(By Richard e. Peterson // The Technology Teacher, Dec 2001 v61 i4 p7(4))

Creativity is closely associated with advances in technology, and it is logical that an important objective of technology education is the development of creative abilities. To be successful in developing the creative abilities of students, it's important to be able to establish a supportive classroom environment. Technology educators must be familiar with the essential characteristics that define creativity and be able to identify the variables that contribute to a classroom environment that will support the development of creative abilities.

Creativity

Two essential conditions that creativity must satisfy are originality and purpose (Glover, 1980). The degree to which a product satisfies these two conditions determines how creative the product will be judged. If a product is very original but serves no useful purpose, then it will have no value. A unique product that has no value or purpose is merely an aberration or deviation. Likewise, if a product is very useful but lacks originality, then it is not necessarily creative. A product must be both original and purposeful to be recognized as creative (Cropley, 1999). A concise way to define creativity is purposeful novelty.

Creativity and technology

Creativity and technology are very closely connected. Technology is by its very nature practical and purposeful. Technology advances by finding a better way to solve the practical needs and wants of society. People have basic needs and wants that are satisfied by technology.

The first inventions are always recognized as creative. Students can gain insight into the creative dimension of technology by developing a timeline of inventions and looking at the first of a lineage of inventions to determine the creative contributions and impacts of inventions. The first successful photograph, airplane, skyscraper, and computer were all recognized as creative. Additional insight about the degree of creativity can be gained by asking the questions, why and how is it creative? Answers to these questions can help to provide important insights about the relationship between creativity and technology. Since creativity and technology are so closely associated, it is natural that creativity is an important part of technology education.

Creativity and technology education

Creativity related to technology education implies that students will be actively engaged in creating novel products and solutions to technological problems. However, assessing the creativity can sometimes be difficult. Glover recognized that creativity exists at several levels -- the individual, peer, and society levels (Glover, 1980). Creativity at the society level can be studied in technology education through timelines, inventions, and case studies of inventors and the impact of their products. Students probably will never develop products that are considered to be creative at the society level. A product or an idea developed by a student probably has been done before. Most developing adults will probably not create an invention that has significant social impact. However, given encouragement, support, and stimulation, who knows what the possibilities could be?

At the peer group level, some class members may be considered to be creative. However, it is at the personal level, where creativity should be assessed for technology education students. The first time a person has an original and novel solution to a problem, he or she is being creative. The professional skill of the teacher is important in sustaining this creative effort, because creativity is easily extinguished. Creativity is an ability that is present within everyone, but the proper conditions are required for creativity to be expressed.

Creativity and the technology education environment

Since creativity is fundamental to the study of technology, it is important to understand how to develop a classroom environment that will stimulate and encourage creativity. In his classical study, Wallas (1926) identified several stages that are essential to the development of creativity -- preparation (obtaining information), incubation (processing it internally), inspiration (hitting on a solution), and verification (evaluating the solution). Others such as Cropley (1997) and Runco (1997) have added elements such as "communication and validation" to Wallas' Phase Theory.