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== Internships == == Internships ==
-Internships are considered on the job training experiences between the student and their employers. During the course of the internships the student can have either a paid or unpaid experience. <ref name="Schwartz">Schwartz, M. (2013). Opportunity Costs: The True Price of Internships. Dissent, 41-45.</ref> The primary placements for internships are usually at white collar locations (lawyers officers, research labs, political buildings, etc). <ref name="Schwartz"/> During the course of an internship the student can use this to their advantage. They can determine whether the routes they are going down for their career is what they truly want to do, they can network and gain experiences that are vital for their future employment. <ref name="Schwartz"/> +Internships are considered on the job training experiences between the student and their employers. During the course of the internships the student can have either a paid or unpaid experience. <ref name="Schwartz">Schwartz, M. (2013). Opportunity Costs: The True Price of Internships. Dissent, 41-45.</ref> The primary placements for internships are usually at white collar locations (lawyers officers, research labs, political buildings, etc). <ref name="Schwartz"/> During the course of an internship the student can use the experience to their advantage. Interns can determine whether the routes they are going down for their career is what they truly want to do, they can network and gain experiences that are vital for their future employment. <ref name="Schwartz"/>
-There are several different types of internships. Primarily those that are work based and research based (these are primarily for university students who are seeking a graduate school position or PHD). <ref name="Brown">Brown, C. (2012). Use of Logic Models to Plan and Assess Graduate Internship Experiences. Tech Trends: Linking Research and Practice to Improve Learning, 37-43.</ref> Those that are work based are primarily where the student gains a position at the location they applied and had to learn the job while they are working for the employer. <ref name="Brown"/> +There are several different types of internships, primarily those that are work-based and research based. These are for university students who are seeking a graduate school position or PhD). <ref name="Brown">Brown, C. (2012). Use of Logic Models to Plan and Assess Graduate Internship Experiences. Tech Trends: Linking Research and Practice to Improve Learning, 37-43.</ref> Those that are work based are primarily where the student gains a position at the location they applied and had to learn the job while they are working for the employer. <ref name="Brown"/>
-Internships lack the creativity of apprenticeships because internships are primarily carried out in a specific guideline. <ref name="Stedman">Stedman, J. (2011). Knowledge Competence in Clinical and Counseling Readiness for Internship. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 1-5.</ref> So the intern can’t be very creative because the business they are working for has a certain standard of work that they want and can possibly even frown on innovation because its outside of their respective standard that everyone else has to follow. This type of on the job training is rather inflexible where as those who are in apprenticeships are motivated to be creative because what works for one person may not particularly work for the next person.+Internships lack the creativity of apprenticeships because internships are primarily carried out in a specific guideline. <ref name="Stedman">Stedman, J. (2011). Knowledge Competence in Clinical and Counseling Readiness for Internship. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 1-5.</ref> The intern isn't able to be very creative because the business they are working for has a certain standard of work that they want and can possibly even frown on innovation because its outside of their respective standard that everyone else has to follow. This type of on the job training is rather inflexible, where as those who are in apprenticeships are motivated to be creative because what works for one person may not particularly work for the next person.
- [[Image:office.jpg]]+ [[Image:office.jpg]]
== Apprenticeships == == Apprenticeships ==
-An apprenticeship is a college based hands on learning environment where those who are attending college are given employment, a steady paycheck and are receiving specialized training at the same time that they are taking college level courses. <ref name="Christman">Christman, S. (2012). Preparing for Success Through Apprenticeship. Technology & Engineering Teacher, 22-28.</ref> These apprenticeships are usually trade skill based such as electrician, plumber, welder and give the student the specialized training to branch out into their respective field once their college career and apprenticeship requirements are fulfilled after their on the job training is completed. <ref name="Christman"/> Apprenticeships are primarily for the students benefit because the employer who is giving the individual the apprenticeship has to give them the adequate training during the course of this period so that once the apprenticeship is completed several years down the road the student can then go and take the skills that they learned during this time and apply them to their new trade. <ref name="Christman"/> +An apprenticeship is a college-based hands on learning environment where those who are attending college are given employment, a steady paycheck, and are receiving specialized training at the same time. <ref name="Christman">Christman, S. (2012). Preparing for Success Through Apprenticeship. Technology & Engineering Teacher, 22-28.</ref> These apprenticeships are usually trade skill-based (such as electrician, plumber, welder) and give the student the specialized training to branch out into their respective field once their college career and apprenticeship requirements are fulfilled after their on-the-job training is completed. <ref name="Christman"/> Apprenticeships are primarily for the students benefit because the employer who is giving the individual the apprenticeship has to give them the adequate training during the course of this period so that once the apprenticeship is completed several years down the road the student can then go and take the skills that they learned during this time and apply them to their new trade. <ref name="Christman"/>
Creativity is fostered in these situations because college student are used to innovation and problem solving. <ref name="Shen">Shekoyan, V., & Etkina, E. (2009). Using Cognitive Apprenticeship Framework And Multiple-possibility Problems to Enhance Epistemic Cognition. AIP Conference Proceedings, 269-272.</ref> Those in a university setting are used to following a specific set of guidelines while getting a task done. <ref name="Stedman"/> In apprenticeships the teacher may have their own method for performing a certain task and these can easily vary from individual to individual as each trade has its own specific steps that need to be carried out and these can easily be passed on to the student. <ref name="Shen"/> These problem solving abilities are important because every situation they come across down the road may be different and have unpredictable characteristics that cause them to make quick decisions that they may not have faced during their apprenticeship with their employer. <ref name="Shen"/> Creativity is fostered in these situations because college student are used to innovation and problem solving. <ref name="Shen">Shekoyan, V., & Etkina, E. (2009). Using Cognitive Apprenticeship Framework And Multiple-possibility Problems to Enhance Epistemic Cognition. AIP Conference Proceedings, 269-272.</ref> Those in a university setting are used to following a specific set of guidelines while getting a task done. <ref name="Stedman"/> In apprenticeships the teacher may have their own method for performing a certain task and these can easily vary from individual to individual as each trade has its own specific steps that need to be carried out and these can easily be passed on to the student. <ref name="Shen"/> These problem solving abilities are important because every situation they come across down the road may be different and have unpredictable characteristics that cause them to make quick decisions that they may not have faced during their apprenticeship with their employer. <ref name="Shen"/>
Line 96: Line 96:
== Comparisons == == Comparisons ==
-*Apprenticeships are for college students, are hands on paid experiences that involve training in a trade or craft. <ref name="Christman"/> 
-*Internships are primarily university positions that are research or work based that can be either paid or unpaid depending on the position. These positions are usually white collar positions. <ref name="Schwartz"/>+*Internships are primarily university positions that are research or work based that can be either paid or unpaid depending on the position. These positions are usually white collar positions. <ref name="Schwartz"/> Apprenticeships are hands on based skills learning experience for students who are looking to branch out into a trade after their college experience is over. <ref name="Christman"/> Internships are considered on the job training for university students looking at a white collar job (usually in an office setting). <ref name="Schwartz"/> Each of these has their own rewards such as preparing both of the students for their future careers whether it be as a plumber, electrician, politician, etc. Each has its own unique learning environment that can be adaptive and flexible (apprenticeships) or it can be rather rigid and straight forward (Internships)when it comes to problem solving situations that the person may be facing.
- +
-Apprenticeships are hands on based skills learning experience for students who are looking to branch out into a trade after their college experience is over. <ref name="Christman"/> Internships are considered on the job training for university students looking at a white collar job (usually in an office setting). <ref name="Schwartz"/> Each of these has their own rewards such as preparing both of the students for their future careers whether it be as a plumber, electrician, politician, etc. Each has its own unique learning environment that can be adaptive and flexible (apprenticeships) or it can be rather rigid and straight forward (Internships)+
==Notes and References== ==Notes and References==

Revision as of 14:43, 2 April 2013

Contents

Introduction

Current post-secondary educational systems are split between college and university, these institutions foster creativity differently through theoretical versus practical based learning. Creativity can be difficult to concretely define as it can be seen as process, ability or attitude. Both institutions have separate co-op programs which help develop individual creativity whether it be internships in university or apprenticeship in college. The evidence is used in a working example comparing the practical nursing program at Niagara College to the registered nursing program at Brock University. Creativity should be looked at further in the educational system and will nurture success in graduates in order to be ready for the workforce.

Creative Thinking

According to dictionary.com, [1] the traditional definitions of creativity include:

  1. The state or quality of being creative.
  2. The ability to transcend traditional ideas, rules, patterns, relationships, or the like, and to createmeaningful new ideas, forms, methods, interpretations, etc.; originality, progressiveness, orimagination: the need for creativity in modern industry; creativity in the performing arts.
  3. The process by which one utilizes creative ability: Extensive reading stimulated his creativity.

In the context of discussing creativity in terms of learning, school settings and academics, the focus can be shifted to the second definition. However, the creativity that is fostered in different academic settings varies. More specifically, in college and university, creativity that these settings aim to develop in the student differs from one another. The definition of creativity differs among the two settings. Before discussing this any further, we must explore what creativity is and what makes a creative person, creative.

What is Creativity?

Creativity can be seen as a process, an ability and/or attitude. [2] The process of creativity involves innovation and working to improve current ideas and solutions by constantly asking more questions or furthering current developments. The process of creativity is a long process with trial and error, but the constant strive towards improvement is what keeps the drive going. The ability of being creativity is an ability that we all have but unfortunately decreases as we age. If we look at infant children, they have the ability to day dream, to be artistic and to ask many, many questions. As adults, the ability to be creative is diminished steadily as we age, perhaps because of the increasing tendency for academics to push into being critical thinkers. The attitude of creativity is positive and optimistic, and is consistently driven by motivation of thinking outside of the conventional box.

That being said, creativity can be collectively defined as a process, an ability, and attitude. More specifically, in order for one to be creative, they must possess knowledge of, ability to express and attitude of the creative process.

Characteristics of the Creative Person

In 1996 Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi wrote an article discussing 10 paradoxical traits of the creative person. He summarizes these traits by stating that creative persons, "show tendencies of thought and action that in most people are segregated. They contain contradictory extremes; instead of being an ‘individual’, each of them is a ‘multitude’.” [3]. Csikszentmihalyi developed this list through years of research, the characteristics he found in creative persons are as follows: [3]

  1. The creative person has a lot of energy that is often concentrated to specific tasks, yet tends to be quiet at the same time.
  2. Creative persons tend to have high general intelligence, but tend to act naïve.
  3. Creative persons tend to merge creativeness with perseverance, in order to act on their playfulness with responsibility.
  4. Creative persons tend to dip into their imagination while still having sense of reality.
  5. The creative person is both extroverted and introverted, that is to say, both traits of shyness and outgoingness can be seen.
  6. Creative persons are both modest and proud.
  7. The creative person is able to think outside gender stereotyping.
  8. Creative persons are unconventional in their ways of thinking, yet still tend to be conservative.
  9. Creative persons tend to be very passionate about their works, but can remain detached from it.
  10. The ability of the creative person to be open-minded brings happiness, yet can often be exposed to criticism.

Creative Thinking vs Critical Thinking

In order to be a creative person, one must be able to think creatively as opposed to critically. Thinking creatively requires an individual to think outside the box and constantly ask questions. In academics, one could relate creative thinking with philosophy, where there is no single answer but multiple arguments. On the other hand, thinking critically involves one correct answer and where information, questions and answers are analytically evaluated. This kind of thinking is found in most current academic settings, where the ability to know the material is what makes you a good student. The differences are set out clearly in this chart: [2]

  • Creative thinking:
  • generative
  • divergent
  • lateral
  • possibility
  • suspended judgment
  • diffuse
  • subjective
  • an answer
  • right brain
  • visual
  • associative
  • richness, novelty
  • yes and


  • Critical thinking:
  • analytic
  • convergent
  • vertical
  • probability
  • judgment
  • focused
  • objective
  • answer
  • left brain
  • verbal
  • linear
  • reasoning
  • yes but


Notes and References

  1. ↑ Creativity (n.d.) February 14th, 1013. In Dictionary.com. Retrieved from http://dictionary.reference.com
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Harris, R. (2012, April 2). Introduction to Creative Thinking. Retrieved from http://www.virtualsalt.com/crebook1.htm
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1996). Creativity: The work and lives of 91 eminent people. HarperCollins.


Internships and Apprenticeships

Internships

Internships are considered on the job training experiences between the student and their employers. During the course of the internships the student can have either a paid or unpaid experience. [4] The primary placements for internships are usually at white collar locations (lawyers officers, research labs, political buildings, etc). [4] During the course of an internship the student can use the experience to their advantage. Interns can determine whether the routes they are going down for their career is what they truly want to do, they can network and gain experiences that are vital for their future employment. [4]

There are several different types of internships, primarily those that are work-based and research based. These are for university students who are seeking a graduate school position or PhD). [5] Those that are work based are primarily where the student gains a position at the location they applied and had to learn the job while they are working for the employer. [5]

Internships lack the creativity of apprenticeships because internships are primarily carried out in a specific guideline. [6] The intern isn't able to be very creative because the business they are working for has a certain standard of work that they want and can possibly even frown on innovation because its outside of their respective standard that everyone else has to follow. This type of on the job training is rather inflexible, where as those who are in apprenticeships are motivated to be creative because what works for one person may not particularly work for the next person. 

                            Image:office.jpg

Apprenticeships

An apprenticeship is a college-based hands on learning environment where those who are attending college are given employment, a steady paycheck, and are receiving specialized training at the same time. [7] These apprenticeships are usually trade skill-based (such as electrician, plumber, welder) and give the student the specialized training to branch out into their respective field once their college career and apprenticeship requirements are fulfilled after their on-the-job training is completed. [7] Apprenticeships are primarily for the students benefit because the employer who is giving the individual the apprenticeship has to give them the adequate training during the course of this period so that once the apprenticeship is completed several years down the road the student can then go and take the skills that they learned during this time and apply them to their new trade. [7]

Creativity is fostered in these situations because college student are used to innovation and problem solving. [8] Those in a university setting are used to following a specific set of guidelines while getting a task done. [6] In apprenticeships the teacher may have their own method for performing a certain task and these can easily vary from individual to individual as each trade has its own specific steps that need to be carried out and these can easily be passed on to the student. [8] These problem solving abilities are important because every situation they come across down the road may be different and have unpredictable characteristics that cause them to make quick decisions that they may not have faced during their apprenticeship with their employer. [8]

Image:Electrician.gif

Comparisons

  • Internships are primarily university positions that are research or work based that can be either paid or unpaid depending on the position. These positions are usually white collar positions. [4] Apprenticeships are hands on based skills learning experience for students who are looking to branch out into a trade after their college experience is over. [7] Internships are considered on the job training for university students looking at a white collar job (usually in an office setting). [4] Each of these has their own rewards such as preparing both of the students for their future careers whether it be as a plumber, electrician, politician, etc. Each has its own unique learning environment that can be adaptive and flexible (apprenticeships) or it can be rather rigid and straight forward (Internships)when it comes to problem solving situations that the person may be facing.

Notes and References

  1. ↑ Creativity (n.d.) February 14th, 1013. In Dictionary.com. Retrieved from http://dictionary.reference.com
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Harris, R. (2012, April 2). Introduction to Creative Thinking. Retrieved from http://www.virtualsalt.com/crebook1.htm
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1996). Creativity: The work and lives of 91 eminent people. HarperCollins.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Schwartz, M. (2013). Opportunity Costs: The True Price of Internships. Dissent, 41-45.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Brown, C. (2012). Use of Logic Models to Plan and Assess Graduate Internship Experiences. Tech Trends: Linking Research and Practice to Improve Learning, 37-43.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Stedman, J. (2011). Knowledge Competence in Clinical and Counseling Readiness for Internship. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 1-5.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Christman, S. (2012). Preparing for Success Through Apprenticeship. Technology & Engineering Teacher, 22-28.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Shekoyan, V., & Etkina, E. (2009). Using Cognitive Apprenticeship Framework And Multiple-possibility Problems to Enhance Epistemic Cognition. AIP Conference Proceedings, 269-272.


Which Institutions Fosters more Creativity?

Many people can argue that college equips people with specialized skills whereas university is the place people go to get the ‘creative’ jobs[9]. However the psychology of creativity argues that different types of creativity are dependent of the discipline [10] . Creativity can be seen as a broad category that can overall summarize the skills fostered in university compared to college. [10] Some researchers go further and argue the fact that not every type of creativity can be adopted to the traditional school setting and a variety of post-secondary classrooms in university and college can help foster a person’s full potential [10]

In the Cambridge Handbook of Creativity the authors discuss how various eminent individuals in history were too conventional for traditional school settings [11]. Many gifted children reported that their creativity was restricted by conformity discouraging innovation needed for the new generation [11]. It has been the mission for the Government of Ontario to provide the resources in our colleges and universities to help foster the skills needed for any career in the future [12]. Not only does the government try to succeed in transferring skills learned from school back into the workforce, post-secondary education should bring new innovative ideas to a variety of fields. [12]

Working Example

The working example mentioned discuss the different types of creativity nurtured in college compared to university leveled nursing programs found at courses offered at Brock University versus Niagara College.

Brock University:

  • Says to offer students a combination of theoretical and practical knowledge of the field. [13]
  • The goal toward teaching new nurses critical thinking to help identify the gaps between theory and practice in the professional setting. [13]
  • Practices in nursing deal with problem solving and goal-oriented learning acquired for the competitive and fast-paced work environment. [13]

Niagara College

  • Practical nursing offers knowledge again in the theory and also providing them with hands on experience. [14]
  • This college level program offers apprenticeships in local hospitals, which will give real-life experiences of the long hours related to the profession. [14]
  • The website briefly mentions that this course will allow personal professional judgment in the workplace and display an attitude that is appropriate for work. [14]

Comparison

According to some research creativity is domain-specific, and comparing practical to register nursing may sound a little repetitive however different creativity styles are being demonstrated here. [10] When examining some of the attributes described from the college website it shows that practical nursing is taking a hands on approach relating to more mechanical creativity. [14] In comparison the university level course offers mechanical creativity in the outline too, but also abstract thought and an integration of problem solving between to two skills. [13] When asking faculty members at a middle size university what the definition of creativity meant to them, various different responses were made when defining this term. [10]

In addition, according to the researchers [15] most nurses that have acquired a college level nursing qualifications may find themselves confronted with fixed wages and the inability to grow in one’s career. Most practical nurses that attained a college education find themselves working long hours and are subjected to the most mundane work duties at work. [15] Another personality study found that most students who attended college were dissatisfied with the trait of mastery in one’s field and felt that practical college programs can only teach you so much about a field of study. [16] It seems as though current college education is not allowing students to take on a larger perspective to their field of study, compared to a university level degree like nursing.[16]

Is Creativity Personality Dependent?

According a summary of research that the only way in which we can nurture innovative thinkers in our schools is to be guided to a field of study that matches with their personality[17]. Correlational studies show that creativity is a combination of personality and domain specific traits, however both factors influence a successful student. [18]

Some jobs will always be preferred in a university type setting compared to a college education such as a doctor, however occupations such as child care worker show more economic success at a college level compared to a university level education. [12] Although some disciplines in college aim towards services both levels of education offer to the diverse range creative attributes needed in the Canadian workforce. [18]

Notes and References

  1. ↑ Creativity (n.d.) February 14th, 1013. In Dictionary.com. Retrieved from http://dictionary.reference.com
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Harris, R. (2012, April 2). Introduction to Creative Thinking. Retrieved from http://www.virtualsalt.com/crebook1.htm
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1996). Creativity: The work and lives of 91 eminent people. HarperCollins.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Schwartz, M. (2013). Opportunity Costs: The True Price of Internships. Dissent, 41-45.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Brown, C. (2012). Use of Logic Models to Plan and Assess Graduate Internship Experiences. Tech Trends: Linking Research and Practice to Improve Learning, 37-43.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Stedman, J. (2011). Knowledge Competence in Clinical and Counseling Readiness for Internship. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 1-5.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Christman, S. (2012). Preparing for Success Through Apprenticeship. Technology & Engineering Teacher, 22-28.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Shekoyan, V., & Etkina, E. (2009). Using Cognitive Apprenticeship Framework And Multiple-possibility Problems to Enhance Epistemic Cognition. AIP Conference Proceedings, 269-272.
  9. ↑ Martin Prosperity Insights. (2011). The value of education part 3: Variation in returns to education by occupation. Retrieved from http://martinprosperity.org/2011/09/21/the-value-of-education-part-3-variation-in-returns-to-education-by-occupation/
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 Marquis, E., & Vajoczki, S. (2012). Creative differences: Teaching creativity across disciplines. International Journal for the School of Teaching and Learning, 6, 1-15.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Kaufman, J. C., & Sternberg, R. J. (2010). Cambridge handbook of creativity. New York: Cambridge University Press.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities. (2012). Strengthening Ontario’s centres of creativity, innovation and knowledge. Retrieved from www.tcu.gov.on.ca/pepg/.../DiscussionStrengtheningOntarioPSE.pdf
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 Brock University. (2009, September). Faculty of applied health sciences: Department of nursing. Retrieved from http://edit.brocku.ca/webfm_send/2215
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 Niagara College. (2013, February 12th). Post secondary: Practical nursing. Retrieved fromhttp://www.niagaracollege.ca/content/Programs/HealthStudies/PracticalNursing.aspx
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Cook, L., & Dickson, M. (2010). Returning to school: The challenges of the licensed practical nurse-to-registered nurse transition student. Teaching and Learning in Nursing, 5, 125-128
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Schweinle, A., & Helming, L. M. (2011). Success and motivation among college students. Social Psychology of Education, 14, 529-546
  17. ↑ Jones, L. K. (2011). Choosing a college major based on your personality. The Career Key Canada, 2-25.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Furnham, A., Batey, M., Booth, T. W., Patel, V., & Lozinskaya, D. (2011). Individual difference predictor of creativity in art and science students. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 6, 114-121.
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