At the start of this year, the students got together for an initial brainstorming session, which included student Lynn Ralston. They all brought along Post-it notes listing topics they felt were essential for a course evaluation. After much discussion, the topics were stuck onto the board. Topics such as ‘critical thinking’ and ‘lecturers’ were discussed. Students were able to drop by to draw a line connecting the themes they agreed with. That way, you can see very clearly which themes the students do or do not agree with. “It was great fun. At the start of the week there was an empty board and after a few days there were already lots of threads connecting the themes,” says Lynn Ralston, CAOS student assistant. The information they were able to gather from this creative method has been analysed and incorporated into the final student chapter.
Creative evaluation of the CAOS programme: greater student engagement
The programme review for the Department of Cultural Anthropology and Development Studies was approaching: a process in which an external committee assesses the quality of the programme. The review includes a student section: how do students experience the programme? What is already going well, and where is there room for improvement? The students were given free rein to approach this section creatively. Six students, including one student assistant, joined forces to collect programme evaluations from their fellow students in a creative way. This resulted in an interactive installation featuring pressure points and a network of wires that represent the different experiences within the programme.
Taking a creative approach to your own education
The creative installation is a fine example of how teaching can be approached creatively. Within CAOS, lecturers and students have long been exploring and learning how these kinds of innovative approaches can yield new insights. “It’s really interesting to use your senses to gather information and knowledge,” says Lynn. A creative teaching method also encourages students to engage with one another in a different way. According to Lynn, this leads to conversations that would normally be less likely to take place. As a result, students are encouraged to look beyond their own perspective.
In her view, creative teaching does require an open-minded approach from both lecturers and students. Not everyone will be immediately enthusiastic about a new approach. “It’s important to accept that it can be uncomfortable and that people won’t be on board straight away,” she explains. That is why it is important for lecturers to clearly explain why they have chosen a creative method and how it is relevant to the learning process.
Lynn also emphasises that creativity does not have to be complicated or time-consuming. It is precisely by colouring outside the lines every now and then that students become more engaged. In her view, a creative assignment does not have to feel like a daunting task; rather, it can energise students and spark their curiosity. By making room for creativity within assessment and teaching, this not only fosters greater engagement but also adds depth to the learning process.
Contact information
Would you like to find out more about this project? Please email Lynn at lynn.ralston [at] ru.nl (lynn[dot]ralston[at]ru[dot]nl).
- Organizational unit
- Radboud Teaching and Learning Centre