Creativity In The Classroom: Students “Picture” Serious Leisure

Abstract

Stebbins (1982) coined the term ‘serious leisure’ to explain a phenomenon which differentiates one type of leisure from its non-serious, or casual, counterpart. Since Stebbins' conceptual statement was introduced, multiple studies have been conducted that reveal the seriousness with which many people approach their particular leisure pursuit. The purpose of this learning activity is to have students visually depict their perceptions of individuals engaged in serious leisure pursuits in order to reinforce the concept in an alternative learning environment. This activity is recommended for use in an undergraduate classroom setting. The positive outcomes include introduction to important leisure concepts, an opportunity for self-reflection and discussion about the value of serious and casual leisure, and include an excellent opportunity for use of creativity as a learning tool (Plucker, Beghetto & Dow, 2004), thereby providing an alternative means of expression of knowledge often overlooked in a traditional classroom setting.

KEYWORDS:

• serious leisure
• creativity
• multiple learning styles