Keynote Speaker: Afternoon

Dr. Joseph Dracobly, Department of Behavior Analysis, University of North Texas

Title: Creativity in the Classroom: What It Is and How to Make it Happen

Abstract: 

In any course, there is core material students must learn to be successful. However, more and more, students and administrators are seeking educational opportunities that are immediately relevant outside the classroom. This can be a tall task, particularly in online courses in which interactions may not occur in real time. Additionally, as every teacher knows, however, the world can be a complex, messy place. With the limited time we have with students, it can be difficult to balance the acquisition of new skills with the application and synthesis of those skills. Fortunately, there is an emerging solution to this problem based on the promotion of variation in learning. In this talk, I will focus on three areas. First, I will discuss some of the research on how we can promote variability of responding across a variety of areas to promote the creativity of our students. Second, I will discuss how, and why, infusing variable responding across the curriculum creates a skill-set that is adaptable to an ever-changing world. Finally, I will provide some practical strategies for how you can be creative in making your material, instruction, and class activities facilitate the variability and creativity of your students.Describe the research on response variability and how it relates to student creativity.

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe the research on response variability and how it relates to student creativity.

2. Describe practical strategies for teaching students an adaptable skill-set, based on behavior-based strategies to promote creativity and problem solving.