As part of our mission in continuing education we wanted to be sure you had access to great resources that help you keep learning during this difficult time. Our partners at MindEdge have made three courses available for you to take free, as part of their ongoing collaboration with our department.

Between now and August 31, 2020, you can experience:

Introduction to Critical Thinking

This introductory-level course is designed to help learners define and identify critical thinking and reasoning skills and develop those skills. Critical thinking is an intellectual model for reasoning through issues to reach well-founded conclusions. It may be the single most valuable skill that one can bring to any job, profession, or life challenge. Being able to ask the right questions, critique an argument, and logically dissect an issue occur constantly in the workplace and our lives.

Personal Creativity

Through tools and exercises drawn from Adrian Brown’s book, Creativity & Innovation, it seeks to help unlock the creativity within individuals. By stimulating creativity through various techniques (mind-mapping, DO-IT, SCAMPER, right and left brain thinking) participants learn to tap into their personal creativity and apply it to organizational challenges.

Creativity in Teams and Organizations

Spurring creativity in teams can be very challenging, but could also be the difference between a successful team and an unsuccessful one. This course looks at spurring creativity and innovation in teams and organizations. Drawing on the latest academic thinking, it outlines the key factors for creative teams. Further, the course focuses on tools and techniques designed to yield more productive thinking in collective settings. Participants learn about a number of targeted tools, including brainstorming, Discussion 66, Provocation, and others, to generate fresh thinking in smaller group settings and in their organizations.

To sign up, simply click the course title (above) and fill out the form to enroll directly in the course. Each course has a separate enrollment link — so be sure to click all three for full enrollment!