Mary Stewart 
Creative Inquiry 
From Ideation to Implementation

Creative Inquiry introduces both undergraduate students and general readers to the exploratory mindset and hands-on skills essential to the cultivation and implementation of new ideas. Using active learning, this book combines concise explanations and real-world examples with engaging exercises for readers to complete. The writing style is conversational, yet substantial, and the examples given reflect a wide range of disciplines, from early aeronautics and linguistics to zoology.




Creative Inquiry emphasizes the importance of direct experience, personal initiative, and the generation of new knowledge. Step by step, the exercises build the skills students need when they tackle the final self-designed Capstone project. Positioned at the end of major sections, five brief self-reflection papers are designed to help students assess their progress and revise their assignments. To encourage collaboration and strengthen metacognition, teams of three to six participants work together on these papers. This encourages an iterative mindset and provides extensive practice with writing. The appendix provides a lively and practical ‘Top Ten List’ of writing strategies for students who need extra advice.

Содержание

Preface




Module #1. Introduction

Rationale

Organization

Terminology




Module #2. Warm-Up Exercises

Warm-Up #1: Using Curiosity to Spark New Ideas

Warm-Up #2: Identifying the Variables

Warm-Up #3: Establishing the Criteria for Success

Self-Reflection #1: Warm-Up Exercises




Module #3. Creative Challenges

Challenge #1: Understanding User Needs

Challenge #2: Incremental and Transformative

Challenge #3: Problem Definition

Challenge #4: Targeted Research

Self-Reflection #2: Creative Challenges




Module #4. Six Ideation Strategies

Strategy #1: Convergent Thinking

Strategy #2: Divergent Thinking

Strategy #3: Analogical Thinking

Strategy #4: Technological or Material Transfer

Strategy #5: Associative Thinking

Strategy #6: Pattern Recognition




Module #5. Three Selection Strategies

Strategy #1: Expanding the Bandwidth

Strategy #2: Connecting Critical and Creative Thinking

Strategy #3: The Parts and the Puzzle

Self-Reflection #3: Idea Generation and Selection Strategies




Module #6: Developing a Capstone Project

Four Proposal Examples

History

Engineering

Art

Computer Science

Iteration and Reiteration

Identifying and Overcoming Obstacles

Self-Reflection #4: Capstone Project




Module #7: Innovator Insights



Building a Better Business


Mark Breen



Problem Solving for Science Students


Ian Fogarty



An Interdisciplinary Approach in Medicine


Dr. Emily Pritchard



Hard Facts and Slippery Fictions


Jeremy Thomas Gilmer



From Building Housing to Rebuilding Lives


Dr. Jill Pable



Storytelling and Social Change


Liz Canner



From Colony to Collaborative Community


Christine Nieves



Self-Reflection #5: A Personal Board of Advisors




Module #8: From Coursework to Career



Tried And True Internship Strategies


Stephanie Vivorito with editing by Mary Stewart




Appendix: Ten Easy Ways to Strengthen Your Writing

Overall Structure

Writing Style

Finally

Glossary



Notes




Further Resources

Books

Podcasts

Sample Academic Programs, Centers, and Institutes



Index

About the Author

Об авторе

Mary Stewart is Professor Emerita of Art at Florida State University. Her books include
Launching the Imagination: A Comprehensive Guide to Basic Design.