Nurturing Creative Thinkers with Competency-Based Training
Singapore Management University
ABSTRACT
Creative Thinking is widely acknowledged as a key 21st century skill. However, not many educational institutions in Singapore have infused Creative Thinking as a module in their curriculum. The findings from a global research, “State of Create” (2012), sponsored by Adobe Systems highlighted a “Creativity Gap” between an individual’s creative thinking capability and creative thinking potential. This paper posits that everyone can be creative and proposes a Competency-Based Training System to help individuals boost their creative capability and to narrow the “Creativity Gap”. This paper will provide an overview of the Competency-Based Training by referring to the Singapore Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) Framework, which has been adopted by the Workforce Development Agency. The core of the Competency-Based Training System is the PCAN Model© (a creative thinking methodology) and the 4 Creative Ideas-On-Demand© Techniques. Both are time-tested step-by-step thinking processes that enable specific competency units to be developed. This paper will share the Formative and Summative Assessment Schemes that are critical in any Competency-Based Training System. The Mixed Methods Research methodology is being used. This paper concludes that the adoption of the Competency-Based Training enables skills formation and helps to close the Creativity Gap.
KEYWORDS
competency-based training, creative thinking training system, WDA WSQ competency framework, creativity gap