For you to get the most out of this class
and complete the course, your
participation and interaction is essential.
Creativity and innovation develop heavily through
sharing of ideas rather than protecting them.
Share your work with others through the forums and
follow the same guidelines as with your peer evaluations.
Be constructive and positive in your comments.
Again, keep in mind that creativity is a
skill that can be applied in all disciplines.
It's a concept that has broad applications in both personal and social domains.
Therefore, one way the value of an idea can be assessed is by looking at
how unique, novel and applicable it is to both you as an individual as well
as how creative it is to others.
This class is unique in that it's built on the idea that connectivity
to your environment and to the experiences of others is fundamental to learning.
It focuses on the development of your creativity and ability to solve problems.
But the nature of the course is structured to
emphasize creative and autonomous learning through the online format.
The most important thing to remember is that it
is not about accumulating more information, but rather about developing
your skills.
One thing that's exciting about this class and the
MOOC environment, is the global exchange of ideas and feedback.
One factor that needs to be considered in determining the creative value of an
idea, if it is both new and useful, is the societal and cultural context.
So keep in mind that it's important for
you to explain your particular set of beliefs
and habits and cultural norms, when you submit
your weekly projects to be evaluated by your peers.
Also remember to be objective about your own world view, and its
influence on your opinions of creativity when evaluating the work of others.
>> Aside from examining your personal comfort zone
and world lens, other things you can do
to get the most out of this class
includes making creativity a regular part of your life.
Document your ideas as they happen by jotting notes or taking pictures.
Try new things and new approaches to problems when the opportunity
arises, and keep track of all ideas and inspiration.
Evaluate the definition of a problem.
This will be covered in class, but keep an open mind about how
you might enrich your life by the desire to improve upon your daily experiences.
Practicing techniques you'll learn in the course will make them more habitual.
Over the length of the course, through practice and
development of new ideas, you will improve your creativity.
There are no right or wrong answers.
Ideas that fall short in their execution still have value in failure.
There's value in observation and in making new connections.
And always remember this should be fun, as this is part of the value of creativity.
>> [LAUGH] So please get started by posting
your own introduction in the forum you'll find
linked on this week's page, and tell us
a little bit about yourself, and where you're from.