Introduction Whereas some understanding about creativity and its importance in education exists, many questions remain. For example, while individual aptitudes have been explored as academic outcome predictors (Alloway & Alloway, 2010; Noftle & Robins, 2007), their relationship to creativity lays at the fringes of academic research (Plucker, Beghetto, & Dow, 2004). Although it is considered a higher-order cognitive skill (McWilliam & Dawson, 2008; Perkins, 1990; Sternberg, 2006 Yang, Wan, & Chiou, 2010), recent studies and creativity theorists have suggested that creativity is declining among all age levels (Kim, 2011; Plucker, 1999; Robinson, 2011). Some of the emphasis on creativity as an important learning outcome is connected to economic
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Particularly in education, the current emphasis has been placed on standards, curriculum proficiencies, and accountability, while creativity as a learning outcome has not been emphasized, particularly in the post No Child Left Behind (NCLB) era (Robinson, 2011). Yet there are several ways in which the dismissal of creativity as a learning outcome puts our society at a distinct disadvantage.
First, the misconception that creativity is innate and reserved for the select few has marginalized an important educational competency which can be accessible to everyone, regardless of socioeconomic status, race, or gender (Kaufman, 2015). Rather than requiring high intelligence or elite academic discipline, creative potential seems to require exposure to “a) diversifying experiences that help weaken the constraints imposed by conventional socialization and b) challenging experiences that help strengthen a person’s capacity to persevere in the face of obstacles” (Simonton, 2000, p. 153). Such requirements highlight the role that education can have in promoting creativity for …show more content…
Within the field of education, creativity is a considered a significant characteristic of cognitive development. Specifically, creativity has been identified as the highest cognitive process in Bloom 's Revised Taxonomy (Krathwohl, 2002). Some psychologists look at the development of creativity as a higher-level process that develops in tandem with critical thinking (Perkins, 1990) and post-formal operations in a Piagetian framework (Wu & Chiou, 2008; Yang, Wan, & Chiou, 2010). For these reasons, creativity should be and is becoming emphasized in higher education. For example, the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AACU) includes creative thinking as one of its core values and encourages institutions of higher education to assess creative thinking as a student learning outcome among undergraduates (AACU,
Particularly in education, the current emphasis has been placed on standards, curriculum proficiencies, and accountability, while creativity as a learning outcome has not been emphasized, particularly in the post No Child Left Behind (NCLB) era (Robinson, 2011). Yet there are several ways in which the dismissal of creativity as a learning outcome puts our society at a distinct disadvantage.
First, the misconception that creativity is innate and reserved for the select few has marginalized an important educational competency which can be accessible to everyone, regardless of socioeconomic status, race, or gender (Kaufman, 2015). Rather than requiring high intelligence or elite academic discipline, creative potential seems to require exposure to “a) diversifying experiences that help weaken the constraints imposed by conventional socialization and b) challenging experiences that help strengthen a person’s capacity to persevere in the face of obstacles” (Simonton, 2000, p. 153). Such requirements highlight the role that education can have in promoting creativity for …show more content…
Within the field of education, creativity is a considered a significant characteristic of cognitive development. Specifically, creativity has been identified as the highest cognitive process in Bloom 's Revised Taxonomy (Krathwohl, 2002). Some psychologists look at the development of creativity as a higher-level process that develops in tandem with critical thinking (Perkins, 1990) and post-formal operations in a Piagetian framework (Wu & Chiou, 2008; Yang, Wan, & Chiou, 2010). For these reasons, creativity should be and is becoming emphasized in higher education. For example, the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AACU) includes creative thinking as one of its core values and encourages institutions of higher education to assess creative thinking as a student learning outcome among undergraduates (AACU,