Creativity and learning : creative work and the construction of learning

The pursuit of learning is part of a larger pursuit into the means by which meaning is made and communicated. Through reflection on the making of meaning, it is possible to gain interesting insights into the learning process. In my inquiry into creativity and learning, through writing and drama, I have found the 'system' a useful analytical tool. 'Systems theory' offers a frame through which creative expression can be interpreted just as it does an opportunity to reflect on the language systems through which meaning is held and communicated. 'Self-organising systems theory' extends this understanding by suggesting the processes through which explanations 'feed-back' into the system and create opportunities to reflect not only on experiences, but on the context of its occurrence. In the context of an education rich in creative work, a systems analysis allows researchers to step back from the subject, to imagine and then construct connections more clearly. In this increasingly rewarding field, science meets poetry in an imaginative synthesis of research and learning. For this reason alone, it is a useful tool in the attempt to find a language appropriate to a discussion of the learning made available through creative work