Poetry: It's Not Just for English Class Anymore

Abstract

Higher level thought involves both critical and creative thinking skills. Although the psychological literature is rich with research on teaching critical thinking, relatively little published work addresses ways of promoting creative thinking. In this article we describe the use of poetry writing in an abnormal psychology class to encourage creative exploration and informed empathy. Content analyses suggested that the majority of students' poems communicated both accurate information and empathy. Furthermore, most students described the poetry assignment as a positive learning experience. Two examples demonstrate creative ways students' poems can distill and communicate information.

A curriculum focused on informed empathy improves attitudes toward persons with disabilities

“…Consequently, a training programme that captures and conveys the perspectives of specific groups, in this case persons with disabilities, may be effective in developing informed empathic care. For the purposes of this study, informed empathy refers to knowledge about the impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions that can be associated with having a disability, blended with an appreciation of the personal impact these issues can have on individuals, their families, and those who provide their care [22, 23]. …”

Educational Experience, Standardisation and Instrumentalism: A century of limited change

“…This research is predicated on the conviction that meaningful engagement with poetry holds the potential to advance both critical and creative thinking skills [16]. The authors also contend that listening to student voice is essential in order to understand the lived experience of poetry pedagogy in Ireland.…”

Fostering informed empathy through patient-centred education about persons with disabilities

“…Connor-Greene defines informed empathy as the blending of knowledge about mental illness with an appreciation of its personal impact on individuals, their families, and those who provide their care [ 13 ]. Teaching informed empathy encompasses helping students understand not only factual information but also what it might feel like to have a specific disorder.…”

“…We adapted the definition of informed empathy by Connor-Greene to include knowledge about the impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions that are associated with having a physical disability, blended with an appreciation of the personal impact these issues have on individuals, their families, and those who provide their care [ 13 , 14 ]. A patient-centred educational module specifically focused on persons with disabilities was developed to help current and future health care providers better understand some of the realities and complexities of living with a disability, as well as increase their knowledge about issues that are relevant and important to this community [ 3 ].…”