A multidimensional approach for enhancing and measuring creative thinking and cognitive skills
International Journal of Information and Learning Technology
ISSN: 2056-4880
Article publication date: 28 April 2023
Issue publication date: 29 August 2023
Abstract
Purpose
Despite the fact that research on creativity and cognition have garnered the attention of researchers and practitioners for decades, there is a lack of valid, reliable, and accessible instruments for enhancing and measuring these critical skills. Leveraging research from The LEGO Foundation and in collaboration with BrainPOP and the Learning Economy Foundation, this paper introduces an assessment framework for holistic skills and reports evidence from the 2022 validation study.
Design/methodology/approach
The complexities associated with both competencies such as multidimensionality, authenticity, and domain specificity pose a major issue for its measurement and credentialing. This paper provides evidence-based insights on promising ways to measure and provide actionable insights on holistic skills.
Findings
Preliminary evidence supports the assessment framework for holistic skills.
Research limitations/implications
Future directions for further development of the assessment are discussed.
Practical implications
The framework should also be of help for practitioners looking for research-based guiding principles for the design of learning-through-play activities aimed to help develop holistic skills across a wide range of digital, physical, and hybrid modalities.
Social implications
The framework provides new instruments and insights for evaluating the social and educational impact of learning-through-play programs and initiatives.
Originality/value
The learning progressions and formative assessment for holistic skills development are novel and clearly needed in research and practice of learning-through-play.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
In the research and development efforts of this project the authors have to thank the conceptual visionaries and practitioners who pushed their thinking and contributed greatly to the ideas and insights presented here. At The LEGO Foundation, Dr. Bo Stjerne Thomsen, Søren Holm, Diana Ringe Krogh, James Norwood, Per Havgaard and Roberta Sandri who provided executive sponsorship, management, and creative design support during all the stages of their work on this project. The authors’ colleagues at BrainPOP, Scott Kirkpatrick, and Karina Linch for their thought leadership and invaluable support. Thanks to the Learning Economy Foundation team for their leadership on the user experience design and software development. And then there is the outstanding group of children who participated in the design and BETA testing who inspired the authors with their creativity and imagination. The authors thank all for making their own work on this research project a great pleasure.
Citation
Rosen, Y., Jaeger, G., Newstadt, M., Bakken, S., Rushkin, I., Dawood, M. and Purifoy, C. (2023), "A multidimensional approach for enhancing and measuring creative thinking and cognitive skills", International Journal of Information and Learning Technology, Vol. 40 No. 4, pp. 334-352. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJILT-12-2022-0227
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited