Coursera

Creativity Toolkit I: Changing Perspectives (Coursera)

Offered by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign,

Thinking and doing the same things faster and better is not enough; we need creativity. Fortunately, creativity is a skill you can learn. This course will examine when, why, and how we can be creative. It examines the cues that trigger us to consider being creative. It provides a road map of the creative process – the process of changing our perspectives – and the kinds of outcomes that result from creativity.

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

It examines how we can go through the creative process more efficiently and more effectively by examining what is changing about our thinking and how we can make those changes. The end result is more flexible thinking that can be used to recognize and develop new opportunities.
Course 3 of 7 in the Innovation: From Creativity to Entrepreneurship Specialization.

Syllabus

WEEK 1
Course Orientation
You will become familiar with the course, your classmates, and our learning environment. The orientation will also help you obtain the technical skills required for the course.
Being Creative
In this module you will learn why creativity matters, what creativity is, and how to get started being creative.

WEEK 2
Raw Materials and End Products
In this module you will learn a way to break down what it is we are currently thinking so that we can consider changing it to generate new outcomes.

WEEK 3
Tools for Thinking
In this module, you will learn how to help yourself change your perspectives using four tools.

WEEK 4
The Creative Journey
In this module, you will learn that creativity can be joyful, intrinsically motivating, and even liberating. You will also learn how to manage your organization so that your employees find ways to persist through the process as well.

Go to Class

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

Related Courses

Coursera

University of Michigan

Using Public Policy for Social Change (Coursera)

Social Sciences

Using Public Policy for Social Change provides a comprehensive introduction to public policy and its role in addressing societal challenges, with a focus on social inequalities. You’ll explore various areas of policy work, including social welfare, public health, the environment, education, and criminal justice. Learn the fundamentals of public policy design and analysis, and how policymaking functions across all levels of government in democracies worldwide.

Nov 9th 2026

4 Weeks

Social Change Public Policy Problem Solving

Coursera

Vanderbilt University

Microsoft 365 Copilot: Personal Productivity for All (Coursera)

Business

Dive into the next wave of digital productivity with our course centered on Microsoft 365 Copilot. As impactful as the smartphone revolution, Microsoft 365 Copilot is poised to redefine how we approach myriad tasks, bringing the nuanced capabilities of generative AI to your fingertips. With this course, discover how to leverage this powerful assistant in your daily routine, transforming every challenge into an opportunity for excellence.

Nov 16th 2026

1 Week

Artificial Intelligence Productivity Problem Solving

Coursera

CentraleSupélec

On Strategy : What Managers Can Learn from Philosophy - PART 1 (Coursera)

Management & Leadership

In the expression “creative thinking”, the keyword is not creativity; the keyword is thinking. With the help of great philosophers, you will rediscover the art of thinking. To help leaders to be rigorous even without figures, great philosophers have lots of ideas. Managers are invited to rediscover the art of thinking. They should understand the role of mental models, realize the importance of cognitive bias, agree on clear definitions and efficient criteria etc. Creativity demands the ability to unshackle ourselves from conventional ways of thinking, to "think outside the box".

Nov 16th 2026

5-12 Weeks

Business Philosophy Innovation

Coursera

University of Michigan

Problem Solving Using Computational Thinking (Coursera)

CS: Theory Computer Science

Have you ever heard that computers "think"? Believe it or not, computers really do not think. Instead, they do exactly what we tell them to do. Programming is, "telling the computer what to do and how to do it." Before you can think about programming a computer, you need to work out exactly what it is you want to tell the computer to do. Thinking through problems this way is Computational Thinking. Computational Thinking allows us to take complex problems, understand what the problem is, and develop solutions. We can present these solutions in a way that both computers and people can understand.

Nov 9th 2026

5-12 Weeks

Programming Algorithms Computational Thinking

Coursera

University of Melbourne,The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Basic Modeling for Discrete Optimization (Coursera)

CS: Software Engineering

Optimization is a common form of decision making, and is ubiquitous in our society. Its applications range from solving Sudoku puzzles to arranging seating in a wedding banquet. The same technology can schedule planes and their crews, coordinate the production of steel, and organize the transportation of iron ore from the mines to the ports. Good decisions in manpower and material resources management also allow corporations to improve profit by millions of dollars.

Nov 9th 2026

4 Weeks

Programming Software Discrete Optimization

Coursera

University of Minnesota

Creative Problem Solving (Coursera)

Personal and Professional Development

This course deals directly with your ability for creativity which is a critical skill in any field. It focuses on divergent thinking, the ability to develop multiple ideas and concepts to solve problems. Through a series of creativity building exercises, short lectures, and readings, learners develop both an understanding of creativity and increase their own ability.

Nov 9th 2026

4 Weeks

Innovation Personal Development Creativity

Coursera

Berklee College of Music

Creativity And Entrepreneurship (Coursera)

Management & Leadership Business

Creativity & Entrepreneurship will help you tap into your inner creativity and learn how to leverage it for career development or business innovation. Presented by Berklee Institute for Creative Entrepreneurship founder Panos Panay, this course features interviews with world renown entrepreneurs, innovators, songwriters, producers, creative directors, educators, performers, visual artists and chefs as they discuss parallels between the creative and entrepreneurial journeys.

Nov 16th 2026

4 Weeks

Startup Music Entrepreneurship

Coursera

Stanford University

Love as a Force for Social Justice (Coursera)

Humanities

This course will explore the concept of agape love (compassion/kindness) as a force for social justice and action and as the inspiration for service and the application of knowledge to positive social change. Biological, psychological, religious, and social perspectives of love will be discussed, drawing on the expertise of people from a variety of disciplines.

Nov 16th 2026

5-12 Weeks

Brain Creativity Psychological

Coursera

Politecnico di Milano

Fundamentals of Organization (Coursera)

Business

Organization is a fundamental theme to understand the real functioning of each company or, more in general, of any institution, and it is part of the basic know-how of each manager. Organization design implies decisions on how work is subdivided and how coordination between the various activities and people who autonomously perform them is guaranteed.

Nov 9th 2026

3 Weeks

Business Organization Organizational Structure

Coursera

SAS

Statistical Thinking for Industrial Problem Solving, presented by JMP (Coursera)

Statistics & Data Analysis

Statistical Thinking for Industrial Problem Solving is an applied statistics course for scientists and engineers offered by JMP, a division of SAS. By completing this course, students will understand the importance of statistical thinking, and will be able to use data and basic statistical methods to solve many real-world problems.

Nov 16th 2026

5-12 Weeks

Data Analysis Exploratory Data Analysis Problem Solving

Coursera

Georgia Institute of Technology

Machine Design Part I (Coursera)

Engineering Sci: Physics

“Machine Design Part I” is the first course in an in-depth three course series of “Machine Design.” The “Machine Design” Coursera series covers fundamental mechanical design topics, such as static and fatigue failure theories, the analysis of shafts, fasteners, and gears, and the design of mechanical systems such as gearboxes. Throughout this series of courses we will examine a number of exciting design case studies, including the material selection of a total hip implant, the design and testing of the wing on the 777 aircraft, and the impact of dynamic loads on the design of an bolted pressure vessel. In this first course, you will learn robust analysis techniques to predict and validate design performance and life.

Nov 9th 2026

5-12 Weeks

Mechanical Engineering Problem Solving Failure

Coursera

HEC Paris

Entrepreneurship Strategy: From Ideation to Exit (Coursera)

Management & Leadership

This course covers in the chronological order each defining step of an entrepreneurial project. It begins with very personal considerations related to getting to better know yourself better so as to decide if you are ready for the multiple challenges of entrepreneurship. It then deals with creativity in order to provide the right set of tools to find an idea with the right potential to disrupt an existing business.

Nov 16th 2026

4 Weeks

Entrepreneurship Creativity Business Strategy