The goal of this Climate Justice project is to update the undergraduate course, CRTV 301: Foundations of Creativity. CRTV 301 is the initial core course in the Certificate in Creativity & Innovation program, and is a suggested elective in the following programs:
School of Education
BS in Learning Sciences, Experience Design, and Technology
BS in Educational Studies & Innovation
BS in Elementary Education (Non-Certificate)
Close School of Entrepreneurship
BA degree in Sustainability and Innovation
3-Year BA in Entrepreneurship & Innovation
BA in Entrepreneurship & Innovation (E&I)
Accelerated BA in E&I/MBA
Specifically, this project component aims to integrate the urgent and complex issues of Climate Justice (CJ) with the principles and skills of creativity and innovation and creative problem solving (CPS). The information and content of the Spring 2023 CJ Incubator will be used to introduce the students to CJ and CJ issues throughout the term – akin to how the Incubator operated – culminating with a final creative project and presentation (completed in collaborative small groups) addressing a CJ issue that will demonstrate the students’ content knowledge and ability to apply the theoretical underpinnings and skills of creativity.
Through exploring the interplay between major creativity theories and the multifaceted challenges of climate change, students will develop innovative strategies and solutions toward a specific objective to promote environmental and social justice. This project will enhance the students' understanding of creativity and creative problem solving through action research, as well as empower each to apply that knowledge to real-world problems, fostering a sense of purpose and engagement.
During my experience within the Incubator, the “light switch” was clicked to “on” permanently with the Week 4 Assignment with Educational Frameworks and Tools. Until then, I was going through a pseudo-imposter syndrome crisis. The other incubator participants – including a SoE and CSoE colleagues – seemed to be already so invested in CJ prior to the Incubator. They seemed to already know the “lingo,” know the research/researchers, etc. In fact, most seemed to have already been part of personal and professional initiatives in the CJ field. As a novice to the CJ world knowing the most basic elements and lingo, and that the climate crisis is already upon us, I wanted to be part of the incubator to learn more (AND did I ever!) and be inspired on how I might include whatever I learned to the Creativity and Innovation programs that I oversee. The Incubator conversations and Week 4’s Strategies for Teaching CJ: CJIT Toolkit and Critical coupled with Pedagogy and Place-based Education (with emphasis on Paolo Freire) and Projectbased Learning, I began to “find” my grounding. Those are realms I feel much more comfortable with and that I can readily image and apply to the CJ’s Incubator’s content. It was then I decided that adjusting the final project in CRTV 301 was where I would start. As Program Director of the Creativity and Innovation programs, and as the lead instructor of the course, I had the decision authority and the means to implement the decision.
Since the course was first offered in 2007, the culminating project of the fully online CRTV 301: Foundations of Creativity has been a final project and presentation where the student demonstrates their ability to apply the theories and other content provided throughout the term in a creative manner. It is a very open ended assignment where the student decides as to what area of their life they want to tap for the project specifically using tools and techniques in problem solving they learn during the term backed up with the research to support their use.
In Fall 2024, the assignment will shift from the student determining what their individual project area will be to a small group project they select using their creativity course gained skills and mindset to address an issue they wish to “solve” in Climate Justice. Each group will have the choice to couch their project in either Project-based Learning and/or Place-based Education.
Following the strategy used by the CJ Incubator team, introductory content to CJ and select content pulled from the Incubator’s “library” in Weeks 1-3 of the Spring Incubator’s topics. The students will be introduced to CJ and CJ principles in addition to the course’s “normal” creativity and innovation content. Each week, the students will address a reflection prompt related to CJ content they have been exposed along with the Creativity content prompts (including how they see the two topics relating).
Student Teams will be formed in Week 4 of the term. Their midterm will be a team assignment whereby they will use the courses creativity content provided to date to develop an initial CJ project. They will share their project idea by creating an “infographic” that explains the project highlighting the course creativity and CJ content and processes they used to develop and inform their project idea. They will work on their project through Week 9 of the term and present their project to their classmates via an asynchronous, electronic, multimedia presentation in Week 10. A component of their Final’s Week activity will be a written reflection of their CJ experience.
Additionally, addressing the ‘reverberation’ component, the students will be invited to virtually present and discuss their experience as a component the 2025 (can it REALLY almost be 2025? It sounds so science fictionesque) Southern Oregon University Creativity Conference (an international conference that over the last five years has become one of the top such conferences) as part of Global Creativity Initiative (GCI), an organization for which I am a founding member and Board Member.
The inclusion of a CJ project in CRTV 301Foundations of Creativity and Innovation seems a natural fit for several reasons:
Interdisciplinary Approach: CJ inherently requires an interdisciplinary approach that includes environmental science, social justice, policymaking, and more. Creativity and innovation can assist in developing complete solutions that address these areas.
Complex Problem-Solving: CJ presents complex, global challenges that demand creative problem solving and innovative thinking. This project provides a practical application of creativity theories, allowing students to tackle real-world issues.
Ethical and Social Responsibility: Addressing CJ aligns with the ethical and social responsibilities of a Drexel University education. It encourages students to use their skills and knowledge for the greater good, while promoting a commitment to equity and sustainability.
Motivational Engagement: Conversations with students over the last several years has made clear the CJ is a topic that resonates with many students. Linking topics that students find intrinsically motivating and causes they are passionate about, are more likely to deeply engage them in the course and more likely create meaningful, impactful work that they will carry with them beyond the course – hopefully with skills that they will be able to transport across disciplines.
The following Learning Outcomes will be addressed through this project:
Apply an Understanding Creativity Theorists/Theories: Students will explore and understand major creativity theorists/theories.
Students will demonstrate the ability to apply key creativity theories, including Amabile's motivation theories, Csikszentmihalyi's flow theory and system model, Sternberg's concept of "buy low, sell high," and de Bono's lateral thinking techniques, to develop innovative solutions for CJ.
Engage in Complex and Creative Problem Solving: Students will enhance their skills in creative problem solving through action research.
Specific Outcome: Students will exhibit an understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of CJ by incorporating knowledge from environmental science, social justice, and policymaking into their creative projects.
Create Innovative and Interdisciplinary Strategies for Climate Change: Students will develop innovative strategies and solutions for environmental and social justice.
Specific Outcome: Students will exhibit an understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of CJ by incorporating knowledge from environmental science, social justice, and policymaking into their creative projects.
Demonstrate Applications to Real-World Problems Using Course Content: Students will apply their knowledge of creativity to address real-world problems. (See Learning Outcome 7: Application of Creativity Skills Using Technology.)
Develop Skills for Team Collaboration: Students will work in teams to select and address a CJ issue using creativity skills.
Outcome: Students will enhance their collaborative skills by working in teams to brainstorm, develop, and present innovative solutions for Climate Justice.
Implement Project-Based and/or Place-Based Learning: Students will incorporate project-based and/or place-based education approaches in their projects. (See Learning Outcome 7: Application of Creativity Skills Using Technology.)
Demonstrate Application of Creativity Skills Using Technology:
Assessment Activity: Midterm Infographic: Students will create an infographic to explain their project idea, highlighting creativity and CJ content.
Assessment Activity: Final Multimedia Presentation: Students will present their project through an asynchronous electronic multimedia presentation.
Engage in Reflective Practice: Students will reflect on their CJ experience in a written component as part of their final activity.
Specific Outcome: Students will develop a heightened sense of ethical and social responsibility by engaging with CJ issues and proposing solutions that promote equity and sustainability.
Foster Engagement and Purpose: Students will foster a sense of engagement and purpose in addressing CJ issues.
This project component not only enhances students’ understanding of foundational creativity theories but also empowers them to apply these concepts to one of the most pressing issues of our time—Climate Justice. By fostering interdisciplinary integration, ethical awareness, and collaborative innovation, this project prepares students to become creative leaders and changemakers in their professional and personal lives.