Difficulties of evolution from imitation to creativity in engineering education

• Autores: Petre Ogrutan, Ana Maria Cazan, Lia Elena Aciu
• Localización: The International journal of engineering education, ISSN-e 0949-149X, Vol. 33, no. 6 (Parte A), 2017, págs. 1815-1823
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • This paper presents a study regarding an attempt at developing electrical and electronic engineering students’ creativitythrough elective homework (non-mandatory assignments) and thematic contests. The small number of studentsparticipating in these activities showed the difficulties of transition from imitation-based learning to creativity-basedlearning. In order to evaluate the causes of these difficulties, an adequate questionnaire has been devised. The questionnairewas filled out by 110 students both at the beginning as well as after completing some of the authors’ taught courses. Thequestionnaires were intended mainly to measure motivation, attitude towards taught courses and the organizedextracurricular activities. The study allowed a hierarchization of the first 5 reasons invoked by the students who completedtheir assignment as well as the same number of reasons stated by those who didn’t. The students’ responses haveascertained that their attitude towards creativity arises from earlier educational experience and should be encouragedduring childhood, otherwise only a few would be willing to perform additional activities and to show openness towardsinnovative tasks. Several possible curricular upgrades were identified, aiming at a gradual increase of creativity and betterstudent motivation.