Fostering creative competence in engineering students

Abstract

In today’s fast-changing world, creativity is essential for engineering students to succeed. As part of my master’s thesis in Strategic Product Design at the TU Delft, I explored how to identify and stimulate creativity in engineering education. My research focused on the bachelor programs in Aerospace Engineering and Industrial Design Engineering at the TU Delft. I looked at the topic from four different perspectives: the literature, the industry, the education and the student. To understand creativity in engineering students, I developed a model with five key attitudes: being imaginative, disciplined, inquisitive, persevering, and collaborative. Each attitude is linked to three creative habits that students can develop. I also created a student journey to give educators a clear insight into the student’s perspective, based on interviews with students from the Aerospace Engineering and Industrial Design Engineering programs. My research identified four main conflicts that can affect creativity in engineering students: the tension between freedom and structure, the balance between theory and practice, the lack of true teamwork, and the challenge of assessing creativity. For each conflict, I provided recommendations for educators to improve the stimulation of creativity in their students. To put my findings into a broader context, I compared my study to similar research in England and Germany. My conclusions highlight the importance of considering the student’s perspective and the need for educators to adapt their teaching methods to stimulate creativity. My report shows that creativity can be developed in engineering students by understanding their perspective and addressing the conflicts that affect their creative growth.