When There is no Correct Answer – A Lesson in Creativity by Elad Segev אלעד שגב - Ourboox.com
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When There is no Correct Answer – A Lesson in Creativity

Hi! I'm an academic lecturer, scientist and teach creative thinking to children and adults.
  • Joined Apr 2014
  • Published Books 2

We conducted a simple exercise with gifted students, attending a school in Ramat Hasharon, Israel, that encourages creativity and excellence (the Rama School). The students were in the third grade (9 years old or so).

 

Together with Odelia Kohn Oppenheim, we gave each student a page with a triangle.

 

We offered ‘a point’ to those who completed the picture in a ‘correct manner’.

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When There is no Correct Answer – A Lesson in Creativity by Elad Segev אלעד שגב - Ourboox.com

It took the children less than one minute to complete the drawings. They placed them to the side and started talking with one another. They showed no interest whatsoever in the exercise.

 

Indeed, most of the pictures were simple houses, with the triangle as the roof. Here is one typical example.

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When There is no Correct Answer – A Lesson in Creativity by Elad Segev אלעד שגב - Ourboox.com

Five minutes later, we gave the students pages with exactly the same triangle. We asked them to complete the picture. No other instructions were given.

 

This is what happened.

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When There is no Correct Answer – A Lesson in Creativity by Elad Segev אלעד שגב - Ourboox.com

As it turns out, children are like adults. When presented a reward for doing something in the correct fashion, their products are non-creative, mediocre and offhand. Over 80% of the students drew a simple house and used an average of two colors, even though they had a stack of colors on the table at their disposal.

 

 

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When There is no Correct Answer – A Lesson in Creativity by Elad Segev אלעד שגב - Ourboox.com

On the other hand, when no reward was offered, and there was no expectation of a correct answer, students were much more motivated. They took the entire five minutes that we allotted them, they used on the average five colors, and none of them drew a simple house.

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When There is no Correct Answer – A Lesson in Creativity by Elad Segev אלעד שגב - Ourboox.com

In which house would you like to live?

 

Please click to watch the video.

 

 

 

For more information, here is my website

And you are welcome to e-mail me here:

 

 

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