Chapter One: Creating the right learning environment and professional identity

The word creativity conjures up many ideas, which revolve all too often around artistic practice. For far too long creativity has been defined in terms related to the arts, having been somewhat ‘hi-jacked’ by this sector (Parrish, 2012). Labels such as artistic creativity can serve as a limiting factor for individuals who avoid trying to ‘be creative’ because of the pre-conceived idea of their own artistic ability. Creativity is much more than solely about artistic creativity. According to the manifesto compiled by Kleiman, creativity and imagination “enable you to sustain yourself through the challenges and opportunities you will encounter throughout your life” (2019).

When applying the concept of creativity to education, it is important to view it in a wider sense and the more general meaning which revolves around problem-solving, innovation and ingenuity. According to Philip (2015), theorists have described the processes of creativity as “iterative and dynamic” (p 14). Sternberg, Kaufman and Pretz (2002) define creativity as “the ability to produce work that is novel (i.e. original, unexpected), high in quality, and appropriate (i.e. useful, meets task constraints)” (pg 1). Sternberg (2007) also argues that “creative people are creative largely not by any particular inborn trait, but rather, because of an attitude toward life: they habitually respond to problems in fresh and novel ways, rather than allowing themselves to respond mindlessly and automatically” (p. 3).

By viewing creativity from this stance, it provides equity of opportunity as more people begin to feel able to engage with the creative process, regardless of artistic talent. Through imaginative activities and contexts, learning can be both enriching and a stimulating experience for both learners and lecturers alike (Wright, 2019). It is from this viewpoint that this chapter is written with a particular focus on the professional identity of the lecturer, in relation to the impact this has on the learning environment. Different learning environments found within the HE sector and how these can be set up and subsequently managed, in order to provide creative and dynamic engagement, will also be explored.