How to nurture creativity in tomorrow s innovators today s college students When asked what they want colleges to emphasize most, employers didn t put science, computing, math, or business management first. According to AAC&U s 2013 employer survey, 95% of employers give hiring preference to college graduates with skills that will enable them to contribute to innovation in the workplace. In Engaging Imagination: Helping Students Become Creative and Reflective Thinkers, two leading educators help college instructors across disciplines engage students in nurturing creativity and innovation for success beyond the classroom. Alison James, an expert in creative arts education, and Stephen D. Brookfield, bestselling author, outline how creative exploration can extend students reflective capabilities in a purposeful way, help them understand their own potential and learning more clearly, and imbue students with the freedom to generate and explore new questions. This book: shows why building creative skills pays dividends in the classroom and in students professional lives long after graduation; offers research-based, classroom-tested approaches to cultivating creativity and innovation in the college setting; provides practical tools for incorporating play into the college curriculum; draws on recent advances in the corporate sector where creative approaches have been adopted to reinvigorate thinking and problem-solving processes; and includes examples from a variety of disciplines and settings. Engaging Imagination is for college and university faculty who need to prepare students for the real challenges of tomorrow s workplace.

How to nurture creativity in tomorrow'sinnovators--today's college studentsWhen asked what they want colleges to emphasize most, employersdidn't put science, computing, math, or business managementfirst. According to AAC&U's 2013 employer survey, 95% ofemployers give hiring preference to college graduates with skillsthat will enable them to contribute to innovation in the workplace.In Engaging Imagination: Helping Students Become Creative andReflective Thinkers, two leading educators help collegeinstructors across disciplines engage students in nurturingcreativity and innovation for success beyond the classroom. AlisonJames, an expert in creative arts education, and Stephen D.Brookfield, bestselling author, outline how creative explorationcan extend students' reflective capabilities in a purposefulway, help them understand their own potential and learning moreclearly, and imbue students with the freedom to generate andexplore new questions.This book:* shows why building creative skills pays dividends in theclassroom and in students' professional lives long aftergraduation;* offers research-based, classroom-tested approaches tocultivating creativity and innovation in the college setting;* provides practical tools for incorporating "play"into the college curriculum;* draws on recent advances in the corporate sector where creativeapproaches have been adopted to reinvigorate thinking andproblem-solving processes; and* includes examples from a variety of disciplines andsettings.Engaging Imagination is for college and university facultywho need to prepare students for the real challenges oftomorrow's workplace.

List of Figures ixPreface xiAcknowledgments xxiAbout the Authors xxiiiPart 1 Understanding the Role of Imagination in Learning 11. How Engaging the Imagination Fosters Reflective Thinking 32. Introducing Reflective Thinking to Students 253. Connecting Creativity, Imagination, and Play 47Part 2 Engaging Imagination Tools and Techniques 674. Using Visual Methods of Teaching and Learning 695. How Story and Metaphor Provoke Reflective Thinking 936. Playing Seriously: Legos and Labyrinths 1157. Playing with Space: Pods and Patchwork 1398. Asking Powerful Questions 1639. Building Reflective Communities: Maps and Mazes 185Part 3 Negotiating the Emotional Realities of Engaging Imagination 20710. Keeping Energy and Morale High 20911. Engaging Our Own Imaginations as Authors 233References 251Index 261