In this elective course, students will explore storytelling concepts and narrative nonfiction techniques, with an emphasis on how these strategies are increasingly used by scientists and academics to convey their research to a wider public.
Students will analyze contemporary and classic examples of narrative storytelling and identify elements of powerful and effective storytelling. Students will create multimodal content to convey personal and nonfiction narratives.
This course is about applying established principles to tackle media and research problems and opportunities that are timely and relevant. Students will be given ample opportunity to practice their oral storytelling techniques over the course of the sessions. Students must come prepared to think critically and creatively.

Prerequisites:
Students who wish to enroll in this intensive, 5-week course must demonstrate the following:
· Level B2 or above on the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR)
· high-level critical thinking skills to comprehend, analyze, evaluate, and respond to complex texts
· willingness to produce digital and oral narratives and share them with a wider public
· access to reliable, high-speed internet and willingness to connect via video in every session.

Objectives:
Participants will be able to:
· develop and apply storytelling techniques to demonstrate critical thinking skills
· expand vocabulary to increase class participation and comprehension of literary and academic texts
· expand vocabulary knowledge and the ability to pick up context clues to make inferences
· understand the main ideas and details of complex academic sources
· communicate accurately and fluently using effective presentation skills on research-based topics and participate in active discussions
· produce clear, well-structured oral storytelling presentations
· create and deliver multimodal presentations
· use online and campus academic resources and support services.

Successful Completion:
Students will be awarded a certificate of completion when they meet/fulfill the following requirements:
· Complete all writing and presentation assignments as scheduled on the syllabus.
· Actively participate in classroom discussions when we meet via Zoom and in Discussions on Google (details will be provided in the syllabus).
· Complete numerous audiovisual presentations using PowerPoint, Slides, Prezi, or any similar online presentation platform via Zoom, Google, or other similar platforms (details will be provided in the syllabus).
· Maintain satisfactory attendance in Zoom at or above 85%.

The schedule is being finalized but our first meeting would be this Wednesday, Nov. 18 from 18:00 to 20:00.

Course author: Leticia Medina

1. Learn to Relax

One effective way to improve your creativity is by relaxing. Relaxing and unwinding rejuvenates your mind and allows creativity to flow seamlessly. There are many activities that can help you relax, from taking a walk around your neighborhood to playing your favorite sport to working out.

2. Learn to Play a Musical Instrumental

Playing a musical instrument requires your mind to coordinate with the body, which can be instrumental in cultivating your creative side. Playing an instrument such as a piano or guitar can result in immense benefits as you start practicing and mastering the fundamental finger movements.

3. Read and Establish Connections

Reading excites the brain. It exposes the mind to an entirely new set of possibilities. It stimulates and boosts creativity. So anytime you get stuck, reading could be all you need to bring your creative spark back. Select a word from a dictionary or a book from your favorite author and try to connect the word with whatever you’re trying to accomplish. That way, you’ll get new ideas for handling the task at hand.

4. Learn Through Collaboration

Creativity doesn’t happen because of the random sparks of genius. Instead, it’s a systematic process that requires continuous research, learning, and talking to experts. Whenever you find yourself stuck, collaborating, and obtaining inputs from an expert can help get your creative juices flowing. For instance, if you want to raise the ranking of your website on the world’s leading searching engines such as Google, doing your due diligence and consulting SEO experts can help you choose the right monthly SEO packages for your business.

5. Get Involved in Photography and Drawing

Actively engaging in the fine arts is a surefire way to enhance your creative ability and can help you see the bigger picture. With so many online courses and classes on the web, learning photography and drawing is quite easy and inexpensive. Platforms like Skillshare, Udemy, and YouTube can help sharpen your photography and drawing skills. These two activities require a high level of creativity. The ability to turn what you see into a coherent image or drawing can help you view the world from a different angle. And that would prove helpful when solving problems and bringing new ideas to life. If you want to advertise your photography or drawing skills, you can use the services of an SEO company that will get you ranked better and gets more leads.

6. Take a Break from Your Daily Routine

When you have an established routine in place, you usually tend to think less about the task at hand. You also tend to focus less on the details of your environment. So taking a break from your daily routine and doing something different can help stimulate your brain, obtain inspiration from your environment, and unleash your creative potential. Things that can help you break out of your daily routine range from something simple like eating at a new restaurant to something significant like learning a new skill.

7. Brainstorm New Ideas

Brainstorming is commonly used among academicians and professionals, but it can also be instrumental in nurturing your creativity. Don’t judge or criticize yourself. Instead, try to think about related ideas and likely solutions while noting them down. The objective is to come up with as many ideas as you can within a short duration. Then, concentrate on clarifying and sharpening your ideas to determine the best possible option.

8. Lower Your Expectations

Having high expectations is a recipe for failure. What high expectations do is that they compel you to focus on how others will see the final product, not how you want it to look. Lowering your expectations takes away the pressure that comes with having to develop the “right” product and cultivates love and passion for your work.

Key Takeaways

Creativity is a learnable skill that requires regular practice and nourishment. If you take your time to relax and engage in activities that compel you to think you’ll nurture your creativity and help it thrive. Implement these 8 tips and you’ll see your creative side flourish in no time.

Maia Steel