Assessing creative thinking skills - an interdisciplinary approach

The Australian Council for Educational Research (A.C.E.R.) is a not-for-profit organisation that works with Australian and international governments to develop and improve learning and assessment practices. In 2012 A.C.E.R. was contracted by the Victorian government to undertake research in the assessment of critical and creative thinking skills for students aged 8 to 18. Over 300 test items were developed for this purpose and these items were used to form a developmental scale for thinking. The research highlights the how critical and creative thinking skills can be incorporated into lessons which transcend traditional subject boundaries. This presentation focuses on the process by which these test items were developed and the way the ideas became infused in different school subjects. It raises the question of whether thinking strategies should be explicitly taught or whether these skills are best acquired through osmosis.