Teaching creativity and spiritual meaning using insights from neurobiology

Abstract

More than half of post-secondary students attend college with the goal of discovering their purpose and meaning in life. Given the hunger felt by both college students entering the workforce and by established workers to find a meaning in life that is greater than the self, it is imperative that management instructors and practitioners have tools to help future employees and managers develop this asset. Neuroscience and cognitive science research provide rich data on how the brain learns and ways to help students both retain new information and develop novel insights. The chapter will cover how the brain learns, the process for the transfer of learning to creative applications, and the practical strategies that correlate with this research to improve students' successful learning. This information will be applied to teaching students to identify meaning in life, as well as develop ways to experience meaning in work.