Punya Mishra’s research while affiliated with Arizona State University and other places

This article series explores the relationship between technology, learning, and creativity, and has recently focused on Generative AI (GenAI). With its ability to generate human-like text, images, and other content, GenAI has already challenged our understanding of creativity, though separating its true impact from hype is difficult. What is undeniable though, is that the creative capabilities of this technology have raised profound questions about the similarities and differences between human and machine creativity. Since 2023, we have interviewed a series of thought leaders whose work can inform our understanding of GenAI, creativity, and education. Our past discussions have emphasized varied issues, like the critical examination of AI’s emergence (Warr et al., 2023), the value of integrating GenAI across education (Henriksen et al., 2023), how AI is informing writing, pedagogy, and technology (Woo et al., 2023), and more. In this article, we focus on the psychological and neuroscientific aspects of creativity by speaking with Dr. Anna Abraham, an accomplished neuroscientist and psychologist with expertise in creativity and imagination.

In an era marked by unprecedented global challenges, including environmental degradation, social inequalities, and the rapid evolution of technology, the need for innovative educational approaches is critical. This conceptual paper explores the intersection of sustainability, creativity, and technology for education, focusing on artificial intelligence (AI) as an example. We propose a framework that synthesizes sustainability principles and creative pedagogies, detailing its components to guide the integration of AI into sustainability education. The paper illustrates how blending creative pedagogies with the notion of sustainability as a frame of mind offers a framework that allows teachers to support creative learning and problem solving, with and through technology. Using the example of AI technology, we illustrate the potential benefits and inherent challenges of integrating new technologies into education. Generative AI is a cogent example, as it presents unique opportunities for personalizing learning and engaging students in creative problem solving around sustainability issues. However, it also introduces significant environmental and ethical concerns to navigate. Exploring the balance between technological innovation and sustainability imperatives, this paper outlines a framework for incorporating technology into education that promotes environmental care with creative exploration. Through a synthesis of sustainability principles and creative pedagogies, we highlight the benefits and challenges of using AI in education, offering strategic insights to leverage technology for a sustainable and just future.

This chapter introduces repurposing as a core skill for creative teaching, particularly for working within constraints. Not only are constraints a reality in most educational settings; they are a necessary part of creative work in any domain. Repurposing, broadly defined, involves the use of a tool in ways that are not originally intended. We explore repurposing as a process of melioration, also known as the, “competence to borrow a concept from a field of knowledge supposedly far removed from his or her domain and adopt it to a pressing challenge in an area of personal knowledge or interest” (Passig, 2007, p. 2). Teachers and teacher educators should view repurposing as a creative pedagogical ability to adapt and use what is available, by seeing beyond the obvious designed purpose of an object. Unpacking the notion of repurposing based on literature argues for teaching as an act of design, noting that design (like teaching) is inherently purpose-driven and constrained. Both users and designers often repurpose objects, tools, or ideas to creatively rethink the possibilities and manage or address the constraints of their immediate situation. We discuss how tools and objects have affordances that signal what users can do with them, while also having a zone of possibility or alternate purposes that allow users to think beyond the tools’ intended purposes. By engaging this kind of design frame, we suggest that developing repurposing skills can be part of teachers’ exercise of creativity to work with given constraints, particularly in interdisciplinary (e.g., STEAM) contexts. In highlighting several examples from the teaching literature, we aim to exemplify the notion of repurposing as an essential pedagogical skill to allow creativity under constraint.

This paper combines social fiction and academic analysis to envision hopeful futures for higher education. At the heart of the exploration is Phoebe Wagner’s speculative fiction piece, University, Speaking , which personifies a university grappling with environmental, political, and social change. Phoebe Wagner’s first-person narrative highlights the power of collective voice, the importance of centering community, and the urgent need to cultivate resilience and adaptability. Through analysis of key themes, this paper connects Phoebe Wagner’s fictional vision to contemporary research on the multi-faceted and complex challenges facing universities today. By integrating artistic and academic perspectives, this paper discusses new possibilities for universities navigating disruption and change.

In this article, we explore the intersection of creativity, education, and technology, with a focus on the impact of Generative AI (GenAI). We delve into the transformative potential of GenAI in redefining educational and creative processes and challenging our existing notions of learning and creativity. Through a conversation with renowned creativity researcher Dr. Ronald Beghetto, we thematically explore how GenAI redefines educational and creative processes and challenges conventional notions of learning and creativity. Dr. Beghetto’s work highlights a shift from fearing failure to embracing possibility thinking, advocating for a mindset that views creativity as a dynamic interplay of potential and adaptability. His recent work with GenAI tools illustrates their role as catalysts for possibility thinking, pushing the boundaries towards future-oriented thought and innovation. GenAI can function in multiple ways—including as a reflection of human intellect and values, and as a collaborative partner that enriches human creativity with its unpredictability and generative capabilities. We emphasize the importance of direct, critical, and creative engagement with GenAI in educational settings, cautioning against its passive or uncritical use, and advocating for a balanced approach that leverages its strengths while remaining aware of its limitations. Sharing several possibility thinking tools he has created, Dr. Beghetto offers readers a nuanced perspective on the role of GenAI in education and creativity, advocating for a future where these tools are used responsibly and creatively to unlock new possibilities and enhance human potential.

This article reflects on the transformative nature of generative AI (GenAI) tools for teaching and teacher education, both reflecting on current innovation and consider future potentials and challenges. In that sense, we aim to position the field of education going forward with the implications of new technologies like GenAI for education and educational research. We argue the need for a dual-lens approach. First and foremost, practice and research should focus on the here-and-now, i.e. how to design powerful learning experiences for pre-service and in-service teachers for them to be productive, creative, critical, and ethical users. But there is also a need for a deeper, longer view—based on sociological and historical trends and patterns that will influence the socio-techno-cultural matrix within which education functions in the long term. We begin with a brief introduction to GenAI technologies. This is followed by an in-depth discussion of the fundamental nature of GenAI tools—their similarities and differences to prior technologies, and the implications for teacher education and research.