The effect of expertise on negative transfer in the learning of typing tasks.

The effect of expertise on negative transfer in the learning of typing tasks

Training for insight: The case of the nine-dot problem

Three sources of difficulty for the nine-dot problem were hypothesized: 1) turning on a nondot point, i.e., ending one line and beginning a new line in a space between dots; 2) crossing lines, i.e., drawing lines that intersect and cross; and 3) picking up interior dots, i.e., drawing lines that cross dots that are in the interior of the nine-dot and its variants. Training was designed to either facilitate or hinder participants in overcoming these difficulties. Participants were then tested on variants of the nine-dot problem. Results showed that participants in the facilitating training condition performed significantly better than the hindering or control group

The Effect of Prototyping and Critical Feedback on Fixation in Engineering Design

Design fixation is a common problem in engineering. In two experiments, we implement two educational interventions, prototyping and critical feedback, to help reduce design fixation, which is defined as adherence to one's own design. We found that constant prototyping across the design process reduced fixation in the final product. Surprisingly, we also found that not receiving feedback reduced fixation in the final product. Implications for engineering design education are discussed

An initial examination of computer programs as creative works

Products from many domains (art, music, engineering design, literature, etc.) are considered to be creative works, but there is a misconception that computer programs are limited by set expressions and thus have no room for creativity. To determine whether computer programs are creative works, we collected programs from 23 advanced graduate students that were written to solve simple and complex bioinformatics problems. These programs were assessed for their variability of expression using a new measurement that we designed. They were also evaluated on several elements of their creativity using a version of Cropley and Kaufman’s (2012) Creative Solution Diagnosis Scale that was modified to refer to programming. We found a high degree of variation in the programs that were produced, with 11 unique solutions for the simple problem and 20 unique solutions for the complex problem. We also found higher ratings of propulsion genesis and problematization for the complex problem than for the simple problem. This combination of variation in expression and differences in level of creativity based on program complexity suggests that computer programs, like many other products, count as creative works. Implications for the creativity literature, computer science education, and intellectual property law, particularly copyright, are discussed

A Decision Tree Based Methodology for Evaluating Creativity in Engineering Design

Multiple metrics have been proposed to measure the creativity of products, yet there is still a need for effective, reliable methods to assess the originality of new product designs. In the present article we introduce a method to assess the originality of concepts that are produced during idea generation activities within engineering design. This originality scoring method uses a decision tree that is centered around distinguishing design innovations at the system level. We describe the history and the development of our originality scoring method, and provide evidence of its reliability and validity. A full protocol is provided, including training procedures for coders and multiple examples of coded concepts that received different originality scores. We summarize data from over 500 concepts for garbage collection systems that were scored by Kershaw et al. (2015). We then show how the originality scoring method can be applied to a different design problem. Our originality scoring method, the Decision Tree for Originality Assessment in Design (DTOAD), has been a useful tool to identify differences in originality between various cohorts of Mechanical Engineering students. The DTOAD reveals cross-sectional differences in creativity between beginning and advanced students, and shows longitudinal growth in creativity from the beginning to the end of the undergraduate career, thus showing how creativity can be influenced by the curriculum. The DTOAD can be applied to concepts produced using different ideation procedures, including concepts produced both with and without a baseline example product, and concepts produced when individuals are primed to think of different users for their designs. Finally, we show how our the DTOAD compares to other measurements of creativity, such as novelty, fixation, and remoteness of association.Peer reviewe