Can creativity be measured?

1. Can creativity be measured? Ernesto Villalba Centre for Research on Lifelong Learning (CRELL) Unit of applied statistics, Institute for Protection and Security of Citizen (IPSC) European Commission- Joint Research Centre (JRC) BRAINSTORMING ON MEASURING INNOVATION ON EDUCATION 11 June 2009 OECD, Conference Centre, Room 12 2, rue André-Pascal, 75775 Paris Cedex 16, France

2. The beginning of a CHALLENGE CAN CREATIVITY BE MEASURED? 2. CAN CREATIVITY BE MEASURED? 1. WHAT IS CREATIVITY? 3. IS IT FEASIBLE TO DO IT IN AN INTERNATIONAL, COMPARATIVE WAY? Inductive approach 4. WHAT TOOLS DO WE HAVE?

3. JRC Structure: 7 Institutes across 5 Member States • Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements IRMM – Geel, Belgium • Institute for the Protection and Security of the Citizen IPSC – Ispra, Italy • Institute for Environment & SustainabilityIES – Ispra, Italy • Institute for Health and Consumer ProtectionIHCP – Ispra, Italy • Institute for Transuranium ElementsITU – Karlsruhe, Germany • Institute for EnergyIE – Petten, The Netherlands • Institute for Prospective Technological StudiesIPTS – Seville, Spain > 2,700 staff across Europe

4. The conference • Two days • Around 200 participants • Around 30 presenters "Creativity is the core of any innovation. But creativity is a complex construct and requires to be studied properly if we want to develop and implement effective policies". President Barroso’s message for the conference “ Can creativity be measured?” http://crell.jrc.it/creativitydebate/

5. Day 2: individual level (i) • Overview • Measurement approaches • Individual differences • Personality • Divergent thinking • Scientific Creativity • In organizations • ICT • Towards a cross-national survey • Creativity and education

6. Day 2: individual level (i) Individual level – Main points (a) • Originality • Usefulness – appropriate • Risks taking • The P’s (Product, process, person, press, potential)

7. Day 2: individual level (ii) Individual level – Main points (b) • Social Construction •  A parsimonious definition possible? • Emphasis on FORMATIVE assessments • Precision – use as an adjective (creative products, processes, potential) • Tolerance

8. Day 1: aggregate level National and regional approaches to aspects of creativity • European Commission initiatives • DG ENTR • DG REGIO • DG EUORSTAT • DG RTD • Other international, national and regional examples

9. Day 1: aggregate level (i) Aggregate level – Main points (a) • Innovation • Entrepreneurship • Tolerance (heterogeneity, open to mistakes) • Role of Cultural sector

10. Day 1: aggregate level (ii) Aggregate level – Main points (b) • Indicators approach usefulness • to raise awareness and debate •  “to ask questions” • Need of INTEGRATED APPROACH • Beyond the CREATIVE CLASS • Measurement vs. Causality

11. Creativity and innovation in education • Precision What type of innovation? Product, process, person… all? • Usefulness  What would be the use of a survey? The final impact? • CONSENSUS  Need of a common approach!

12. Thank you! ? ernesto.villalba@jrc.it