Creative Thinking and Innovation (Coursera)

Creative Thinking and Innovation (Coursera)

Creative thinking is one of the most important skills in future work environments. Whether you are working in a large organisation, creating your own startup, or looking for new opportunities in your life, in this course you will learn how to practice creative thinking to come up with innovative ideas.

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see Coursera's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

Everyone has the capacity to be creative. You don’t have to be in the “creative” sector to use creativity in your work and life. The course provides you with simple tips and techniques to nurture and practice your creative thinking skills. You will hear how the success of Pixar and Nobel Prizes winners is linked to creative thinking and innovation, and how industry experts from Google and IBM use these skills in their work.
This course is delivered with the assistance of the team at INCUBATE - The University of Sydney’s Flagship Startup Program.

Syllabus

WEEK 1
What is creativity?
Welcome to the course! This module covers common definitions of creativity, what creativity involves and what it doesn’t involve, and how it is applied in practice.

WEEK 2
What is innovation?
In this module, we will look at different definitions and types of innovation.

WEEK 3
How creative thinking can lead to innovation
In this final module, we will learn how creative thinking and innovation are connected and how we can develop a mindset to foster creativity and innovation.

Go to Class
MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

Music for Wellness (Coursera) Coursera
Berklee College of Music

Music for Wellness (Coursera)

You love music. You listen to music all the time. Maybe you sing, play an instrument, or compose music. You don’t need to have musical talent to use music to enhance your well being, and even your health. Learn simple techniques to enrich your mind, body, and spirit through music. The methods can be applied in your daily life, particularly when you are feeling down or stressed out.

Aug 17th 2026
4 Weeks
Pensamiento de diseño para la innovación (Coursera) Coursera
University of Virginia

Pensamiento de diseño para la innovación (Coursera)

Hoy en día la innovación es el negocio de todos. Ya sea un gerente en una corporación global, un emprendedor que está comenzando, que esté en un puesto gubernamental o un maestro en una escuela primaria, se espera que todos se vuelvan austeros, para hacerlo mejor con menos. Y ese es el motivo por el que todos necesitamos el pensamiento de diseño.

Aug 10th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Managing Innovation: Ambidexterity, Teams and Leading Change (Coursera) Coursera
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Managing Innovation: Ambidexterity, Teams and Leading Change (Coursera)

You may have noticed that what is new often behaves differently than what has become accepted over time, whether it is in a market, or a technology, or involves people and firms. Much research supports these general ideas, and one implication is that management of innovation often requires different approaches and skills than management in established arenas. This course helps you develop a perspective on managing innovation. That is, you will build your capability to lead and design your organization to effectively implement innovation initiatives and achieve their strategic intent.

Aug 17th 2026
4 Weeks
Developing Innovative Ideas for New Companies: The First Step in Entrepreneurship (Coursera) Coursera
University of Maryland, College Park

Developing Innovative Ideas for New Companies: The First Step in Entrepreneurship (Coursera)

This course assists aspiring and active entrepreneurs in developing great ideas into great companies. With strong economies presenting rich opportunities for new venture creation, and challenging economic times presenting the necessity for many to make their own job, the need to develop the skills to develop and act on innovative business opportunities is increasingly vital.

Aug 10th 2026
4 Weeks
Becoming a changemaker: Introduction to Social Innovation (Coursera) Coursera
University of Cape Town

Becoming a changemaker: Introduction to Social Innovation (Coursera)

This free 6 week course is for anyone who wants to make a difference. Whether you are already familiar with the field of social innovation or social entrepreneurship, working for an organization that wants to increase its social impact, or just starting out, this course will take you on a journey of exploring the complex problems that surround us and how to start thinking about solutions.

Aug 10th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Electric Utilities Fundamentals and Future (Coursera) Coursera
University of Colorado System

Electric Utilities Fundamentals and Future (Coursera)

The approach of this course is truly unique in how it approaches and engages learners. It looks at the electric utility industry, which has remained critical to our quality of life, health and comfort from the eyes of numerous industry experts through on-location interviews, compelling visuals, and animation. You will benefit from having the inside track because you see some behind-the-scenes information not covered in news stories, social media or even if we are in the business ourselves.

Aug 17th 2026
5-12 Weeks
The Nature of Genius (Coursera) Coursera
Yale University

The Nature of Genius (Coursera)

Today "genius" is all around us. Celebrities, athletes, child prodigies, even your local Apple employees, all are referred to as geniuses. But are they? And if not these individuals then who? In this course, Henry L. and Lucy G. Moses Professor of Music Emeritus and author of The Hidden Habits of Genius, Craig Wright, will begin by giving you his definition and prerequisites for true genius and challenge you to come up with your own.

Aug 17th 2026
4 Weeks
What Is Contemporary Art? (Coursera) Coursera
The Museum of Modern Art

What Is Contemporary Art? (Coursera)

What is contemporary art? In this course, you’ll consider this question through more than 70 works of art made between 1980 and the present, with a focus on art from the past decade. You’ll hear directly from artists, architects, and designers from around the globe about their creative processes, materials, and inspiration.

Aug 17th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Transmedia Storytelling: Narrative worlds, emerging technologies, and global audiences (Coursera) Coursera
UNSW Sydney - University of New South Wales

Transmedia Storytelling: Narrative worlds, emerging technologies, and global audiences (Coursera)

Transmedia storytelling is the practice of designing, sharing, and participating in a cohesive story experience across multiple traditional and digital delivery platforms - for entertainment, advertising and marketing, or social change. Have you ever read a book, seen a movie, watched a television show, or played a game that centred around different aspects of a larger story or universe? You may be familiar with popular examples of such universes like Star Wars, Marvel, and The Walking Dead (to name a few). How do the professionals develop such expansive narratives? How do they ensure that each element stays true to the original story? How do they innovatively use different technologies to share the stories, grow audiences and create an active and involved community of fans?

Aug 10th 2026
5-12 Weeks