Measuring creativity in collaborative design projects in pre-service teacher education

Abstract

Pre-service teacher education in the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) has been the focus of numerous studies. In this paper, we further extend this body of research by examining the functions of creativity and how creative outputs are measured in pre-service teacher education, chiefly by discussing how students are assessed in terms of their creativities in design projects. The research aimed to evaluate the measures that had been put in place to ensure that the creative value of the student tasks was assessed objectively. Several strategies were used including a process-based task design, opportunities for students to revisit and refine designs, collaborative brainstorming, self-assessment, rubrics, panel marking by experts, and a design space that supported creativity. It was found that while interpretations of creativity were subjective, the students’ aim to develop creative outputs was fostered by the peer review and self-review processes adopted for the study.