Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
Creativity and Innovation
Teaching staff
Dra. Carla Gracia Mercadé: cgracia@uic.es
Introduction
In today's world, we no longer buy and sell products: we buy and sell stories. This subject has two objectives. On the one hand, to develop the students’ creative competences. And, on the other, to teach them the tools of storytelling, in order to generate stories that capture the public’s attention. Great writers have stood out as journalists, and great journalists have become renowned writers. Creativity and skill in the use of words are, without doubt, the keys to this interrelation. In this subject, the students will further their knowledge of journalism and have the opportunity to apply it in different areas and formats, increasing their prospects in the job market.
Pre-course requirements
No pre-course requirements are needed to enrol in this subject.
Objectives
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To develop the students’ creative capacity
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To become familiar with the mechanisms of creativity
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To acquire knowledge of the main narrative tools and understand their relevance
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To experiment with different formats and exercises that make the students more flexible and increase their abilities and aptitudes
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To improve their style of writing and help them understand the effects of certain stylistic and narrative decisions
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To understand the risks and virtues of the line that separates fiction from reality
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To be able to share own texts
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To learn to listen to criticism and learn from it
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To learn to analyse texts in a constructive and well-argued manner
Competences/Learning outcomes of the degree programme
- 03 CG - The ability to work in a group
- 04 CG - The ability to organise time and workspace
- 09 CG - The ability to innovate
- 41 CE - The ability and capacity to interact in the environment
- 42 CE - The ability to integrate the contributions of the environment
- 45 CE - The ability and capacity to give a creative form to a journalistic message
- 48 CE - The ability of insight, ingenuity and creativity
- 49 CE - The ability to assume risks
- 51 CE - The ability to have foresight and move forward
Learning outcomes of the subject
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To learn to look at reality from a broader and more perceptive journalistic perspective
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To acquire knowledge of the mechanisms of creativity and the main narrative tools
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The ability to understand the influence of storytelling and the risks and virtues of its application
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To experiment with other useful journalistic and narrative formats to increase job prospects and understand the reality of the journalistic world
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To develop their creativity and ability to innovate
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To improve their own style of writing and understand the effects of certain stylistic and narrative decisions
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To be able to share their texts, listen to criticism and learn from it
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To analyse a narrative text in a well-argued and solid manner
Syllabus
Topic 1: Creativity
Topic 2: Benefits and use of storytelling
Topic 3: Storytelling techniques
Topic 4: Ethical considerations and the future of storytelling
Teaching and learning activities
In person
| TRAINING ACTIVITY | ECTS CREDITS |
| Peer learning. The aim of this activity is to ensure that students gain the ability to analyse and be critical. One way of achieving this is by correcting their peers' exercises and results, etc. Each student will be evaluated twice: as both a recipient and a transmitter of critical knowledge. | 0.6 |
| Lectures. In lectures, lecturers/professors not only transmit content or knowledge, but also, and above all else, attitudes, motivation, skills and values, etc. They also ensure that participants can express their opinions and arguments to the other students. | 1.0 |
| Lab. Working groups that combine theory and practice. The aim of these is not to undertake already known techniques, but instead to make progress that is both theoretical and technical. These Lab sessions will culminate in the creation of a professional or semi-professional product. | 1.0 |
| Meeting Point. Meetings will be organised with notable people from the professional and scientific fields or the international field, and students. These sessions will take the form of conferences, work sessions, discussions, or interviews, etc. | 0.4 |
| Coaching. Monitoring how students learn the content of the subject, either individually or in groups. In the coaching sessions, mistakes will be corrected, queries answered, and exercises and activities to achieve the established objectives will be suggested. | 0.4 |
| E-learning. Virtual learning based on ICT. | 0.6 |
Evaluation systems and criteria
In person
Since the aim of this subject is to further the students’ knowledge and develop their practical ability, participation will be essential for learning. While writing correctly is fundamental in all subjects, it is particularly important in this one. In accordance with the Faculty’s regulations, for each spelling mistake, one point will be taken off any assignment and half a point off the exam. Assessment is ongoing, and, in the first sitting, there will be no final exam. However, there will be a partial exam. The final mark will be the result of:
In-class exercises and participation: 20%
Partial exam: 50%
Final projects: 30%
Other sittings:
Second sitting: In the 2nd sitting, students will be required to take a written exam on the theoretical and practical aspects dealt with in the subject.
Third sitting: Students who fail the second sitting will be required to re-enrol and complete the subject again. The students will be required to attend classes, complete the exercises and pass them.
Fourth sitting: In the 4th sitting, students will be required to take a written exam on the theoretical and practical aspects dealt with in the subject.
Fifth sitting: Students who fail the fifth sitting will have to ask about the conditions for extraordinary sittings.
Bibliography and resources
- Ayuso, Ana (ed.). El oficio de escritor. Ediciones y Talleres de Escritura Creativa
- Fuentetaja. Madrid, 1997
- Cabré, Jaume. El sentit de la ficció. Edicions Proa. Barcelona, 2010
- Cañelles, Isabel. La construcción del personaje literario. Ediciones y Talleres de Escritura
- Creativa Fuentetaja. Madrid, 1999
- Cassany, Daniel. La cuina de l’escriptura. Empúries. Barcelona, 2002
- Goldberg, Natalie. El gozo de escribir. La liebre de marzo. Madrid, 2004
- Gottschall, J. The Storytelling Animal: How Stories Make Us Human. Mariner Books. Wilmington, 2013
- Milerson, Gerald. Realización y producción en televisión. IORTV. Madrid, 2009
- Páez, Enrique. Manual de técnicas narrativas. Editorial SM. Madrid, 2006
- Queneau, Raymond. Ejercicios de estilo. Cátedra. Madrid, 2006.
- Rodari, G. Gramática de la fantasía: Introducción al arte de contar historias. Editoral del bronce. Madrid, 2002
- Salmon, Ch. Storytelling, la máquina de fabricar historias y formatear las mentes. Península. Barcelona, 2008
- Salmon, Ch. La era del enfrentamiento: Del storytelling a la ausencia de relato. Atalaya. Barcelona, 2019
- Snow, S.; Lazauskas, J. The Storytelling Edge. Wiley. New Jersey, 2018
- Wood, James. Los mecanismos de la ficción. Gredos. Madrid, 2009.