Exploring Perspectives on Creativity Theory and Research in Education

Collectively, the sixteen chapters in this book investigate the power of creativity in the classroom, many through the specific lens of limited resources as an opportunity. The chapters are divided into two sections, eight chapters comprising Section I: Theory and Research and then the eight chapters comprising Section II: Additional Perspectives and Future Directions. Within these two sections, the more than two-dozen authors that contributed to this book tackle a wide range of the possibilities for designing creative classroom-based instruction wherein limited resources are highlighted and valued, rather than avoided or lamented. The two main sections of this book are each preceded by a brief introductory summary highlighting those sections’ attributes and objectives, with the intention of providing helpful structure to the reader--but the book has also been designed such that each chapter stands independently and can be jumped to directly like a handbook. In its totality, this book exploring perspectives on creativity theory and research in education is designed to serve as a valuable resource for teachers, teacher educators, school administrators, parents, and education researchers, along with anyone else that is interested in optimizing our opportunities for nurturing creativity within classrooms.

Daniel A. Tillman is an Associate Professor in Educational Technology at The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). His current research and teaching focuses on the diffusion of technology innovations into K-12 education, and the use of Augmented Reality (AR) to support teaching and learning. Dr. Tillman received his doctoral degree in Instructional Technology from The University of Virginia (UVA) in 2012, and since then has taught both graduate and undergraduate courses on educational technology. Prior to completing UVA’s Ph.D. program, he directed and edited educational documentary movies for almost ten years.