SM9713 - Innovation and Creativity

The module combines a variety of forms of learning including traditional classroom teaching, online resources, group practical activities and visits as well as independent learning. Classroom based teaching will include lectures and groupwork guided by tutors to build a foundation of concepts and tools. The teaching will be underpinned by digital resources available on the e-learning platform, including texts, videos and case studies to provide a research-rich approach. You will be expected to read key texts in advance of some sessions in order to be able to participate in interactive discussions on your understanding of concepts.
You will be expected to reflect on your learning and apply the lessons to your own experiences and to collaborative projects with fellow students.

You will be supported with a comprehensive set of learning materials via the e-learning platform which will provide access to academic materials such as journal articles, reports and case studies, but also grey literature such as company reports, newspaper and magazine articles, videos and blogs. The platform will include comprehensive reading lists for each component of the module (lectures and seminars).
Ongoing support and guidance will also be provided by the teaching team through a mix of class sessions and via discussions on the e-learning platform.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. The reading list for this module can be found at: http://readinglists.northumbria.ac.uk
(Reading List service online guide for academic staff this containing contact details for the Reading List team – http://library.northumbria.ac.uk/readinglists)

Knowledge & Understanding:
1. Demonstrate a critical understanding of the concepts underpinning innovation, creativity and creative processes and in a variety of settings.
2. Apply theoretical concepts relating to innovation and creativity to real world problems in order to develop solutions

Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:
3. Reflect on personal capabilities for creative work and how this can be enhanced through teamwork
4. Develop an awareness of how creative and problem solving processes are implemented in culturally diverse groups

Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):
5. Develop a sense of curiosity and willingness to experiment with new ideas to meet the needs of different social and environmental contexts

Formative assessment:
The taught sessions will be interactive and will require students to participate in groupwork and do small informal presentations on the results of groupwork with informal feedback from tutors and other students.
A major groupwork project will be to undertake a creative project addressing an issue identified by the tutor. Students may use a variety of approaches to address the issue and will have to do a group presentation on their findings. Formative feedback will be provided by tutors and peers in these sessions which will assist students in developing their understanding of the themes and reflecting on their learning.

Summative assessment:
The summative element of the assessment is made up of two components.
Component 1. Individual students will prepare a reflective article on the creative process based on their experiences of participating in the groupwork project. This should be of 1,500 words. This assesses learning outcomes 1, 3, 4 and 5 and is weighted at 50%.
Component 2: Students will also develop a 1,500 word case study report of creativity or innovation in an identified organisation. This assesses learning outcomes 1, 2, 3 and 4 and is weighted at 50%.

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This module will help you develop your ability to harness innovation and creativity in your future careers. The module brings together a broad understanding of innovation and its importance to business and service development together with tools and techniques that can be used to create new ideas. You will learn through a combination of conventional lectures and seminars and more interactive group work to apply creative thinking to real world problems. Your work will be partly research focused in developing new concepts or products, and will support the aim of developing entrepreneurial skills. As a result of attending this module you will be able to better work with others in creating new products and business concepts.

In this module you will gain a comprehensive understanding of the nature and practice of innovation and creativity and how it can be applied in the innovation process, whether within the context of a new venture or an existing organisation. The module will cover theories relating to innovation and its management within a strategic management context. This will be combined with an introduction to processes of stimulating creativity in a variety of business contexts. The module will seek to facilitate the development of practical skills to promote creative thinking through practice-based elements in which real world problems are introduced for the testing of creative teamworking techniques.