Please note that this course will become available in 2021

What is this course about?

In today’s ever-growing and changing world, being able to think creatively and innovatively are essential skills. It can sometimes be challenging to step back and reflect in an environment which is fast paced or when you are required to assimilate large amounts of information. Making sense of new ideas in an innovative and engaging way, approaching problems from fresh angles, and producing novel solutions are all traits which are highly sought after by employers.

This module will equip you with a ‘tool-box’, introducing you to a selection of behaviours and techniques that will augment your innate creativity. Some of the tools are suited to use on your own and others work well for a group, enabling you to leverage the power of several minds. You can pick and choose which of these tools or techniques suits your needs and interests, focusing on some or all of the selected approaches. The practical approach of this course enables you to acquire an essential skills set for generating ideas, with plenty of fun online activities and exercises, practical lectures and tips, and video representations of the techniques in action.

The greatest innovators are not necessarily the people who have the most original idea. Often, they are people or teams that have harnessed their creativity to develop a new perspective or more effective way of communicating an idea. You can train your imagination to seize opportunities, break away from routine and habit, and tap into your natural creativity.

What are the learning outcomes?

By the end of this module you should be able to:

• Pick a type of brainstorming you think will be useful to apply to a challenge
• Use alphabet brainstorming in tackling a challenge
• Use grid brainstorming in tackling a challenge
• Use a morphological chart to synthesise a solution to a challenge
• Use the TRIZ contradiction matrix to identify recommended inventive principles

Who is this course aimed at?

Any students from all undergraduate Science and Engineering degrees. The course is designed to equip you with a range of creativity tools that are applicable to academic purposes and the workplace.

How will this course be delivered?

This is a synchronous module, with one live session per week delivered via Microsoft Teams and supplemented by self-study. You will be informed how to attend sessions and join in with this course shortly before it begins.

How much time will the course take up?

The course is designed to take up approximately 10 hours of your time per week, including self-study. It will run in 2021.