COURSE DESCRIPTION

The Creativity and Innovation course focuses on developing creative ways of thinking for solving real world problems. The course provides opportunities for students to apply the creative thinking and innovation tools through class exercises and projects, where students develop creative concepts for chosen topics. The course is taught by a group of inventors and innovators from U.S. multinational companies.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

  • Understand the global innovation models and how innovation happens in various ways;
  • Understand creative thinking methods and roadblocks, as well as the process to solve real world problems;
  • Understand global innovation tools and how to apply the tools to solve real world problems;
  • Develop creative projects that provide innovative solutions to real‐world problems using the process, methods, and tools learned in the course;
  • Enhance creative and innovative thinking skills;
  • Analyze strategies for innovations in products or services with various formats.

In the class, students will interact with inventors from the United States, and to create creative solutions for solving real world problems. The course is designed for students in all majors.

PREREQUISITES

No prerequisites are needed to take the course.

INSTRUCTORS

The course is taught by a group of inventors, innovators and entrepreneurs from U.S. multi-national companies.

METHODS OF INSTRUCTION

By leveraging advanced Internet video collaboration technology, the world-class professionals from the United States give real-time lectures to students, interact with the students, and guide the students in conducting projects.

Students will complete the entire coursework in the AAFIE global learning community, a platform specifically designed to promote global perspective, cross-cultural communication, international collaboration, and critical and creative thinking skills. In the learning community, students are guided by international mentors from multinational companies in the United States. Students submit their coursework to the global community, present their solutions to the global community, receive feedback from the global community, and complete projects in the global community, making students learn in a true global context.

TEXTBOOKS

The course is mostly about real-world international innovation experience, therefore, there are no textbooks, but students are required to read and research prior to class sessions. Students will leverage Internet contents for project assignments and use live recordings for class review.

COURSE COMPONENTS

To complete the course, a total of 32 sessions (without project coach sessions) or 48 sessions (with project coach sessions) is required. The course is divided into two parts for each session:

  • Creative mindset
  • Innovative projects

COURSE GRADING POLICY

Classroom Participation/Response: 20%
Project: 50%
Final Exam: 30%

Attendance is mandatory for all class sessions. Students are subject to losing points for absences unless prior approval is obtained from Instructors or Teaching Assistants. Students receiving excused absences are required to watch the class recordings online as well as to fulfill any/all course requirements associated with missed class sessions.

COURSE CREDITS

The recommended number of credits for the course is 2 or 3 depending on whether or not the optional part is implemented.