Document: STU-3-1-3

Creative thinking in ecology.

FISHER, S.G.

Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ USA ¹

Abstract:
Creativity and science seem at first glance to be antithetical. Science is a process that generates products of several types and is therefore, by definition, a creative endeavor. However, the process of science as it is usually taught is rigid and inflexible and great pains are taken to avoid subjective interpretation. Creativity, on the other hand, lies in the realm of subjectivity, individual interpretation, and art. The confusion of the general public, including students and teachers, with the differences between environmentalism and ecology exacerbate this distinction between ecology as art or science. Despite these differences, even the most rigid interpretation of hypothetico-deductive scientific inference is enriched at every step by individual creativity and is therefore subjective, much to the delight of students who first discover this. The question then becomes, can the subjective, artistic creativity that enhances science be learned and taught, and if so, how? Several models of the creative process suggest that individual creativity can enhance scientific productivity in many ways. This is especially true in environmental science because the focal scales of ecology overlap with human experience. Some examples that combine elements of creative thinking with the practice of environmental science at classroom and programmatic scales will be presented.

Keywords: creativity, ecology, scientific method

This abstract is being presented at: 10:00 AM in session:
Symposium # 1: Education and Human Resources Vice President's Symposium: Defining Ecological Thinking as a Goal for Ecology Education.