How academic teachers perceive and facilitate creativity

Abstract

We will present a case study result from a cross-disciplinary education called Medialogy, which is taught in the Technical and Science Faculty at Aalborg University. The aim of Medialogy is to facilitate creativity within technical solutions. The intention of this paper is to answer the following: how do the Medialogy teachers perceive creativity and how do they facilitate it? Many of the answers point to the pedagogical approach used in problem-based learning, which are perceived as an important element for the creative process. In this paper we will also argue the importance of including the social context (both at a macro and at a micro level) in the definition and use of creativity in engineering education.

Keywords:

• creativity
• problem-based learning
• project work
• engineering education

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Thomas Bjørner

Thomas Bjørner is currently Associate Professor of the Medialogy Section in the Department of Architecture and Media Technology at Aalborg University, Copenhagen. He is coming from a field of media sociology. Previous publications within an educational context have been about developing design principles from a more holistic perspective when designing educational games, children's attitudes towards use of robots in an educational context and creativity in project work in engineering education.

Lise Busk Kofoed

Lise Busk Kofoed is a Professor and is the Head of the Medialogy Section in the Department of Architecture and Media Technology, at Aalborg University, Copenhagen. Her research areas are development of the PBL concept within engineering educations with special focus on cross-disciplinary programmes. She teaches undergraduate and graduate subjects within organisation and management development in the engineering curriculum as well as pedagogical issues for the university teaching staff.