CSDS Rubrik Guide A4.docx

The Creative Solution Diagnosis Scale (CSDS) Assessment App Associate Professor David Cropley (University of South Australia) Professor Arthur Cropley (University of Hamburg) Introduction The CSDS (see: Cropley & Cropley, 2008; Cropley, Kaufman, & Cropley, 2011; Cropley & Kaufman, 2012; Kaufman et al, 2013; Cropley & Cropley, 2016) is a measurement scale designed to help people assess the creativity of artefacts. Those artefacts can be any outcome of an activity: for example, written essays, poems, constructions, artefacts. Equally, the artefact may be any solution to a problem. The CSDS is designed to assist in the process of understanding what makes something creative. A key concept from research is that creativity is not just something that is new, or different, but also something that is effective, and relevant to the problem at hand. Creativity is also not simply something that is artistic – creativity is found in all sorts of things, and all sorts of disciplines. In many countries, education systems are focusing more and more on creativity as a core skill. It makes sense therefore, that if we want people to develop their ability to produce creative outputs, then we need to have a good way to assess what they’ve done. The CSDS tackles that issue. We also know that it can be hard for people to recognize and judge creativity. Experts are pretty good at doing this in their field of expertise, but what about other people? The CSDS is designed to help anybody judge the creativity of anything, and to do so in a rigorous and validated fashion. To do this, the CSDS uses a number of indicators grouped into five categories. The five main categories that define the creativity of an artefact are: Relevance and Effectiveness; Problematization; Propulsion; Elegance; Genesis However, these can still be hard for people to recognize in an artefact. Therefore, we have developed 21 indicators of creativity – these are easily recognizable characteristics of an artefact that help define creativity. For example: Performance = “the artefact does what it is supposed to do” To make an assessment of the creativity of an artefact a person goes through the 21 indicators and rates the artefact on a scale from “0” (that indicator does not apply to the artefact), through to “4” (that indicator applies very much to the artefact). By combining these ratings together we get a very detailed assessment of the artefact’s creativity, that can be used for formative assessment – to help students understand what to do to increase the creativity of the things that they produce. CDSD Assessment Scale The full CSDS assessment scale is shown below: Relevance and Effectiveness (the artefact is fit for purpose): CORRECTNESS (the artefact accurately reflects conventional knowledge and/or techniques); PERFORMANCE (the artefact does what it is supposed to do); APPROPRIATENESS (the artefact fits within task constraints); Problematization (the artefact helps to define the problem/task at hand): DIAGNOSIS (the artefact draws attention to shortcomings in other existing artefacts); PRESCRIPTION (the artefact shows how existing artefacts could be improved); PROGNOSIS (the artefact helps the observer to anticipate likely effects of changes). Propulsion (the artefact sheds new light on the problem/task): REDIRECTION (the artefact shows how to extend the known in a new direction); REINITIATION (the artefact indicates a radically new approach); REDEFINITION (the artefact helps the observer see new and different ways of using the artefact); GENERATION (the artefact offers a fundamentally new perspective on possible artefacts). Elegance (the artefact is well-executed): CONVINCINGNESS (the observer sees the artefact as skillfully executed, well-finished); PLEASINGNESS (the observer finds the artefact neat, well done); COMPLETENESS (the artefact is well worked out and “rounded”); GRACEFULNESS (the artefact is well-proportioned, nicely formed); HARMONIOUSNESS (the elements of the artefact fit together in a consistent way); Genesis (the artefact changes how the problem/task is understood): FOUNDATIONALITY (the artefact suggests a novel basis for further work); TRANSFERABILITY (the artefact offers ideas for solving apparently unrelated problems); GERMINALITY (the artefact suggests new ways of looking at existing problems); SEMINALITY (the artefact draws attention to previously unnoticed problems); VISION (the artefact suggests new norms for judging other artefacts-existing or new); PATHFINDING (the artefact opens up a new conceptualization of the issues). CSDS Rubrik App The CSDS Rubrik makes the creativity assessment scale available on your smartphone. After starting the app you will see a home screen where you can enter the name of the person whose artefact is being assessed (e.g. your student). You then enter your email, so that a summary report of the assessment can be sent to you for your records, and for discussion with the student. Next, you can also enter a name for the artefact being assessed. Tap “Next” to continue Student Name Teacher Email Artefact Name Clicking “next” then takes you to the first of the category screens (Relevance and Effectiveness). The indicators are shown, and you simply select the radio button to rate the artefact against each indicator. If you need a reminder about the category or indicator, click on the question mark (?) next to that item. Tap “Next” to continue Tap the button for the rating you want to give Tap on “(?)” for a reminder of the meaning of the category/indicator When you have rated the artefact on all the indicators, click “next” at the bottom of the screen to continue – remembering that you may need to scroll down to view all the indicators. You will also see that the app computes a mean score for each category, expressed both as a score between 0-4 and as a percentage. For each category, you will see a calculation of the “Mean Score” from 0-4, also expressed as a percentage Tap “Next” to continue Tap “Next” to continue Once you have rated the artefact against all 21 indicators, on successive screens, you will then see an “Assessment Summary” screen. This summarizes the scores for the five main indicators, and color-codes these where RED means the particular category (e.g. Elegance) is a weakness, and GREEN means the particular category is a strength, for this particular student/artefact. On the Assessment Summary screen, you also have an overall mean score for creativity, expressed both on the 0-4 scale, and as a percentage. Color-coded summary of each category (on the 0-4 scale): yellow is mid-range “Assessment Summary” On the Assessment Summary screen, you also have an Average Score for the Overall Creativity of the Artefact – both on the 0-4 scale, and as a percentage Red represents a relative weakness in the artefact (and Green is a strength) Clicking next then takes you to the Finish screen. If you want to email a copy of the assessment to the nominated email address, click on that link. You can also click “Back” to return to an earlier screen to review or change your ratings. Tap “Back” to return to an earlier screen, or “Close” to return to the home screen Tap here to receive an email summary of the rating If you are finished, then click “Close” to return to the home screen so that you can start a new assessment. To exit the app, click backspace from the home screen. Summary The CSDS Rubrik app has been developed to help individuals, especially in education, assess the creativity of a range of different artefacts. The general intent of the app is to support formative assessments, helping teachers and students to understand the criteria that contribute to creativity. Through formative assessments, students are then able to build on their strengths, and address areas of weakness, all with the goal of developing a deeper understanding of creativity, and an ability to generate genuinely creativity outputs. The CSDS Rubrik is based on rigorous research in the field of creativity. The app is under constant review, and we welcome your feedback. if you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me on david.cropley@unisa.edu.au References/Further Reading Cropley, D. H., & Cropley, A. J. (2008). Elements of a universal aesthetic of creativity. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 2(3), 155-161. Cropley, D. H., & Cropley, A. J. (2016). Promoting creativity through assessment: A formative CAA tool for teachers. Educational Technology Magazine, 56(6), 17-24. Cropley, D. H., & Kaufman, J. C. (2012). Measuring functional creativity: Non-expert raters and the creative solution diagnosis scale. The Journal of Creative Behavior, 46(2), 119-137. Cropley, D. H., Kaufman, J. C., & Cropley, A. J. (2011). Measuring creativity for innovation management. Journal of Technology Management & Innovation, 6(3), 13-30. Kaufman, J. C., Baer, J., Cropley, D. H., Reiter-Palmon, R., & Sinnett, S. (2013). Furious activity vs. understanding: How much expertise is needed to evaluate creative work? Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 7(4), 332-340.