Creativity and innovation
Just as business and industry must constantly adapt to the rapid shifts in this 21st Century,
so must education. This calls for a culture of innovation informed by data, research, and
critical and creative thinking. This skill set promotes creative thinking and the ability to work
creatively with others.
Creativity is often described as an essential skill that can and should be fostered (Wegerif &
Dawes, 2004). In a review of the interconnection between technology, learning and creativity,
Loveless (2002) shows how technology allows individuals to produce high quality work in a
range of media that provide opportunities for creativity.
Lack of attention to developing creativity and innovation skills is often based on a common
misperception that creativity is only for artistic-types and geniuses – that creativity is
something one is born with or without (Trilling & Fadel, 2009). Creativity can, Triling &
Fadel argue, be nurtured by teachers and learning environments that encourage questioning,
openness to new ideas, and learning from mistakes and failures. Creativity and innovation
skills can be developed, like other skills, with practice and over time (Wegerif & Dawes,
2004). Though it is difficult to assess creativity, there are multiple instruments and assessments
that have been designed to measure creativity in specific fields such as problem solving and
design.