Out of the Blue: Teaching Creativity and Entrepreneurship through Flashmobs

Abstract

Purpose

Educators are increasingly required to develop creativity and entrepreneurial capabilities amongst students, yet within the fields of entrepreneurship and innovation these are presented as separate processes. We explore the theoretical and conceptual similarities and differences between these processes, and relate this to a range of experiential and digitally enhanced learning activities in formal education settings.

Methodology/approach

We present a conceptual model of the iterative nature of creativity and entrepreneurship as separate cognitive and social processes leading to aesthetic or sense-making outcomes. This leads to a discussion of how these processes may be experienced by students within an educational setting.

Findings

We propose a framework of learning activities which support the development of creativity through teaching entrepreneurially, at primary, secondary, and tertiary education levels. A range of different approaches is critically evaluated according to their relevance, including business planning, simulations, roleplay, co-creation, and flashmobs. Flashmobs are proposed to be most suitable and an outline learning activity design is mapped in detail against creative and entrepreneurial processes.

Research and Practical implications

This chapter supports educational practice and research on learning through entrepreneurship in allowing educators and researchers to evaluate how learning activities may directly contribute to students’ learning through experience and the development of their creative and entrepreneurial mind-set.

Originality/value

This chapter is of value to educators as it explains how creative and entrepreneurial processes may be experienced by students through different forms of learning activity. It is of further value to research on entrepreneurial learning in considering how the creative process may inform entrepreneurial action.

Citation

Tunstall, R., Nieminen, L., Jing, L. and Hjorth, R. (2016), "Out of the Blue: Teaching Creativity and Entrepreneurship through Flashmobs", Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Education (Advances in Digital Education and Lifelong Learning, Vol. 2), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 31-56. https://doi.org/10.1108/S2051-229520160000002001