Over the past 11 weeks, TNDY401O has looked at the various ways in which creative individuals form insights. We have reviewed works by Tracy Kidder, Malcolm Gladwell and Ben Shneiderman (to name a few) as examples of creative works and/or ways to go about studying intangible phenomena such as the topic we are studying, inductive knowledge. In addition to the extensive reading list, our class was introduced to some of CGU’s more creative individuals including Robert Klitgaard, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Michael Brewster and Allan Wicker where we experienced first hand how creative individuals apply inductive methods in their own research.

In the end, although there exists many similarities in the experiences creative individuals have when ideas begin to flow, the phenomena surrounding inductive knowledge cannot be measured using mathematical proofs, or theoretical models or even hypotheses testing. In fact, most of the concepts surrounding insight and creativity are intangible.

The culmination of our class project brought together seven of CGU’s esteemed faculty with over 150 years of dedicated service at CGU. The focus group assembled in the Board of Trustees Room, where the topics ranged from individual research to the academic lifestyle of faculty and students at CGU.

Prior to the November 29th assembly, our group worked diligently to accumulate information relating to individuals scheduled for the focus group (see 5 People). These profiles helped to provide a better understanding of who each individual was with respect to their discipline and service at CGU. These profiles fit into the larger historical perspective of scholarship at CGU (see 3 CGU History). At the even higher level, these perspectives were incorporated into various theoretical models (see 2 Literature Review) laying the groundwork for our phenomenological research project aimed at understanding induction and creativity at CGU (see 4 Methodology).

Our effort was well met by the seven attending faculty members and those in attendance witnessed a myriad of ideas ranging from the resurrection of the Claremont Conversation and scholarly discourse at CGU to a more introspective look at the CGU professorate and their feelings on research, service, mentoring and teaching.

But what happens now that our interviews have been conducted, our blog entries written and our podcasts, well cast? What conclusions can we draw? To make any specific conclusions from the focus group would not serve justice to our project. And the very fact that over thirty individuals from differing disciplines participated in its construction and execution, makes it that much more difficult to isolate specific findings. After all, if no two people experience phenomena exactly the same, how can thirty?

During the remaining weeks of our class, we were able to further discuss the outcome of the focus group. A high level summary of our findings can be found in 6 Focus Group Findings. And for a more individual focused response, comments can be found in the following blog: http://claremontconversation.org/tcourse/tndy4010/weblog/1196.html.

Lastly, we are left with you, the reader… As a Wiki document, the information presented is freely editable, should you choose to express what insights you hold in these topics presented to you. We encourage those intellectual trespassers, as CGU President Klitgaard would call them, to freely express their own thoughts on the notion of insight, inductive knowledge and creativity. Feel free to create a new Wiki page, or edit this or any of the previous pages. Or at the very least, provide a comment utilizing the commenting feature in the top-left corner of your web browser.

Because after all, if a light shines down in front of you, will you wonder why or just walk on by?

And what happens the next time you hear the sound of that old beat-up Volkswagen Bug? Will creativity take you to the next level?

Who We Are:

We are the members of TNDY401O and Claremont Graduate University.

For more information on TNDY401O, follow: http://claremontconversation.org/tcourse/tndy4010/.

For more information on the individuals behind IS366A/TNDY401O, follow: http://claremontconversation.org/tcourse/_communities/members.php?owner=26.