September-October 2021, facilitated by Theodora Goss
Are you considering teaching WR 153 in the future? In this faculty seminar, we explored theories of creativity and innovation, focusing particularly on the principles of design thinking and its non-linear, iterative steps: empathize, define, ideate, prototype, test, assess. We discussed how to incorporate design thinking into our courses by creating assignments that encourage students to come up with new strategies and approaches, develop and refine their ideas in response to feedback, and learn from productive failure. This seminar was theoretical and practical: as we learned about design thinking, we also used it to create course material for WR 153 so we can help our students become more creative in their thinking and writing.
Review the seminar reading materials, slides, and presentation videos below.
Session 1 Materials
Introduction to Design Thinking: Understand and Empathize
In this session, we discussed what design thinking is and how we can use it in our classrooms. We asked ourselves what our students want and need in our writing classes, and started thinking about how we can create or adapt a WR 153 course.
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Session 2 Materials
Design Thinking in the Writing Classroom: Define and Ideate
In this session, we focused more intensively on adapting design thinking to the writing classroom. We discussed two current WR 153 pilot courses and generated ideas about how to create or adapt our own versions of WR 153.
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Session 3 Materials
Problems and Controversies in Design Thinking: Prototype and Test
In this session, we evaluated criticism of the design thinking model and discussed how to use design thinking in a thoughtful, effective, and inclusive way. We began to prototype material for our WR 153 courses.
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- Reading:
- “Is Design Thinking the New Liberal Arts?” by Peter N. Miller, The Chronicle of Higher Education, March 26, 2015. (BU-only link)
- “Design Thinking is a Boondoggle” by Lee Vinsel, The Chronicle of Higher Education, 8, 2018. (BU-only link)
- “Dissensus, Resistance, and Ideology: Design Thinking as a Rhetorical Methodology” by April Greenwood et. al., Journal of Business and Technical Communication 3 (2019), 400-424. (BU-only link)
- “Index Cards” by Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life, 133-144.
- “The Box” by Twyla Tharp, The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life, 80-90.
- Viewing:
Session 4 Materials
Creativity in Writing Pedagogy: Assess
In this session, we discussed the larger issue of creativity in the writing classroom and considered how we can help our students become more confident in their creative abilities. We assessed our work so far and planned for next semester.
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Also see our Faculty Guide to Teaching WR 153, which will soon have additional resources on design thinking and the Creativity & Innovation Hub unit.
