Dualities in creative thinking: a novel approach to teaching and learning creativity

Abstract

In this paper, we present a novel approach to defining, teaching, and assessing creativity by examining its origins and delineating the processes involved. The rationale for introducing this framework developed from studying existing thinking and questioning the current metrics for measuring creativity, which we posit are unfit for purpose. We reach this conclusion because rather than accepting the existing focus on outcomes, we perceive creativity as a process based on different types of logic. Drawing upon the earlier work of De Bono and Kolb, we explore the creative process through the lenses of humour and systems engineering to reveal and develop a range of demonstrable skills and key techniques that can be learned, taught and assessed. By using the identified system inputs of creative logic, dialectic conflicts (dualities), alternate narratives, and abstraction, we ultimately present a possible framework for evaluating creativity without relying on subjective assessment. This methodology and framework can be applied in all educational contexts, from cross-curricular mainstream learning to a focus on excluded and hard-to-reach learners.