The context for creative teaching and learning: The university as real life

Creative teaching is frequently interpreted as the development of new materials and methods. This paper asserts that innovative teaching/learning can arise from a new perspective on the formal context of learning - the institute itself and its student/staff interactions. Acknowledging these as patterns that arise in human behavior allows for their use as models for situations that arise at differing scale in other contexts. We have a rich source of material and experience to draw on as case material. The theory underpinning this includes complexity science social constructionism and systems theory with their emphasis on participation as a prerequisite for creativity and learning.