Systems Engineering

12006our Task

In this assignment, you will explore and synthesize different views of creativity – including your view before this course began, the views of other people you know, and Kirton’s view. With this in mind, please write an essay that addresses the following:

Part 1: Creativity Interviews
Interview three people (over the age of 18) about their views on creativity using the list of questions below. Note each person’s age (approximate is OK), gender, and occupation or field of study; names are optional. Record their answers to the given questions, encouraging extended discussion about each one (i.e., more than one or two words). Feel free to explore their views through questions of your own as the interviews proceed.

The following questions, which are aligned with the Views on Creativity exercise from Lesson 3, should be used as the basis of your exploration:

Do you think there are many or few creative people in today’s society?
How would you describe creative people? What are they like?
How many things that people do might be called creative?
How would you describe a creative idea, solution, or product?
What are the chances of success for a creative idea?
What is the source of creativity: individuals, groups, and/or organizations?
Do you believe you are creative? When and how?
Report your findings: Write up and discuss your findings in detail, including …

Demographic data (age, gender, occupation/field of study)
A summary of each person’s answers to the given questions (and any other questions you add)
Your reactions to the interviewees’ responses (e.g., Do you agree with them? Did they surprise you in any way?)
Some final commentary on this task: What did you discover overall? How is this information useful?

Part 2: Your View of Creativity – Before and After
Answer the list of questions yourself – first, according to your understanding of creativity when you entered this course, and second, as you understand creativity now through the lens of Adaption-Innovation theory (i.e., what is Kirton’s view of creativity). In your response, be sure to address both similarities and differences between your view of creativity before the course and Kirton’s.

Part 3: Closing Synthesis
To close the assignment, synthesize what you have learned about creativity from this process of exploration. Then comment briefly on why it is important to study creativity and problem solving within a technical degree program.

NOTE: There is no specific length requirement for because the length will be more variable depending upon the depth of the interviewee’s responses. Therefore, as noted in the ‘General Instructions’, the extent to which you integrate the required components into a cohesive, well-reasoned, and persuasive example of advanced thinking will be a major factor in my evaluation of your work.