Pre Reading

When I first look at the title “Does Assessment Kill Student Creativity”, my initial reaction is that it sure was a bold statement. With the, what I will call interesting, word choice of “kill” in the title, the author, Ronald A. Beghetto, seemingly pits the noble and chaste notion of creativity against the evil and soul-crushing concept of assessment. However, this is simply a personal opinion and initial reaction from the article’s title. But what do I think? Personally I agree. I do think building in assessment into every aspect of school would kill a student’s creativity. Yet I am not quite ready to storm the fortress of the educational establishment, demanding that assessment be thrown from the highest tower and banished for all eternity. I still have questions about whether there indeed a place for assessment. A place that does not necessarily destroy a student’s creativity and could in fact, be a motivating factor for creativity. However, this is something I do not know so I approach the article with an open mind.

During Reading

The following is a list of quote or thoughts I had when reading Ronald A. Beghetto’s 2005 article Does Assessment Kill Student Creativity?.

• On he opening paragraph Beghetto refers to the marginalization of student creativity by putting an emphasis on assessment for teacher’s instructional time. He credits such a priority to the No Child Left behind Act in the United States in 2001. However, with this being an American example, is there a connection to such a policy in Canada, and an increased focus on assessment?
• “Which assessment practices diminish creativity?” pg.255
• “Creativity is the interaction among aptitude, process, and environment by which an individual or group produces a perceptible product that is both novel and useful as defined within a social context.” pg.255
• The importance of context when looking at creativity
  • Social influences
  • Creativity is dependent on what is novel AND useful for each given student
• Assessment activities that diminish creativity: best work” displays, performance goals that focus on avoiding mistakes.
• Could a great emphasis on mastery goal structures lead to a new system of assessment that wouldn’t diminish creativity?
• Protecting creativity depends on moving away from social comparisons, take away pressure, and take away the importance of such assessment (aka a move towards formative)

Post Reading

After finishing this article, some of my previous considerations were confirmed, but I am left thinking of my inquiry proposal and the connection assessment has to competition. When we are competing, is it essentially a system of assessing our skills? Additionally, if we took away all pressure to perform, would the quality of creative work be the same? Does creativity wilt under pressure and does creativity exist on a separate plane of existence from the rest of the educational universe, void of assumptions, pressure, and expectations?

With these ideas in minds, and with the recommendations Beghetto has for fostering creativity in our classrooms, I have begun to see parallels between this mindset and current policy. The move towards formative assessment (practical and informational) is already in place in many schools and one that I do think allows for more personal growth by our students. If it can be successfully directed towards build skills such a creativity, then I do hope that our students who are graduating are better suited to face and solve the future’s problems.

References

Beghetto, R. (2005). Does Assessment Kill Student Creativity?. The Educational Forum, 69(3), 254-263.