Parallel Session Proceedings »
4.1.1 Creativity and Problem-Based Learning: Tips and Tricks for Teachers
Problem-based learning units in K-12 education have been used to engage students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) content through exploratory inquiry (Jo & Ku, 2011). Teachers have used PBL activities to emphasize 21st century skills, including group projects that foster peer collaboration, critical thinking, and problem solving. PBL also has advantages for the development of students’ creativity—another important 21st century skill—either during in-school course content or after-school enrichment activities. Creativity, which involves the creation of novel and task-appropriate ideas, can be developed further in a social context that provides opportunity for inquiry of authentic problems (Kaufman, 2016; Renzulli, 2012).
PBL classrooms that are open, encourage risk-taking, fluency and flexibility in thinking provide optimal educational environments to nourish creativity (Handa, 2015). O’Connor, Nemeth, and Akutsu (2013) found that people with a malleable creative mindset (i.e., growth mindset) tended to have higher self-reported creativity, higher divergent thinking scores, and more cited interest in creativity. In addition, people primed to have more of a malleable mindset were found to have higher divergent thinking scores (O’Connor, Nemeth, & Akutsu, 2013). Karwowski (2014) found that people associated with a malleable mindset were more likely to hold creativity as part of their self-concept. Encouraging teachers to foster a growth mindset when it comes to the explicit development of creativity in their students will be emphasized.
Tools and activities will also be shared from our experiences as a gifted education specialist, Destination Imagination Coordinator, Makerspace Creator, Apple Camp Facilitator and high school advanced placement teacher. Ideas of how PBL can help students in the group context to be more creative will be shared, as well as current creativity research-into-practice tips for K-12 educators.