Conceptualizing creativity in agricultural communications

In the 21st century, new ideas and technology continue to shape and change our society. To keep up in this fast-paced environment, agricultural communicators must have the necessary skills and creative preparedness to stay on the cutting-edge of their field. Both industry professionals and academic faculty deem creativity an important competency for agricultural graduates and having a better understanding of creativity in the context of teaching and learning will assist agricultural communications faculty in developing courses and preparing students for the workforce. Previous studies have explored creativity in regard to higher education, but very few studies have explored creativity in the context of teaching and learning in agricultural communications. Vgotsky’s (1978) social constructivist theory, as well as his Zone of Proximal Development served as the frameworks for this study. A research synthesis explored previous research in the realm of higher education and agricultural disciplines and served as a springboard for the studies that follow. Studies two and three investigated creativity from agricultural communications student and faculty perspective in the context of teaching and learning. Overall, creativity was proven imperative for student engagement and course design and delivery. The study highlighted a lack of cohesive language in the ways creativity was understood, in addition to the need for an improved dialogue among faculty and students regarding creativity. This study provides many theoretical and practical implications to develop the understanding of creativity within our discipline.