Abandoning creativity: The evolution of creative ideas in engineering design course projects

Elizabeth Starkey; Christine A. Toh; Scarlett R. Miller

doi:10.1016/j.destud.2016.08.003

Abandoning creativity: The evolution of creative ideas in engineering design course projects

Elizabeth Starkey, Christine A. Toh, Scarlett R. Miller

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

77 Scopus citations

Abstract

Creativity training has been widely integrated into engineering education as a means to prepare students to be an innovative force in design industry. However, much of this research has focused on training students to be creative idea generators, with limited attention to what happens after this generation. Thus, the current study was developed to understand how creative ideas are promoted or filtered throughout the design process in order to focus our educational efforts. In order to accomplish this, an 8-week study with 136 engineering students was conducted. Our results point to the reduction in creativity throughout the design process and student abandonment of novel concepts. We also expose the influence of the design task on student creativity.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	47-72
Number of pages	26
Journal	Design Studies
Volume	47
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.destud.2016.08.003
State	Published - Nov 1 2016

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Architecture
Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous)
General Engineering
General Social Sciences
Computer Science Applications
Artificial Intelligence

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10.1016/j.destud.2016.08.003

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title = "Abandoning creativity: The evolution of creative ideas in engineering design course projects",

abstract = "Creativity training has been widely integrated into engineering education as a means to prepare students to be an innovative force in design industry. However, much of this research has focused on training students to be creative idea generators, with limited attention to what happens after this generation. Thus, the current study was developed to understand how creative ideas are promoted or filtered throughout the design process in order to focus our educational efforts. In order to accomplish this, an 8-week study with 136 engineering students was conducted. Our results point to the reduction in creativity throughout the design process and student abandonment of novel concepts. We also expose the influence of the design task on student creativity.",

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Y1 - 2016/11/1

N2 - Creativity training has been widely integrated into engineering education as a means to prepare students to be an innovative force in design industry. However, much of this research has focused on training students to be creative idea generators, with limited attention to what happens after this generation. Thus, the current study was developed to understand how creative ideas are promoted or filtered throughout the design process in order to focus our educational efforts. In order to accomplish this, an 8-week study with 136 engineering students was conducted. Our results point to the reduction in creativity throughout the design process and student abandonment of novel concepts. We also expose the influence of the design task on student creativity.

AB - Creativity training has been widely integrated into engineering education as a means to prepare students to be an innovative force in design industry. However, much of this research has focused on training students to be creative idea generators, with limited attention to what happens after this generation. Thus, the current study was developed to understand how creative ideas are promoted or filtered throughout the design process in order to focus our educational efforts. In order to accomplish this, an 8-week study with 136 engineering students was conducted. Our results point to the reduction in creativity throughout the design process and student abandonment of novel concepts. We also expose the influence of the design task on student creativity.

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Abandoning creativity: The evolution of creative ideas in engineering design course projects

Abstract

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

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