A Situated Model of Creative Learning - Keynote at EERA, Istanbul

This presentation puts forward a situated model of creative learning. Most educational studies on creativity tend to concentrate on explaining the relation between teaching and creativity while keeping learning as a secondary concept (Torrance, 1972; Hennessey & Amabile, 1987; De Bono, 1992; Fasko, 2000-2001). However, Anna Craft (2005) has stated that it is likely that teaching creatively leads to creative learning, suggesting that there is a need to describe the concept of creative learning and to analyze its possible constituents. Accordingly, this presentation introduces an empirically based and theoretically informed model of a creative learning community. The model is based on three key concepts or learning principles which can take different forms in particular settings and social practices. These are respectively: 1) Immersion in the topic of interest, in traditions and in the subject matter, 2) Experimentation and inquiry learning and 3) Resistance from the material of interest. As a theoretical point of departure, I will outline a situated model of creativity and learning, and following this, I will introduce my model of creative learning and the basic components of a creative learning community. This presentation will include several empirical examples. In the final part, the model will be discussed in relation to the concept of creative teaching.