Module Information
Course Delivery
Assessment
| Assessment Type | Assessment length / details | Proportion |
|---|---|---|
| Semester Assessment | Essay 1 1 x 3375 word essay | 50% |
| Semester Assessment | Essay 2 1 x 3375 word essay | 50% |
| Supplementary Assessment | Essay 1 Failed elements must be re-taken if the student?s average mark falls below the required pass mark of 50%. New assignment titles and exam questions will be issued. 1 x 3375 word essay | 50% |
| Supplementary Assessment | Essay 2 1 x 3375 word essay | 50% |
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
Demonstrate an effective knowledge and understanding of the role of the imagination and creativity in children'r learning and development.
Critically review and discuss the concepts, theories and principles surrounding creative development in language, literacy, play, art and music.
Critically understand and evaluate different cultural and media representations of creativity.
Appreciate and understand the implications of various forms of therapy for impaired creativity in a range of developmental disorders.
Demonstrate a critical engagement with relevant source material.
Aims
Creativity and the capacity for flexible and divergent thought are important topics within various academic disciplines including psychology, aesthetics, art and education. Within psychology, childhood studies and education, creativity is linked to children'r developing cognitive skills and thus to their learning and academic achievement. The main systems of communication in human beings (including language, play and visual symbols) all involve imaginative and creative processes. Indeed, absence of creative and flexible thought during early childhood can be indicative of developmental pathology, such as in autism. The study of creativity is therefore central to any course that considers children'r development.
Brief description
This module is designed to develop student'r theoretical and practical understanding of creative development during childhood, particularly in the areas of play, language, literacy, art and music. The module will address creativity in typical and atypical development, as well as the use of creative therapies.
Content
Session 1: What is creativity?
Session 2: The creative mind.
Session 3: Creative communication during early childhood.
Session 4: Imagination and pretence in play.
Session 5: Creativity and expression in children'r art.
Session 6: Creativity in language and literacy.
Session 7: Musical creativity.
Session 8: Cultural and media representations of creativity.
Session 9: Creativity and atypical development.
Session 10: Creative therapy.
Module Skills
| Skills Type | Skills details |
|---|---|
| Application of Number | Student will be given the opportunity to reflect upon basic statistical data (primarily presented in percentages), through encountering key research studies in the field. |
| Communication | Students’ written communication skills will be further developed and refined. Opportunities will be given, through seminar-style discussion, for students to develop confidence in using their speaking and listening skills when communicating their ideas and engaging in debate/discussion. |
| Improving own Learning and Performance | Feedback from the written assignments, and personal and group reflection during workshop tasks, will encourage improved performance. |
| Information Technology | Written assignments will need to be word processed. Students will need to use IT skills to locate relevant source materials for their written work and to prepare for sessions. E-mail and Blackboard will be the main forms of communication and information-sharing in this module, so students will need to actively engage in these processes. |
| Personal Development and Career planning | Students will be given the opportunity to evaluate their current knowledge and skills, and set targets for self-improvement. Students will be encouraged to take responsibility for managing their own learning. |
| Problem solving | Students should be able to identify key concepts and debates in the field, and will be encouraged to critical reflect on the paradigms encountered each week. Students should gain experience in applying different approaches and materials to understand data and other patterns in research. |
| Research skills | Students will develop advanced skills of information location and retrieval, in preparation for their assignments and workshop tasks. Students will be encouraged to evaluate, interpret and reflect upon a variety of sources, and to make links to accommodate new ideas. |
| Subject Specific Skills | |
| Team work | Opportunities for team work will be provided through group activities during workshops. |
Notes
This module is at CQFW Level 7