Maud Besançon

Assessing Creativity in the Classroom

This article provides a historical presentation of creativity assessment from a psychological perspective (since Guilford), from traditional divergent thinking tasks, to current theoretical models of creativity assessment which allow creativity to be assessed in different domains, capturing the multidimensionality of creative potential (e.g. EPoC). These techniques and alternative assessment tools are contextualized by addressing their interest for educational programs which take into account childrens needs (as suggested by their creative profile). Finally, we discuss the importance of assessing creativity reliably in the classroom, to study the efficiency of these educational intervention programs aiming to promote student creativity.

Creative Potential in Educational Settings: Its Nature, Measure, and Nurture.

Although creativity is considered one of the key ‘twenty-first-century skills’, this ability is still often misunderstood. Persistent conceptual and methodological barriers have limited educational implications. This article reviews and discusses the three critical issues of ‘nature’, ‘measure’, and ‘nurture’ of creative potential in educational settings. A current perspective on the nature of creative potential is presented. In contrast to a classic, but inaccurate ‘g-factor view’ of creativity, this perspective emphasises a multidimensional and partly domain-specific view, upon which new assessment tools can be developed. Based on a more comprehensive evaluation of a childs creative potential, educational programmes tailored to a childs strengths and weaknesses can be offered. These perspectives are discussed in light of current findings in the field.

Creativity, Giftedness and Education

Abstract In this article, conceptions of creativity in giftedness and their implications for education are reviewed. First, the definition of giftedness is examined taking into consideration the difference between intellectual giftedness and creative giftedness and the difference between potential and talent. Second, the nature of creativity based on the multivariate approach is explored. Third, various measures of creativity are presented. Finally, the effect of different pedagogical methods and the influence of teachers on the development of creativity are examined.

On the Measurement and Mismeasurement of Creativity

Creativity is a 21st-century skill that is receiving increasing attention in schools.One of the key issues that needs to be solved to facilitate the education of creativity is its’ measurement. There is however ongoing controversy on the measurement of creativity. This is an issue of debate concerning both children, adolescents’ and adults’ creativity. A growing scholarly literature, since the earliest attempts to measure creativity more than a century ago, has not yet resolved this issue. To mention just a few of questions that remain to be resolved, we can cite: 1. What is creativity? 2. Why measure it? 3. How can creativity be measured? 4. Who is the best judge of creative work? These questions will be examined in this chapter and a new tool for the evaluation of creative potential in educational settings will be described.