Explore UCD

UCD Home >

IA40430

Academic Year 2026/2027

Creative Thinking & Innovation (IA40430)

Subject:
Innovation Academy
College:
VP - Research, Innov & Impact
School:
Innovation Academy
Level:
4 (Masters)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Rosie Leonard-Kane
Trimester:
Autumn&Spring&Summer(separate)
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Pass/Fail (GPA Neutral)

Curricular information is subject to change.

Please note that this module is not open to UCD MSc or PhD students - please visit the module descriptor for IA50004 should you wish to take a Creative Thinking & Innovation module with us.

The aim of this module is to help participants to access their innate ability for creative thinking and innovation in its broadest sense, and to consider how to develop an opportunistic mindset in exploring ideas in a multidisciplinary team environment. This module is delivered through activity-based exercises and interactive challenges at both individual and group level. The module encompasses three primary areas of skill development and learning, as follows:

• Developing confidence in creative thinking. The objective is to introduce students to the inherent risk of failure in creative thinking and how to learn through prototyping and iteration. Participants are encouraged to use various sources of inspiration in recognizing opportunities and considering where ideas come from
• Evolution of innovative ideas in multidisciplinary teams introduces team working in a creative context. Here, openness to new ideas and passion for ideas presented come into creative conflict. Several approaches to teamwork are introduced and explored to give participants an understanding of their own skills in relation to teamwork
• How to translate ideas into value. We draw upon the Design Thinking framework in learning how to work through a process of understanding your user/customer, generating ideas, prototyping, and testing. Consideration is also given to the importance of being able to clearly define value and pitch an idea.

Students must pass each individual assessable component individually in order to be able to pass the module as a whole.


UCD Innovation Academy

At the UCD Innovation Academy, we are a group of Educator Practitioners with extensive real-world experience as academics, business and social entrepreneurs, tech thinkers, creative professionals and design thinking practitioners. 
 
We take an action-oriented approach to learning, with a combination of individual, group and class tasks and activities, including discussions, presentations and reflection. All of our teaching is grounded in academic rigor, but our focus is on ‘learning by doing’ in a real-world context.
 
**Enrolment on an Innovation Academy module means a commitment to active participation and engagement, which necessitates attendance at all scheduled classes** 

www.innovators.ie 

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

On completion, participants should be able to:

• Generate innovative ideas and know how to approach their subsequent selection for further development
• Understand structures and theoretical tools that enable efficient team work, in order to convert ideas into value
• Recognise, cultivate and apply creative and entrepreneurial thinking in their own discipline and appreciate its value in other arena
• Understand fundamentals of innovation and entrepreneurship.

UNESCO highlights a set of key competencies that support individuals in their development and support society in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UCD has adapted these competencies and is combining them with others to form a general framework of learning competencies. This module will help you develop the competencies below to the levels specified. 
Learning Competency Additional Information Level

Collaboration

 The ability to learn from others; to understand and respect the needs, perspectives and actions of others (empathy); to understand, relate to and be sensitive to others (empathic leadership); to deal with conflicts in a group; and to facilitate collaborative and participatory problem solving. Expert

Critical Thinking

 The ability to question norms, practices and opinions; to reflect on one’s own values, perceptions and actions. Expert

Systems Thinking

 The ability to recognize and understand relationships; to analyse complex systems; to think of how systems are embedded within different domains and different scales; and to deal with uncertainty. Proficient

Strategic

 The ability to collectively develop and implement innovative actions that further sustainability at the local level and further afield. Proficient

Integrated Problem Solving

 The overarching ability to apply different problem-solving frameworks to complex sustainability problems and develop viable, inclusive and equitable solution options that promote sustainable development, integrating the competencies in this list. Expert

Self-awareness

 The ability to reflect on one’s own role in the local community and (global) society; to continually evaluate and further motivate one’s actions; and to deal with one’s feelings and desires. Expert

Normative

 The ability to understand and reflect on the norms and values that underlie one’s actions; and to negotiate values, principles, goals, and targets, in a context of conflicts of interest and trade-offs, uncertain knowledge and contradictions. Expert

Anticipatory

 The ability to understand and evaluate multiple scenarios for the future – possible, probable and desirable; to create one’s own visions for the future; to apply the precautionary principle; to assess the consequences of actions; and to deal with risks and changes. Expert

Digital Literacy and Judgement

 The ability to access, evaluate, create and communicate information in digital environments; to engage critically, ethically and responsibly with digital technologies and digital information; to understand their opportunities, limitations, risks and impact on individual’s digital identities; and to exercise informed judgement in digital participation and decision-making. Proficient

AI Literacy & Agency

 The ability to understand, critically evaluate and responsibly engage with artificial intelligence; to recognise how AI systems are shaped by human values; to assess their ethical, social and environmental implications; and to exercise human judgement, agency and accountability in AI-related contexts. Competent

Wellbeing

 Wellbeing is having the resources and skills to meet life's challenges, including attributes such as personal development skills, resilience, stress management, strengths, lifestyle skills, nutrition, physical activity, sleep, alcohol/substance use, academic skills, time management, goal setting, interpersonal skills, group work, communication. Proficient

The United Nations identified seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as core to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and UCD contributes in general to SDG 4 Quality Education. Further SDGs explored within this module if relevant are listed below. A scale of 1 - 5 indicates the extent to which the SDG is covered.


Goal Name Description Coverage

End poverty in all its forms everywhere 1

End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture 1

Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages 3

Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all 5

Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls 1

Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all 1

Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all 1

Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all 1

Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation 1

Reduce inequality within and among countries 3

Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable 1

Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns 3

Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts 3

Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development 1

Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss 1

Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels 1

Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development 3
 

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

4
Studio

16
Specified Learning Activities

40
Autonomous Student Learning

60
Total

120

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
All Innovation Academy modules take a learning by doing approach, combining, individual, group and team activities, tasks and projects including presentations, discussion and reflection:

• Active/task-based learning
• Peer and Group work
• Reflective Learning
• Enquiry & Problem-based learning
• Student Presentations
• Case Study Learning

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Incompatibles:
IA20010 - Creativity & Innovation, IA50004 - Creativity & Innovation


 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade Component repeat (in-module) Offered
Group Work Assignment: Team Project Presentation. In-class team presentation. Week 1 Pass/Fail Grade Scale Yes
20
 Yes
Participation in Learning Activities: Attendance and participation: This module requires active participation and engagement, which necessitates attendance at ALL scheduled classes. Week 1 Pass/Fail Grade Scale Yes
40
 Yes
Practical Skills Assessment: Continuous Assessment: In-class, autonomous and self-directed tasks and activities. Week 1 Pass/Fail Grade Scale Yes
20
 Yes
Reflective Assignment: Student reflection on their own experiences, views and actions relating to the module learnings, in written or multimedia format, e.g. document, video, audio uploaded to Brightspace. Week 1 Pass/Fail Grade Scale Yes
20
 Yes

As part of UCD's student support, under the Additional Consideration policy, extensions may be available for the following assessments in the module: Assignment (including essay/poster), Portfolio, Reflective Assignment, Report(s), and Individual Project.


Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 

Remediation Type Remediation Timing
In-Module Resit Prior to relevant Programme Exam Board
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Feedback will be given upon request. This will include feedback based on their participation during the module and their deliverables

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Autumn Field Trip Offering 4 Week(s) - 1 Fri 09:00 - 13:50
Autumn Workshop Offering 4 Week(s) - 2 Fri 09:00 - 13:50
Autumn Workshop Offering 4 Week(s) - 1, 2 Mon 09:00 - 13:50
Autumn Workshop Offering 4 Week(s) - 2 Thurs 09:00 - 12:50
Autumn Workshop Offering 4 Week(s) - 2 Tues 09:00 - 13:50
Autumn Workshop Offering 4 Week(s) - 2 Wed 09:00 - 11:50
Spring Workshop Offering 1 Week(s) - 45 Fri 09:00 - 13:50
Spring Workshop Offering 1 Week(s) - 45 Mon 09:00 - 13:50
Spring Workshop Offering 1 Week(s) - 45 Thurs 09:00 - 13:50
Spring Workshop Offering 1 Week(s) - 45 Tues 09:00 - 13:50
Spring Workshop Offering 1 Week(s) - 45 Wed 09:00 - 13:50
Print this page
Fill in the following details:
Enter the body of your query here.

From time to time UCD would like to send you further information that we feel, based on your enquiry, would be of interest to you.