SCAMPER to make it more imaginative: combine it with another element (e.g., make it part of a cityscape), or adapt it to tell a new story (e.g., how could this flower design express a theme like "growth" or "friendship"?).
6. Incorporate SCAMPER into Problem-Solving Art Projects
Encourage students to use SCAMPER as a problem-solving tool when they encounter artistic challenges during projects. This promotes flexibility in their thinking and approach.
Example: If a student is struggling with composition in a sculpture, ask them to "reverse" the placement of elements or "adapt" part of their design to fit a different theme or purpose.
7. SCAMPER Exploration Stations
Set up art stations in the classroom, with each station dedicated to one of the SCAMPER elements. Students rotate through the stations, applying the specific SCAMPER technique to different materials, objects, or artworks. This encourages experimentation with inventive thinking.
Example Station: At the “Modify” station, students could take an existing design (like a simple animal drawing) and alter it by exaggerating proportions or textures to create a new character.
8. Use SCAMPER in Art Critiques
Integrate SCAMPER into class critiques, encouraging students to offer inventive suggestions to their peers' works. This helps students build constructive feedback skills while engaging in creative problem-solving.
Critique Example: Ask students, "What if we reversed the colors in this painting? How would that affect the mood of the piece?" or "What elements could be combined to enhance the design?"
More on SCAMPER
More on SCAMPER
References:
Eberle, B. (1997). SCAMPER: Games for Imagination Development. Texas: Prufrock Press.
Page updated
Report abuse