Forming a pedagogy that develops creativity in undergraduates working at the junction of art and science

It is crucial that we move away from the Industrial Revolution production model of education and recognise the need to facilitate idea development and creative practice in our future generations to meet the needs of our fast changing societies. Can we release ourselves from current deep-rooted pedagogic paradigms to flatten lecture theatres and break the lines and rows that govern our practices? Are we shackled by a belief that the ideology of the recent past is the ‘nature of good education’? How do we prepare new generations to, not just cope with, but lead the way through constantly shifting environments; where cultures mix and morph, information is everywhere, knowledge no longer concerns a notion of certainties but empowers those who can use it as a tool? The intention of this study is to investigate current understandings of creativity, emerging methodologies for teaching creative processes, and analyse current practices. The intended outcome is to develop a strategy for enhancing creativity in undergraduates working in convergent domains such as digital media, video games and television. A secondary intention is to foster creative thinking in undergraduates as a transferable skill; enhancing problem finding/solving, adapting to or even initiating change, identifying and harnessing the assets of environments and communities to broaden possibilities. The methodology will be derived from systems theory both in terms of establishing research methods and as a model for creative process. Considering the systems approach the lecturer needs to provide leadership setting the environment as far as possible, encouraging the person and facilitating the process by which collaborative activities can lead to appropriate products, and where formative and summative assessment supports creative change that feeds back into the qualities of person, process and place. Challenges include; inappropriate physical environments, students with under developed or repressed creative identities, getting the leadership right