Creativity in assessment rubrics

Abstract

Creativity is a key topic in the scientific discourse on design education, and a desired outcome of general education worldwide. Concepts used in assessment have an important role in general education: they define knowledge and skills for future generations to possess. A prior research project (2007-2011) identified an alarming lacuna in the assessment repertoire of Norwegian Art and Crafts teachers regarding creativity. In interview settings, teachers struggled to describe what they valued as creative. Creativity was framed as an innate ability, and not something to learn. In this paper, the research strategy used to explore creativity is completely modified. Instead of asking teachers to explain how they assess creativity, a model that defines five creative habits serves as a lens to trace dimensions of creativity in teachers’ assessment rubrics from 27 schools across counties of Norway. The strategy yields a nuanced understanding of what dispositions of a creative mind Norwegian Art and Crafts teachers cultivate through assessment, and highlights aspects that are not yet prioritised. The findings are used to discuss the assessment repertoire of Norwegian Art and Crafts teachers, and as a case to identify possible steps towards cultivating responsible creativity in design education across levels.