health . Therefore , it made sense to use our own setting for data collection . Furthermore , the second author convened the annual learning and teaching conference at LSHTM ( 2016 ), so we agreed that this provided a useful opportunity to discuss the project and gather our data . Additionally , we had a conference talk accepted for the annual ( 2016 ) Staff and Educational Development Association ( SEDA ) conference , which is commonly ( although not solely ) attended by educational developers who promote good practice and innovation in UK HE settings .
As these cohorts comprised staff with potentially different day-to-day interests , they provided opportunities for eliciting different understandings about the concepts in question , and we welcomed this diversity given our own experiences in the lead up to the study . The LSHTM sample comprised academic and professional support staff in various roles and operating at different levels of the organisation . The SEDA sample included educational development staff with backgrounds in law , social science , nursing , physics and other sciences , to name but a few . The sample , therefore , constituted a convenience sample of N = 28 staff , comprising four workshop break-out groups at LSHTM ( two groups containing 4 participants in each , one group containing 3 participants and one group containing 5 participants ) and three break-out groups at SEDA ( each containing 4 participants ).
Following a 15-20-minute presentation by the lead author , each group was provided with flip chart paper , pens and the questions to be considered , and 10-15 minutes to discuss them , following which the lead author invited contributions in a 5-10-minute plenary session to gather collective ideas from each group . The LSHTM workshop ran for approximately 30 minutes in total whereas the SEDA workshop ran for about 45 minutes in total . Digital , audio recorders were placed on the tables where each group was seated to capture their discussions .
We asked delegates to work in small groups to discuss the following :
i ) What the concepts of creativity and innovation mean in the participants ’ own contexts ; and
ii ) How both staff and students could better recognise , understand and apply these concepts in practical ways .
Ethical Considerations
Prior to commencing the research , we gained ethical approval from the LSHTM Ethics Committee ( ref 11785 ).
Our research followed the British Educational Research Association guidelines and code of conduct for educational research ( British Educational Research Association [ BERA ], 2018 ).
Participants were provided with an information sheet at the start of the workshops ( also summarised verbally by the principal investigator ) that described the aims and outcomes of the project , and also provided information about their voluntary participation , and how their data would be stored , analysed and disseminated . Participants were assured that individual data would be treated with confidentiality and not shared with anyone outside of the research team , and published data may be linked to their discipline and / or profession but not in such a way to make them or their employer identifiable .
Participants were informed that they have the option to leave the room prior to the initiation of the audio recordings . Consent to record and use the data collected , in the manner outlined , was assumed from those remaining in the room . Participants were made aware of this assumption and informed that they could leave the session at any time and request their data not to be used in the research .
The investigators will review the secure storage of the data after 10 years in line with the LSHTM Retention and Disposal Schedule and in conjunction with the Research Data Manager and Archives & Records Management Service to determine the next steps .
Contact details of the principal investigator ( lead author ) were provided and participants were advised that they can make contact should they wish to discuss any aspects of the research . Participants were also provided with the contact details of the LSHTM Ethics Committee and details about how to make a complaint , should they wish to do so .
We have followed the general principles for conducting ethical research by assigning numerical identifiers to anonymise contributions and maintain confidentiality . Within the analysis and discussion
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