An exploration of students’ perceptions and understandings of creativity as an assessment criterion in undergraduate-level studies within higher education

Abstract

The article reports on and discusses findings from a project to investigate students' perceptions and understandings of creativity as an assessment criterion within a specific context within the higher education curriculum. The study found that, although students were familiar with creativity as a requirement of course assessments across a great variety of disciplines, many had but a vague notion of what this meant in practice. Further, because of the need to ‘validate’ uncommon and emergent forms of assessment, many using digital media, students were often confused with the dual requirements to be both creative and original yet adhere to relatively rigid forms of academic literacy. The study also suggests that far more clarity is needed within and across subject areas when using creativity in assessment criteria. Finally, the authors make suggestions for further research into how creativity can be critically incorporated into assessments and consequently assessed purposefully and productively.

Keywords:

• higher education
• creativity
• assessment
• criteria
• understanding