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What does it look like to “think outside the box”?

Isabelle Crowder, Ph.D. Piedmont College

Assessing Creativity in the Classroom

+ Hello! 2

+ Guiding Questions

! WHY should we assess creativity?

! WHEN should we assess creativity?

! HOW should we assess creativity?

+ Why Should We Assess Creativity?

! Sends a message that creativity is valued

! Can be a tool to teach creative thinking

! Allows more opportunity for feedback

! Helps us identify “grows and glows”

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+ When Should We Assess Creativity?

+How do we assess creativity?

! Identify a clear definition of creativity

! Describe observable creative behaviors

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! The creation of something new that has some kind of value.

! Creativity is a phenomenon that occurs when someone comes up with a novel solution to solve an identified problem.

(Torrance, 1979)

+ Divergent Thinking Skills

! Fluency: the ability to generate many ideas.

! Flexibility: ability to change with ease the direction of one’s line of thinking, consider multiple categories or perspectives.

! Originality: ability to produce unique, unusual responses.

! Elaboration: ability to take an idea and develop it fully.

(Torrance, 1979)

+Fluency ! Content Standard:

! MGSE7.RP.2b Identify the constant of proportionality (unit rate) in tables, graphs, equations, diagrams, and verbal descriptions of proportional relationships

! MGSE7.RP.2 Recognize and represent proportional relationships between quantities.

! Creativity Standard: Fluency

! Assessment: Portfolio of pictures of objects consistent with the golden ratio, with at least that are naturally occurring. Pictures can be photographs, drawings, paintings, magazine clippings, or a combination of the above.

+Elaboration

! Content Standard: SS6H3 Explain conflict and change in Europe.

! Creativity Standard: Elaboration

! Assessment: Journal entry from the perspective of a Jewish prisoner inside a concentration camp. What are living conditions like? What would be some personal struggles he/she may be dealing with? Include as many details as possible based on what you’ve learned and can imagine.

+Flexibility

! Content Standard: ELA2W1a The student writes texts of a length appropriate to address a topic and tell a story.

! Creativity Standard: Flexibility

! Assessment: Given a character, setting, and problem, write a fantasy that includes required elements in a cohesive story.

+ Originality ! Content Standard: S5L1.

Students will classify organisms into groups and relate how they determined the groups with how and why scientists use classification.

! Creativity Standard: Originality

! Assessment: Create a new class of animals using what students have learned about classifying organisms.

+ Assessment of Content Mastery

(Brookhart, 2013)

+ Assessment of Divergent Thinking

! Fluency: The student generates many ideas

! Flexibility: The student was able to change the direction of their thinking; they considered multiple categories or perspectives;

!  Originality: The student produces unique, unusual responses.

! Elaboration: The student included extensive detail either in words or graphics, which adds clarity or effect and is related to content

(Brookhart, 2013)

+ Additional Criteria for Assessing Creativity

! Variety of ideas and contexts

! Variety of sources

! Combining ideas

! Communicating something new (Brookhart, 2013)

+ Assessment of Additional Creativity Criteria

(Brookhart, 2013)

+ Creativity Assessment

http://www.deberti.com/index.php/home-work/10958/

+ Creativity Assessment

http://noelleodesigns.com/blog/2011/05/24/titanic-diorama-project-with-lego-cast-crew/

+ Tool Box for “Out of the Box” Assessments

! Identify opportunities to combine assessment purposes

! Identify observable criteria to assess creativity

! Create rubrics with criteria and levels of performance

! Share rubrics with students

! Use assessment to identify “grows and glows”

! Make assessments fun (well, maybe) and engaging!

+ References

! Brookhart, S. M. (2013). Assessing creativity. Educational Leadership, 70(5), 28-34.

! Starko, A. J. (2010). Creativity in the classroom: Schools of Curious Delight (4 ed.). New York, NY: Routledge

! Torrance, E. P. (1979). The search for satori and creativity. Buffalo, NY: Bearly Limited

Link to full article on assessing creativity by S. Brookhart: http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/feb13/vol70/num05/Assessing-Creativity.aspx