Keywords

creativity, Torrance Test of Creative Thinking, curriculum, pedagogy, project-based learning

Abstract

Improving creativity and innovation is viewed as an increasingly important goal for classroom instruction. This paper evaluates whether a change in creativity occurred for students participating in a university “civilizations” course in which the instructional approach focuses on lateral thinking skills, examines characteristics of world civilizations that exhibited high levels of creativity, and encourages students to practice being creative through a class project and exams. Students in the class who took the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking (TTCT) at the beginning and again at the end of the semester experienced a statistically significant change in creativity scores compared with students in the comparison group, who experienced no significant change.

Original Publication Citation

Dahlin, Eric C., Brent Strong, and Scott Grimshaw. 2012. “Combining Creativity and Civilization: A Natural Experiment in a General Education, University Course.” International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning 9:33-41.

Document Type

Peer-Reviewed Article

Publication Date

2012-3

Permanent URL

http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/6697

Publisher

International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning

Language

English

College

Family, Home, and Social Sciences

Department

Sociology

University Standing at Time of Publication

Associate Professor

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