computer science

Creative computing

Creative computing is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Creative computing rather than just read about it. In short: Creative computing covers the interdisciplinary area at the cross-over of the creative arts and computing. Issues of creativity include knowledge discovery, for example.

Key takeaways

Creative computing belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Creative computing to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Creative computing from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Creative computing covers the interdisciplinary area at the cross-over of the creative arts and computing. Issues of creativity include knowledge discovery, for example.

Overview The International Journal of Creative Computing describes creative computing as follows:

Creative computing refers to a meta-technology to coalesce knowledge in computing and other disciplines. People use computers as aids to creativity and creative-computing topics may reshape the world as we know it. Applications are seen in arts, entertainment/games, mobile applications, multimedia, product/web design and other interactive systems. Creative computing is interdisciplinary in nature and topics relating to it include applications, development method, evaluation, modeling, philosophy, principles, support environment, and theory. The term "creative computing" is used both in the United Kingdom and the United States (e.g., at Harvard University and MIT).

Degree programmes A number of university degree (Bachelor's degree) programmes in Creative Computing exist, for example at:

University of the Arts London Queen's University University of West London St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences Bath Spa University Falmouth University Goldsmiths, University of London Queen Mary, University of London Wrexham Glyndŵr University Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology Leeds Beckett University, the programme is named as BSc (Hons) Creative Media Technology University of Portsmouth, the programme is named as BSc (Hons) Creative Media Technologies City University of Hong Kong, the programme is named as Bachelor of Science in Creative Media, jointly offered by the School of Creative Media and the Department of Computer Science Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong, the programme is named as Bachelor of Science (Honours) Multimedia Technology and Innovation Hong Kong Metropolitan University, the programme is named as Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Computing and Interactive Entertainment Saint Francis University (Hong Kong), the programme is named as Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Digital Entertainment Technology Sogang University, (Seoul), the programme is offered by Department of Art & Technology Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology Master's degree programmes:

City University of Hong Kong, the programme is named as Master of Arts in Creative Media (MACM) Hong Kong Polytechnic University, the programme is named as Innovative Multimedia Entertainment (MSc) The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, the programme is named as Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy Programs in Computational Media and Arts Sogang University, (Seoul), the programme is offered by Department of Art & Technology

Journal

The International Journal of Creative Computing is a quarterly peer-reviewed scientific journal published by Inderscience Publishers, covering creativity in computing and the other way around. The editor-in-chief is Andy M. Connor (Auckland University of Technology). The journal was established in 2013 and is abstracted and indexed in CSA, ProQuest, and DBLP databases. The journal is currently in the process of recruiting a new Editorial Board for re-launch in 2021.

See also Computer art Creative coding Creative technology

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Creative computing

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Creative computing claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Creative computing before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Creative computing ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Creative computing

In research: Creative computing appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Creative computing in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Creative computing is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Computing stubs, Creativity techniques, Subfields of computer science, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Creative computing outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Creative computing in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Creative computing means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Creative computing out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Creative computing in simple terms?

Creative computing covers the interdisciplinary area at the cross-over of the creative arts and computing. Issues of creativity include knowledge discovery, for example.

Why does Creative computing matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Creative computing?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Creative computing.