Creativity & Innovation End of the Semester Group Project

For this assignment, you will be working in small groups (4-6 people) to compile information about a creativity or innovation related topic that was not discussed in class or covered in any detail in your readings (e.g., creativity and madness, creative computers, creativity in virtual worlds) and present that information to the class.

You will have about 15 minutes of class time for your presentation. You can present this information to the class in any way you choose (i.e., powerpoint presentation, film montage, question and answer with a guest speaker, Second Life skit, machinima, etc.).

The only requirements for your presentation is that

  1. The material you are presenting to the class must clearly specify the information you are trying to convey

  2. The relationship of the material you are presenting to the topics and theories we have been discussing in class during the semester

  3. The class should gain new knowledge about creativity or innovation from your presentation.

  4. Your group must create Second Life content that is relevant to the content of your presentation (e.g., clothing, avatars, built objects, machinima, a performance piece, Gallery of Transport, etc.).

  5. A component of your presentation must involve at least one of the group members demonstrating the Second Life content while in Second Life.

As an example, it is perfectly acceptable to begin a presentation on the creativity of molecular gastronomy by creating a film montageof the food creations of some of the world's leading molecular gastronomists. However, you will also need to explain what the montage is depicting (either in the montage or verbally as it progresses), and following the montage, provide factual information about the development of molecular gastronomy and its relevance to what we have learned about creativity in the classroom (e.g., it's acceptance by the general public and how that acceptance (or lack of acceptance) reflects societal constraints on creativity OR how it is being influenced by traditional elements of a culture OR how it reflects the creativity trait of Openness to Experience).

Alternately, it is perfectly acceptable to create a presentation using a format similar or identical to the lecture format used in the classroom.

One of the reasons for requiring students in this class to use Second Life is because of the opportunities that Second Life affords for exploring the creativity of individuals and groups in Second Life. Consequently, your presentation MUST contain a Second Life element.

During the semester I have given you several examples in class and in Second Life of different ways you could use Second Life for your presentation.

However you decide to incorporate Second Life into your presentation, your group needs to create some thing in Second Life that other avatars from this class and/or the Oakland University group can experience, buy, view, or interact with.

For example, for a presentation on molecular gastronomy, you could create virtual food that could be given to people along with a notecard that describes what the food is and its relationship to molecular gastronomy and creativity. Alternately, you could create a giant piece of creative food that someone could live in or explore that contains notecards about molecular gastronomy (like a museum exhibit). You could also create a virtual restaurant experience in which an avatar could be served the food they would be served in a restaurant specializing in molecular gastronomy.

Finally, one of purposes served by this assignment is to give you a chance to practice your presentation skills in front of an audience. Consequently, I expect every person in your group to participate verbally in some capacity for the presentation. I won’t be grading the number of lines each person speaks (I know public speaking is more difficult for some than others), just whether or not each person had something to say.

Information about how this presentation will be graded can be found here.