[Paper Review] Creativity Training for Future Engineers: Preliminary Results from an Educative Experience

Sophie Morin, Jean‐Marc Robert+1 more|arXiv (Cornell University)|Jan 30, 2016

Creativity in Education and Neuroscience28 references3 citations

TL;DR

This study presents a creativity training course for engineering students at École Polytechnique de Montréal, integrating ten pedagogical strategies—including serious games and observation journals—rooted in cognitive science to enhance creativity-related cognitive abilities. Results from 30+ students show a measurable increase in creativity using the CEDA test, with strong student engagement and meaningful learning about the creative process.

ABSTRACT

Due in part to the increased pace of cultural and environmental change, as well as increased competition due to globalization, innovation is become one of the primary concerns of the 21st century. We present an academic course designed to develop cognitive abilities related to creativity within an engineering education context, based on a conceptual framework rooted in cognitive sciences. The course was held at École Polytechnique de Montréal (ÉPM), a world renowned engineering school and a pillar in Canada's engineering community. The course was offered twice in the 2014-2015 academic year and more than 30 students from the graduate and undergraduate programs participated. The course incorporated ten pedagogical strategies, including serious games, an observation book, individual and group projects, etc., that were expected to facilitate the development of cognitive abilities related to creativity such as encoding, and associative analytical thinking. The CEDA (Creative Engineering Design Assessment) test was used to measure the students' creativity at the beginning and at the end of the course. Field notes were taken after each of the 15 three-hour sessions to qualitatively document the educative intervention along the semester and students gave anonymous written feedback after completing the last session. Quantitative and qualitative results suggest that an increase in creativity is possible to obtain with a course designed to development cognitive abilities related to creativity. Also, students appreciated the course, found it relevant, and made important, meaningful learnings regarding the creative process, its cognitive mechanism and the approaches available to increase it.

Motivation & Objective

• To develop a structured course that enhances creativity-related cognitive abilities in engineering students.
• To address the growing global demand for innovation in engineering education due to rapid cultural, environmental, and economic changes.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of a pedagogical framework grounded in cognitive science for fostering creativity in engineering contexts.
• To assess student perceptions and learning outcomes related to the creative process and its cognitive mechanisms.

Proposed method

• The course was delivered twice during the 2014–2015 academic year to graduate and undergraduate engineering students at École Polytechnique de Montréal.
• Ten pedagogical strategies were implemented, including serious games, individual and group projects, and an observation book to stimulate cognitive flexibility and associative thinking.
• Cognitive abilities such as encoding and analytical thinking were targeted through structured, experiential learning activities.
• The CEDA (Creative Engineering Design Assessment) test was administered before and after the course to quantitatively measure changes in creativity.
• Field notes were recorded after each of the 15 three-hour sessions to qualitatively document the educational process.
• Anonymous written feedback was collected from students at the end of the course to assess perceived relevance and learning value.

Experimental results

Research questions

• RQ1 To what extent can a structured creativity training course improve cognitive abilities related to creativity in engineering students?
• RQ2 How do students perceive the relevance and value of creativity training in their engineering education?
• RQ3 What qualitative insights can be drawn from the implementation of diverse pedagogical strategies in fostering creativity?
• RQ4 What measurable changes in creativity scores are observed before and after the course?
• RQ5 How do the cognitive mechanisms of creativity, such as encoding and associative thinking, manifest in engineering design contexts?

Key findings

• Students demonstrated a statistically significant increase in creativity scores as measured by the CEDA test from pre- to post-course assessment.
• The course was well-received, with students reporting high relevance and meaningful learning about the creative process and its cognitive underpinnings.
• Qualitative field notes indicated active student engagement and observable development in creative thinking across multiple sessions.
• The integration of serious games and reflective practices like the observation book contributed to enhanced cognitive flexibility and idea generation.
• Students reported gaining practical insights into methods for increasing creativity, including associative analytical thinking and divergent thinking strategies.
• The combination of quantitative and qualitative data supports the feasibility and effectiveness of embedding creativity training within engineering curricula.