Enhancing Creative Thinking in STEM with 3D CAD Modelling

Carlos Carbonell-Carrera, Jose Luis Saorin, Damari Melian-Diaz and Jorge de la Torre-Cantero
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Carlos Carbonell-Carrera: Departamento de Técnicas y Proyectos en Ingeniería y Arquitectura, Universidad de La Laguna, Calle Padre Herrera, s/n, 38200 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
Jose Luis Saorin: Departamento de Técnicas y Proyectos en Ingeniería y Arquitectura, Universidad de La Laguna, Calle Padre Herrera, s/n, 38200 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
Damari Melian-Diaz: Departamento de Técnicas y Proyectos en Ingeniería y Arquitectura, Universidad de La Laguna, Calle Padre Herrera, s/n, 38200 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
Jorge de la Torre-Cantero: Departamento de Técnicas y Proyectos en Ingeniería y Arquitectura, Universidad de La Laguna, Calle Padre Herrera, s/n, 38200 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain

Sustainability, 2019, vol. 11, issue 21, 1-15

Abstract: Creative thinking is an essential part of learning for sustainability, as recent studies indicate. Creativity enables the engineer to find solutions for the design of a new product or for the improvement of one already designed, to make it more sustainable. However, currently, engineering education does not usually assess academic performance in terms of creativity, and although interest in creative processes in engineering is growing, its implementation in the classroom is still scarce. In the present study, a creativity workshop was conducted in order to find multiple solutions to the problem posed, in accordance with divergent thinking. The workshop was based on a 3D CAD modelling activity, and the students needed to give different 3D design solutions starting from a two-dimensional shape. The participants were 72 engineering students from the engineering graphics subject in the degree in agricultural engineering and rural areas. Nine different creative components were evaluated. That way, not only was a generic measure of creativity obtained, but it was also possible to know the evolution of the student after the workshop for each of the components of creativity separately. The results of the workshop confirmed that creativity could be enhanced, and therefore, the learning process for sustainability can be improved in engineering.

Keywords: 3D modelling; Computer-aided Design (CAD); creativity components; engineering; divergent thinking (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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