Introductory description

“The imagination is an essential tool of the mind, a fundamental way of thinking, an indispensable means of becoming and remaining human.” – Ursula K. Le Guin “The Operating Instructions”

What is 'imagination'? Can we measure it? When and how do you use your imagination? Do different disciplines engage and treat imagination differently? Is imagination important in academic studies, the working world, or wider life? What would it be like to not have an imagination? How could you get others to manifest their imaginative and creative thinking? This interdisciplinary module is grounded in critical pedagogy and designed to enable you to make connections between the 'imaginative' thinking and practice deployed within your own and other disciplines and to autonomously explore and develop your own theory of applied imagination by exploring the relationship between theory, practice and playful exploration. Our sessions will be interactive and co-created as we seek to better understand the role of imagination in our own lives, in knowledge and its creation, in wider society and in making change.

Module web page

Module aims

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

Indicative weekly topics

1. Introduction to applied imagination.

2. Insight management in business and organisation

3. Imagination in Chemistry: self efficacy

4. Imagination and belonging: critical questions of us, them, home, and empathy

5 Imaginative stimulus: how can we stimulate the imagination and share feedback in ways that helps imagination grow?

1. CONTEMPLATION WEEK

2. The medium is the message: how form tells its own story

3. Language, story and metaphor

4. The dark imagination: weapons, war, propaganda, suffering.

5. (Re)Imagining the future: where do we go from here?

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• Deeply and critically explore complex definitions and theories concerning various understandings, and practices of the imagination, its manifestations and expressions.
• Meaningfully engage with inter- and trans-disciplinary ideas and practices to create a new intellectual space in which to consider the imagination.
• Offer a sustained reflective, practice-based, and theoretical engagement with their chosen focus on an area of the imagination
• Critically reflect on the pedagogical underpinnings of the creation of knowledge and practice in relation to the imagination.
• Apply the theories and practices pertaining to the imagination to the production of their own project in a sophisticated manner and explore how how their learning sits in the wider field of the study and application of imagination
• Deeply engage in imaginative attempts to develop and respond to questions, ideas and problems and independently formulate questions for further investigation.

Indicative reading list

Before week one, you are invited to do the following.

1. before you begin reading the introductory reading list (below), write down and/or mindmap what 'imagination' means to you right now now. What does the word evoke? What associations do you have with it? Do you consider yourself to be 'imaginative'? What has the word meant to you in the past? Has your understanding changed as you've aged?

2. Explore how 'imagination' is understood within your home discipline. If you're a scientist, you might explore Einstein's famous quote that 'imagination is more important than knowledge'. If you're a sociologist, perhaps investigate the sociological imagination. PAIS students might see what you can discover about the concepts of the public or political imagination. Global Sustainable Development students might look at how the imagination is discussed in relation to climate change and sustainability. These are suggestions; allow your own discipline and interests to guide you. The imagination is used in all disciplines and whatever the emphasis of your degree, you will find examples of its use. Bear in mind that the word 'imagination' might not be used, and think about what synonyms might be preferred in your discipline. Create a short list of the places you have drawn on. This 'reading list' will be useful for you later on in the module and as we move towards thinking about your final project.

Introductory Reading List: the pedagogical underpinnings of this module

The readings suggested here introduce key concepts for the module that underpin the approach to our learning together. Reading and reflecting upon them before we start learning together will help you to understand why this module has been designed in the way it has, and allow us to establish a shared learning and understanding to draw from as we seek to establish and cultivate our learning community together.

As you read, please ask yourself the following: what ideas or principles do these texts share? How are they relevant to creating a learning community that is exploring imagination? What are your responses to the readings? Do they excite you? Trouble you? Intrigue you? All or none of the above? Something else entirely?

1. Critical pedagogy
   On Critical Pedagogy, by Henry Gireux
   Please read the introduction, which is available free on Amazon via the 'Look inside' function or by requesting a kindle sample. https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B082XGH4QS/ref=rdr_kindle_ext_tmb

An Urgency of Teachers: ADVENTURES IN UNVEILING: CRITICAL PEDAGOGY AND IMAGINATION by Sean Michael Morris.
Available here: https://criticaldigitalpedagogy.pressbooks.com/chapter/critical-instructional-design/

1. Contemplative pedagogy
   Contemplative Practices in Higher Education by Daniel P. Barbezat and Mirabai Bush. Please read the foreword by Parker J Palmer (pages vii -- vx) and the first chapter (pages 1-20)

2. Pedagogy of Imagination
   Releasing the Imagination by Maxine Green
   Please read the introduction (pages 1-6)

3. Imagination and learning
   Engaging Imagination: Helping Students Become Creative and Reflective Thinkers by Alison James and Stephen Brookfield.
   Excerpt available here: https://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-1118409477,miniSiteCd-JBHIGHERED.html

4. Action Research
   What is Action Research? by Koshy et al. Available here: https://www.sagepub.com/sites/default/files/upm-binaries/36584_01_Koshy_et_al_Ch_01.pdf

Weekly set readings will be shared via Moodle, Talis Aspire and OneNote and will develop as the module progresses.

Research element

Research is defined by BERA as the development of new knowledge. In this module you will have the opportunity to develop new knowledge in the classroom, through digital technology, through your Student Devised Assessment and your Reflective Learning Journal. Knowledge will be developed independently as well as co-created and different forms of knowledge will be drawn upon.

Interdisciplinary

The module is an interdisciplinary module designed to enable you to make connections between your own discipline/s and the 'imaginative' thinking and practice deployed within other disciplines. The module will help you develop an understanding of the current uses of 'imaginative' thinking and practices across a range of disciplines and the relationship of imagination to the abstract and complex concerns of those disciplines (= multidisciplinary); to synthesize these into an imaginative approach to managing your own imaginative learning and research (= interdisciplinary) in ways which may lie beyond the scope of a single discipline (= transdisciplinary).

Subject specific skills

It is the intention of this module that by the end of the assessments, you will have had the opportunity to:

• Appreciate the value of understanding different disciplinary approaches, imaginative and creative practices, research methods, and perspectives in response to certain questions.
• Understand how to apply the communicative and collaborative skills used in the module to their work and imaginative practices.
• Develop an understanding of imaginative practices in different contexts and consider ways of communicating those practices and approaches, their value and impact to other people in other areas of work.
• Engage in inter- and transdisciplinary processes and learning

Transferable skills

• Independent learning
• Oral and written communication
• Interdisciplinary learning
• Collaborative team working skills
• Research skills
• Time management
• Critical thinking
• Project design and management
• Pedagogic and epistemic understandings
• Critical reflective learning
• Journaling for reflexivity