Resources

Assessment Guidance

Moodle

BOB: Applied Imagination Playlist

Structure

The module will consist of ten two hour sessions, for up to twenty students, from across the University's departments. Each week will be split between a subject-specialist led session and an hour in which the students and module leader will work with the week's set stimulus to develop student ideas. This latter part will embody an interdisciplinary emphasis and use IATL's Open-Space Learning alongside reflection and discussion.

Introductory Reading

• Barry, Lynda. 2008. What it is. Montreal. Dawn and Quarterly. An extract called 'Two Questions' can be found by clicking here.

• Hyde, Lewis. 2007. The Gift: How the creative spirit transforms the world. Edinburgh. Canongate. This can be found in the library or a pdf version can be found by clicking here.
• Jackson, et al. 2006. Developing Creativity in Higher Education. Oxon. Routledge. This can be found in the library and the whole collection is worth a read. However, if you're a Warwick student head over to the readings page to access some scanned chapters.
• Lehrer, Jonah. 2012. Imagine: How Creativity Works. New York. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. This is no longer in print (for very interesting reasons which we may well discuss) but if you're a Warwick student you can find some extracts on the readings page.
• Clark, Roy Peter. 2012. 'Why Jonah Lehrer's Imagine is worth reading, despite the problems'. Poynter. 2012. Click here to go to the article.

Weekly topics:

1. Introduction to Applied Imagination: Imagination and interdisciplinarity

Required reading:

Horizon. 2013. 'The Creative Brain: How Insight Works', television programme, online, broadcast 23:20 19/3/2013, BBC TWO, 70mins. http://bobnational.net/record/142478, (Accessed 16/09/2014) N.b. the Horizon episode does not start until 03:40. In order to access Box of Broadcasts (BoB) National, you will need your Warwick email address.

2. Dr Laura Ritchie: Self-efficacy and a beginner's mentality

Required readings to follow shortly.

3. TBC

4. Steve Fuller: The Ideological Imagination

This session will focus on the ideological imagination, especially the extent to which 'left-right' continues (or not) to define the horizon of political possibilities. In this context, it will introduce 'up-down' as an alternative to the left-image that has dominated the ideological imagination over the past two centuries.

Required reading:

http://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/the-future-of-ideological-conflict​

http://aeon.co/magazine/society/right-and-left-are-fading-the-future-is-black-and-green/

5. Naomi de la Tour: Metaphor and the imagination

6. Nick Barker: Imagination and Chemistry

Nick Barker runs a schools outreach programme in the Chemistry Department. His work has been described as 'Outward Bound with test tubes'. He believes that this programme can inspire people to believe in themselves and will attempt to show you how and why.

In preparation for this session students should:

Research:

• Outward Bound
• The Prince's Trust
• Bandura's theory of Self Efficacy

Watch:

• Ken Robinson's TED talk 'Do Schools Kill Creativity?'
• Chris Hadfield on youtube (his space and science uploads rather than his music...unless there's an overlap?)

7. Jonathan Heron: 'Fail better': Performing imagination

This workshop will explore the role of the imagination in theatre and performance, with particular reference to theories of play and studies of failure.

Required reading:

Extracts from the below texts - found by clicking here.

To supplement the reading: What do Artists do All Day? 2014. 'Michael Landy', television programme, online, broadcast 01:20 23/10/2014, BBC FOUR, 30mins. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EqVPZwiT5Q 

Further reading (links to the library catalogue):

Sutton-Smith, The Ambiguity of Play

Bial, The Performance Studies Reader

Le Fevre, Failure

8. Professor Maureen Freely: Form and content.

9.TBC

10. TBC

Assessment - further information

Tutors will give support and guidance as to what the relevant 'equivalent' is depending on what type of project you decide to undertake.

Suggestions for an imaginative form of assessment devised by you with the support of the tutor might include a short story, poetry, a play, a short film, a graphic (animated) short story, original music composition, a workshop, and so on. You must demonstrate and communicate the theories and applications of imagination in your piece. If you wish to submit a non-language-based form of assessment, the piece must be accompanied by a reflective piece of written work.

You will be given tutor support both when planning your imaginative stimulus and devised assessment and when bringing them to fruition. This will include some one-on-one time with a module tutor. The university also has a wealth of technological and creative resources which will be highlighted to you and aid will be given in obtaining and using them.

A full rubric can be found by clicking here.

Assessment

For 15 CATS:

10% imaginative stimulus with annotation (1000 words) OR equivalent (7 minutes - see further information)
45% reflective and critical/analytical journal (2500 words)
45% student-devised assessment (2500-word piece, 15-minute presentation, or equivalent - see further information)

For 12 CATS:

10% imaginative stimulus with annotation (750 words) OR equivalent (6 minutes - see further information)
45% reflective and critical/analytical journal (2500 words)
45% student-devised assessment (2000-word piece, 12-minute presentation, or equivalent - see further information)

Deadlines:

Imaginative Stimulus: Due at noon, Monday, week 6.

Student Devised Assessment:

Due at noon, Monday, week 1, term 3, 24 April.

Learning Journal:

Due at noon, Monday, week 1, term 3, 24 April.