Just published as part of the Unitwin Network on Open Education 23 good reasons… to adopt Open Education
Support creativity by Erwan Louërat
Christian Lachapelle is coordinator and assistant to the director of the fabriqueREL in Quebec at the University of Sherbrooke. Trained as a mathematics and science teacher, he is interested in open education, particularly the implementation of open educational practices and the use of open educational resources (OER). Illustration and wood working allow him to use freely his creativity in his spare time.
Paul Lyonnaz is an open education advisor at the Fabrique REL at Nantes Université. Pedagogical facilitator for health teachers after having been a practicing physiotherapist and then a trainer for a long time, he has been involved in knowledge engineering since the arrival of the Internet. At the same time, he works as a composer and improvising pianist under the artist name POL.
Coping with chaos
Creativity refers to our ability to cope with uncertainty and change, and to the skill we use when we encounter new problems and invent new strategies to solve them (Tosato & Bodi, 2011).
In a world of “polycrises” (Morin & Kern, 1993), characterized by acceleration (Rosa, 2010) and the constant quest for performance, biology and biophysics researcher Olivier Hamant puts forward a hypothesis: “we will have to live in a world where we have lost control” by learning lessons from the living world. The University must therefore re-define itself by looking to the future, as done in the past. He then invites us to ask ourselves “how can we live in a fluctuating world?” (Hamant, 2024).
Adaptability and art as answers?
Whereas the scientific approach generates results supported by evidence that contributes to the emergence of new knowledge, the artistic approach and the resulting work tend to generate questions. The finished work reveals intimate and singular questions for both the creator and the “viewer”. It makes the imaginary a commonplace; a world where knowledge would be primarily source of questions, diversity an openness. And the artistic approach encourages above all to observe, to feel and to think by doing, body and mind immersed in the material.
This common material that calls for creativity
Every person is a repository of knowledge, based on his origin, his culture, his background and his experiences. A quest for this knowledge means offering renewed material, enriched by cultural diversity. This is done by encountering other cultures, different viewpoints and practices, welcoming them, shaping them and then sharing them. A “living” material that becomes an educational resource. We can then see how collective intelligence and co-construction open up new horizons in education.
But how open educational resources (OER) and their use channel creativity for teaching, learning and to grow all together?
OER, state of flow and creativity
According to Farrow & al. (2015), OERs create an active and collaborative learning environment that also facilitates collaboration between teacher and student in a cognitive learning process that leads to increased confidence, satisfaction and enthusiasm for the subject. Moreover, OER are all designated as tools for engaging students in their learning, due to their adaptability, openness and accessibility qualities. They enable educators to create learning conditions that stimulate creativity and thus promote educational success.
Several results (Sbaith, 2023, Akpu, 2020) show that creativity has a significant impact on educational success and that there is a positive relationship between creativity and creative thinking skills, particularly originality, ease, flexibility and elaboration.
An exploratory study conducted by Tseng, Sciuchetti and Tang (2024) found that students with a growth mindset and that experience high levels of flow perceive greater value in OER. Research also shows that the experience of flow leads to various positive attitudes, including an exploratory mindset, intrinsic motivation and creativity (Hoffman, Novak, 1996, Schutte & Malouff, 2020).
Teachers and curriculum designers are encouraged to integrate OER to foster innovation and creativity among students. Thus it is important that administrators and policy makers support the use and creation of OER by setting good conditions within their institutions.
Stimulating openness
Open and inclusive education values invite us to enter a realm of possibilities, where everyone becomes an actor of knowledge. To do so, one must integrate uncertainty and complexity and align himself to the fluctuations of the world by considering cultural diversity. By stimulating openness in thought and action, it releases a common dynamic, a flow that absorbs astonishment, frees us from fears and places us at the heart of change, with full confidence to face challenges. Open education and OERs form a sustainable ecosystem and enabling environment in which the living, imagination and creativity are an integral part of lifelong learning.
Sustainable ecosystem and enabling environment, C. Lachapelle et P. Lyonnaz
References
Akpur, U. (2020). Critical, Reflective, Creative Thinking and Their Reflections on Academic Achievement. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 37, 100683. Redirecting
Farrow, R., Pitt, R., de los Arcos, B., Perryman, L.-A., Weller, M., & McAndrew, P. (2015). Impact of OER use on teaching and learning : Data from OER Research Hub (2013–2014). British Journal of Educational Technology, 46(5), 972-976. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.12310
Hamant, O. (2024, décembre 17). Une 3e voie pour l’Université, grâce aux leçons du vivant, Conférence dans le cadre de la semaine de l’éducation ouverte (Nantes Université) [Enregistrement vidéo]. DSpace
Hoffman, D. L., & Novak, T. P. (1996). Marketing in Hypermedia Computer-Mediated Environments : Conceptual Foundations. Journal of Marketing, 60(3), 50-68. https://doi.org/10.1177/002224299606000304
Morin, E., & Kern, A. B. (1993). Terre Patrie (Seuil). Actualités/Essais/Documents | Editions Seuil
Rosa, H. (2010). Accélération—Une critique sociale du temps. Éditions La Découverte. Accélération - Hartmut Rosa - Éditions La Découverte
Sbaih, A. D. (2023). Creative thinking in students of mathematics in universities and its relationship with some variables—Perspectives de la science et de l’éducation (Перспективы науки и образования). Consulté 12 février 2025, à l’adresse Creative thinking in students of mathematics in universities and its relationship with some variables — Перспективы науки и образования
Schutte, N. S., & Malouff, J. M. (2020). Connections between curiosity, flow and creativity. Personality and Individual Differences, 152, 109555. Redirecting
Tosato, P., Bodi, G. (2011). Collaborative environments to foster creativity, reuse and sharing of OER. European Journal of Open, Distance and E-learning, 14(2). Retrieved from https://www.oerknowledgecloud.org/record1109
Tseng, H., Sciuchetti, M., & Tang, Y. (2024). Exploratory Study of Students’ Creative Mindset, Perceived Values of Open Educational Resources, and Flow. Open Praxis, 16(4). Exploratory Study of Students’ Creative Mindset, Perceived Values of Open Educational Resources, and Flow | Open Praxis
“Support creativity” by Christian Lachapelle and Paul Lyonnaz is licensed under CC BY 4.0
Link: https://euniwell-open-education.univ-nantes.fr/support-creativity/