Teaching Creativity
Some people may argue that it is impossible to teach creativity, that it is an innate quality like musical talent. However, like a talent, people can work to make themselves more creative, and teachers can help their learners develop their creativity.
The classroom environment has a big impact on the development of creativity in learners. Some suggestions for creating an environment that encourages creativity in a project-based classroom are:
- Have a variety of materials and equipment available
- Reduce the negative consequences of risk-taking
- Expose learners to a wide range of creative products
- Make available resources on a wide range of topics so learners can find something that interests them and sparks their imagination
- Allow flexibility in time and classroom arrangement
- Encourage learners to collaborate on projects
- Make sure that learners have some quiet time during project work because noise can inhibit creativity
- Connect learners with creative individuals in the community
- Set an example by thinking creatively yourself and sharing your products, your processes, and your joy in your accomplishments
Success in any aspect of education is linked to learner motivation. Research indicates that intrinsic motivation enhances creativity while extrinsic motivation generally undermines it. (Amabile 1983). Competition for prizes for the “best” product has a detrimental effect on creativity, possibly because the energy and commitment necessary to produce novel ideas takes a great deal of effort, which extrinsically motivated individuals are unlikely to expend (Collins and Amabile 1999).
The issue is not black and white, however. Different kinds of motivation may be effective at different stages of the creative process. While learners are exploring a problem and trying to think of ideas, they may be intrinsically motivated. On the other hand, extrinsic rewards may encourage learners to learn the skills they need to complete a task or to persist when the initial enthusiasm wears off (Collins and Amabile 1999).
Research has shown that explicit teaching and learning strategies that produce creative products can help learners become more creative (Runco and Sakamoto 1999). Strategies such as brainstorming, exploring multiple options, and evaluating validity, can be taught and assessed in a variety of ways and contexts. Forcing learners to compare unlike concepts can also bring out creative responses.
Teachers must take care with the use of examples of finished products. Although providing learners with examples is generally considered to be beneficial, participants in a research study created products that contained features of the examples even when they were specifically told to create something as different as possible from the example (Ward, Smith and Finke 1999). It may be more useful to provide learners with examples of processes that experts use than with examples of possible products.
All learners have a creative potential within them. Whether they realize that potential depends only partly on their motivation and ability. By using language that encourages creativity and creating an environment which challenges and supports learners in their creative efforts, teachers can help learners think and act more creatively.
References
Amabile, T.M. (1983). The social psychology of creativity. New York:Springer-Verlag Incorporated.
Amstrong, T. (1989). Awakening genius in the classroom. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Daniel, M. F.; L. Lafortune & R. Pallascio. (2003). The development of dialogical critical thinking. ED 476183.
Loveless, A. L. (2002). Literature review in creativity, new technologies, and learning. Brighton: NESTA. www.nestafuturelab.org/research/reviews/cr01.htm*
Nickerson, R. S. (1999). Enhancing creativity. In R. J. Sternberg, Creativity handbook, (pp. 392-430). New York: Cambridge University Press.
Sternberg, R. J. and O’Hara, L. (1999). Creativity and intelligence (251-272). In R. J. Sternberg, Creativity handbook, (pp. 251-272). New York: Cambridge University Press.
Sternberg, R. J. and Lubart, T. I. (1999). The concept of creativity: Prospects and paradigms. In R. J. Sternberg, Creativity handbook, (pp. 3-15). New York: Cambridge University Press.
