Enhancement of creativity through a one-semester course in university

With the increasing interest by Asian countries in developing a more creative workforce through the education system, many universities have introduced courses that aim to enhance the creativity of their students. Students also perceive a need for increased creativity. However, there is some debate about whether short-term creativity training is effective at university level. This study examines the effect of a short (one-semester) course, which included elements of creativity training and practice, at a Hong Kong university. Training in creativity techniques for part of the semester led to increases in two key aspects of creative ability as measured by standard creativity tests conducted outside the classroom: verbal creativity increased compared with a control group, and drawing creativity also increased. Students enjoyed the course, felt it was useful and rated themselves as more creative after the course. Short-term out-of-discipline training courses in creative thinking have a number of other benefits, demonstrably for learning strategies, in addition to an increase in creative abilities.