USING CREATIVITY ACTIVITIES

A2: RANDOM WORDS

ACTIVITY PURPOSE
Random words is a short introductory activity which can be used to introduce students to creativity techniques and encourage them to start thinking in abstract ways that they are unlikely to be familiar with. Random words can be used to help them generate inspiration for problem solving and encourage them to think in different ways. Creativity techniques like this enable students to build on each other’s ideas and encourage new ways of thinking - which is an important element of successful ecodesign.

SUITABILITY FOR A/S and A2 STUDENTS
This activity can be used with both AS and A2 level students. More guidance from the teacher may be required for AS students.

It is important to recognise that most students will not have worked with these types of techniques before and may find the activity difficult to get in to, to start with. To ensure the success of the activity the teacher must have a clear idea of what they are doing and help out by contributing their own ideas - however silly. Often a little ‘sillyness’ can kick start the activity quite successfully.

WHEN TO USE THE ACTIVITY
This technique is a useful taster technique which gives students the opportunity to try out creativity techniques and experience how they work. As it is quite an abstract technique it is useful to use it at the beginning of a brainstorming workshop to begin to generate ideas and provide inspiration for idea generation. For any creativity technique it is important to make sure that a specific problem has been identified before beginning the exercise. For a tool like this focus on something that can be easily defined,
e.g. energy reduction, materials reduction.

IS IT FOR GROUPS OR INDIVIDUALS?
With creativity techniques it is often much more beneficial for students to work in groups - though as individuals become more proficient, they can start to use them on their own. Working in groups allows the students to build on each others ideas and develop new solutions (e.g. 1 + 1 = 3).

VALUES ISSUES CONSIDERED
This activity can be tailored to be used for any situation where idea generation is required, so is appropriate for supporting environmental and social/cultural and economic issues.

ASSESSMENT CRITIERIA MET
Taking part in Random words will introduce the students to a very simple way of generating inspiration for new ideas. This technique also provides a good opportunity to encourage students to work together in a group.

THE ACTIVITY AND HINTS ON HOW TO ORGANISE IT

In advance
• In advance print out and cut up the sheets of random words (see sheets below) - put them in a container.

Setting up
• Divide the class into small groups (min 3- max 7) and set them up around large tables.
• Give each group a couple of large sheets of paper (A2) and each student a marker pen.
• If this activity is to be used to support an ecodesign redesign activity - write the improvement option that is to be focused on, on a white board focus so that all the students can see it e.g. energy reduction.

Getting started
• Outline the rules: do not criticise, be as crazy as you like, listen to each other, have fun.
• Go round each group and ask one student from each group to select a random word from a box of pre-prepared words (like a lucky dip)
o Do not give them the opportunity to change their word - encourage them to work with what they pull out
• The students should then write the word in the middle of their piece of paper.
• The students then have 3 minutes to work together to come up with as many words associated with the random word that they have selected.
o E.g. Pencil
• Sharp
• Point
• Wood
• Lead
• Write
• Letters
• Books
• Blue & white
• Blunt
• Rubber
• Erase
• …
• The words that they come up with, should be written down on the large sheet of paper
o The students should work together whilst doing this, calling out their ideas, and all writing down the words that they generate.
o It is great to encourage the students to be a bit silly, but make sure that if they start going completely off the wall that they are brought round to generate at least some useful words, as they will have to use them later to generate solutions.
• Now ask the students to look at the board where it says ENERGY REDUCTION, and ask them to apply any of the words that they have generated to the problem of energy reduction, to see what they can come up with.
• These solutions should be written down.
• It is likely that the students will struggle with this activity to start with, so that facilitator should make sure that they go round the groups and make it look easy… just keep talking and generating ideas, however silly.

Conclusions
• By the end of the session the groups will have generated a whole range of new ways of reducing the energy consumption of their product.
• Ask them to circle the ideas that they like the most and which they think they may be able to use.

Random Words - early alphabet examples

Adult
Aeroplane
Air
Aircraft Carrier
Airforce
Airport
Album