Creativity as a learning outcome in humanities

Principal Supervisor

Professor Lai Pan Chiu, Department of Cultural and Religious Studies
Duration

3 years
Approved Budget

HK 1,000,000
 
  • Project Objectives
  • Description of process, outcomes or deliverable
  • Evaluation
  • Dissemination, diffusion and impact

Project Objectives

To study how creativity is perceived, enhanced and assessed in university humanities education.

Description of process, outcomes or deliverable

There are three ways of data collection:

  • Survey:
    (a) a longitudinal study of how the Faculty of Arts students creativity is enhanced during their undergraduate studies;
    (b) a cross-sectional comparison of three years’ students creativity competencies in the Faculty
  • focus group discussions and interviews with students, teachers and professionals of the creative industries concerning their understanding of creativity as well as its enhancement; and
  • a pilot trial of assessment method for creativity in the first term in 2011-2012.

Evaluation

  • A group of first year students sampled from each department in Faculty of Arts was surveyed using Epstein Creativity Competencies Inventory (ECCI) in Spring 2010 as a baseline. The Inventory measures four competencies essential for creative expression: “capturing”, “challenging”, “broadening” and “surrounding”.
  • Year 1 to Year 3 students were surveyed in 2010-11 using the same instrument as a between-group study.
  • The same group of students mentioned in 1) was surveyed again in 2010-11, and 2011-12 for paired-group longitudinal analysis.
  • Interview data collected in focus group discussions helped explain the quantitative data.

Dissemination, diffusion and impact

Findings obtained at different stages of the project were presented in Teaching and Learning Innovation Expo 2011, Faculty workshops and committee, and seminars organized by Academic and Quality Section.