Creativity is a characteristic quality of everything a human being does well. Broken down into skills, creativity might involve:
. taking risks and not being fearful of mistakes
. thinking outside of the box (i.e. imaginatively), seeking alternatives
. an ability to see flaws or inconsistencies in arguments
. a disposition to sensibly question or probe ideas
. an ability to persevere in the face of difficulties
. an ability to communicate well with others
. being able to work productively in a group (not just with friends).

These 'soft' qualities are widely sought, alongside an ability to learn well. There is a concern that high status tests and loaded curricula have resulted in teaching that, however focussed and imaginative, fails to encourage student creativity and independence - some argue to the extent that imagination becomes endangered (listen to Sir Ken Robinson's views below). Students (as with other humans) may prefer to be directed but is this in the best interests of their educational experience, where some engagement and thinking on their part will better motivate them to learn and enable them to make more sense of their studies?

So how do you respond when a student asks, "Sir/Miss, why don't you just tell us the answer/ what to put?"

What activities promote effective and creative learning? How much control can be afforded to students given the tightness of exam syllabuses and the current testing regime?

The capacity of the average child to retain knowledge after different kinds of activity has been estimated to be:
Listening 5%
Reading 10%
Audio-visual 20%
Demonstrations 30%
Discussion 50%
Practice by doing 75%
Explaining to others 90%

. Creativity takes courage, and playfulness. Henri Matisse
. Always have a vivid imagination for you never know when you might need it. JK Rowling
. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Albert Einstein
. Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep. Scott Adams
. Nothing encourages creativity like the chance to fall flat on one's face. James D Finley
. Have no fear of perfection, you'll never reach it. Salvador Dali
. Learning is an adventure in which failures are an essential, incidental part. Beverley Anderson
. Rigour and creativity are the two great contraries of mental process, analogous to genetic replication and mutation. Gregory D Bateson

Some ideas, slightly adapted from Philip Candy, 1991
(Oxford Brookes University)

Independent study is a process, a method or disposition whereby a student acquires knowledge and understanding through their own efforts and develops the ability for enquiry as well as critical evaluation. This often occurs in extended tasks, researching topics and practical work where there are choices and, more simply, by the student asking questions and developing ideas with each other and in answer to teacher directed questions.

Teacher control to Learner control
Teachers can only really encourage independent learning through a deliberate surrendering of certain prerogatives (their control and direction) and also by the by the student accepting responsibility to follow some self-devised routes.

The dimensions of independent learning:
Elements of personal autonomy in a student:
. Preparedness to think and act autonomously
. Ability to realistically appraise own shortcomings as a student
. Effective approaches to self-organisation, e.g. by reviewing work

A goal and a process
. Independent learning can be both a goal and a process: a method of learning and a feature of how students are able to engage with work
. Teaching strategies can create different levels of independence or self-directedness
. There needs to be some freedom of choice in determining aspects within the focus of a piece of work

Gains for the learner
. Ability to respond to change ('mobility')
. Transferable life skills
. Self-direction is motivating and usually leads to higher order thinking
. The excitement and pleasure of independent learning will carry over to the subject itself
. Mirrors 'natural' learning in the rest of life

Possible losses for the learner
. Carl Rogers said that only 1/3 or 1/4 of students are self-directing; the rest do just what they are asked and what they are supposed to do
. Too little (as well as too much) direction can be frustrating for the student
. Students can lack the necessary knowledge in the subject matter to begin a piece of work
. Students might have very specific expectations about the degree of direction that they want to be provided by the teacher

Challenge for the teacher
It is a challenge to provide the correct and necessary amount of guidance without providing too much direction.

Direction (and 'scaffolding') is needed to help learners identify and overcome areas of difficulty but too much direction detracts from their sense of ownership, involvement and pleasure.

Arguably, students cannot be said to have acquired a skill unless they can apply it independently. Prof Richard Skemp offered a distinction between shorter lived instrumental understanding, where a skill can be applied only in close proximity to acquisition and in similar contexts and relational understanding where a skill is learned deeply. He claimed the latter to be far more effective in the long run even though it usually takes longer to establish. More than an ability to apply skills, a desire for independence is a disposition, probably helpful for a fulfilled life.

Following the Nfer's extensive research (1989 to 2005) into pupil's experience and perspectives on the curriculum, one of their main recommendations was that enjoyable and 'fun' learning comprises: a more visible relevance to daily life and work, even greater emphasis on practical activity, and opportunities for responsibility, autonomy and personal choice.

When differentiating the curriculum and assessing students, teachers have appreciated that independence is the face of accomplishment. In English, recent pupil progress materials (reading) identify that, for grade A performance at GCSE, students will show a sustained and sensitive response to a task, showing independent insight.

It is not just high attainers who are expected to demonstrate independence. At level 2 in the developing ICT functional skills tests (from September 2009 and defining 'the Basics') students need to be able to select and use a variety of sources of information independently for a complex task.

In maths functional skill developments, independence is viewed as a measure of accomplishment, relating to the level of autonomy that learners apply when tackling a problem. At the higher levels (3) students will demonstrate their ability to select and apply maths skills independently. Even at level 2 (needed for a grade C at GCSE): guidance may be provided but choices are independently made and evaluated.

Many will support the view of Benton (in 2000), researching poetry in secondary schools, who argued that "time and examination pressure may lead to a teaching to the test, a falling off in enjoyment, a closing down of some things that teachers previously valued and a loss of the creative to the analytical".

To achieve the aims of the curriculum, young people need to experience opportunities to understand themselves and the world in which they live. Cross-curriculum dimensions provide important unifying areas of learning that help young people make sense of the world and give education relevance and authenticity. They reflect the major ideas and challenges that face individuals and society.

Dimensions can add a richness and relevance to the curriculum experience of young people. They can provide a focus for work within and between subjects and across the curriculum as a whole, including the routines, events and ethos of the school.

Cross-curriculum dimensions include:
. identity and cultural diversity
. healthy lifestyles
. community participation
. enterprise
. global dimension and sustainable development
. technology and the media
. creativity and critical thinking.

Mick Waters' address to the Learning and Teaching Scotland (LTS) learning conference (2007) about the intentions of the new curriculum is well worth watching at:
http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/slf/video/mickwaterskeynotespeech.asp

(Stephen Heppell's address, about ICT, at the conference is also well worth watching)

He says that it is a profound mistake for education to now aim to meet the needs of industrialism. Creativity is now as important as literacy.

There is an excellent video of an address to TED filmed in Feb 2006, Monterey California, on the important theme of whether schools kill creativity.
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/66

What will make a rich task "rich" is the manner in which it is presented and allowed to develop. Such projects will need a lengthy period of time as well as support and questioning used by the teacher to stimulate independent thinking.

There is an intention that learners will not be passive recipients of knowledge but more independent constructors of their own understanding, who challenge and reflect. Rich tasks:
. are accessible to the full range of students,
. have collaboration and discussion at their heart,
. encourage creativity and imaginative applications of skills,
. reveal overarching principles, making connections between disciplines,
. probably utilise and benefit from the tools of ICT,
. provide for and encourage 'in-depth' and extensive independent study,
. offer opportunities for initial success, challenging students to think for themselves,
. offer different levels of challenge, tasks having a low threshold and a high ceiling,
. allow students to identify goals, explore and follow up their own ideas, find conclusions and evaluations (in a resolution),
. allow for different methods and different avenues of exploration,
. offer opportunities to identify high quality work,
. broaden students' skills and extend their content knowledge,
. develop confidence and independence as well as critical thinking.

Case studies of cross curricular working
Interesting case studies can be found at Curriculum.qca.org. Their cross curricular dimensions (listed above) are worth exploring in more detail before moving on to 'curriculum in action' then many helpfully interesting 'case studies'.

Rich Tasks
Extended or rich tasks with depth, lengthy duration, and a complexity (usually breadth) will challenge students and can motivate them to construct or apply knowledge. The benefits of such work include a development of: problem-solving, communication, collaboration, planning, and evaluation skills.

Queensland (in Australia) have a good range of cross-curricular materials within what they call the 'New Basics Project'. This project seeks to ensure that students can manipulate information and ideas in ways which transform their meaning and implications, understand that knowledge is not a fixed body of information, and can coherently communicate ideas, concepts, arguments and explanations with rich detail.

If you Google 'Rich Tasks' you should find these project materials. Those relevant to secondary schools are the 3rd suite, for their 'years 7 to 10'.

These ideas have been used and adapted by Argyll and Bute (Scotland) as part of their 'curriculum for excellence' (level 3).
http://www.education.ea.argyll-bute.sch.uk/learnteach/ace_richtask.asp

By asking students to create a self-evaluation of an extended task they can study their learning process and gauge their progress. Also self-evaluation provides students with a sense of what they have accomplished and reinforces the notion of students having responsibility for learning.

Creativity involves the use of imagination and intellect to generate ideas, insights and solutions to problems and challenges. Coupled with critical thinking, which involves evaluative reasoning, creative activity can produce outcomes that can be original, expressive and have value. Creativity and critical thinking develop students' capacity for original ideas and purposeful action. Experiencing the wonder and inspiration of human ingenuity and achievement, whether artistic, scientific or technological, can spark individual enthusiasms that contribute to personal fulfillment.

Creativity can be an individual or collaborative activity. By engaging in creative activities, students can develop the capacity to influence and shape their own lives and wider society. Everyone has the potential for creative activity and it can have a positive impact on self-esteem, emotional wellbeing and overall achievement.

Creative activity is essential for the future wellbeing of society and the economy. It can unlock the potential of individuals and communities to solve personal, local and global problems. Creativity is possible in every area of human activity - from the cutting edge of human endeavor to ordinary aspects of our daily life.

Creativity and critical thinking are not curriculum subjects, but they are crucial aspects of learning that should permeate the curriculum and the life of the school.

Developing a curriculum that supports creativity
In order to develop student's creativity and critical thinking, they should have opportunities across the curriculum to:
. use their imagination to explore possibilities
. generate ideas, take risks and to learn from their mistakes
. refine, modify and iteratively develop ideas and products
. make connections between ideas
. engage in creative activities in all subjects, exploring links between subjects and wider aspects of learning
. work in relevant contexts, with real audience and purpose
. work with a range of creative individuals, both in and out of the classroom
. encounter the work of others, including theories, literature, art, design, inventions and discoveries, as sources of inspiration
. discover and pursue particular interests and talents.