Creativity

The term creativity is polysemic: it is difficult to assume a single definition since different currents and epistemological lines understand it differently. In general, creativity is understood as an innate ability, which can be developed throughout life, and which concerns the ability or talent to create, invent, and innovate in different situations and fields of knowledge – from sports to the arts, from sciences to everyday tasks and even to the most problems that affect communities.

A recent initiative by the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) to access students’ creative thinking, as an integrated part of PISA (Program for International Student Assessment), indicates that education has, among its objectives, to encourage children to and young people can develop their creativity, aiming to solve problems and improve academic practice and social interactions. As indicated in a document on the reference matrix for evaluation in Brazil, “creative thinking is, therefore, more than simply presenting random ideas. It is a tangible competence, based on knowledge and practice, which helps individuals to achieve better results, often in restricted and challenging environments.”

Creativity: a key element for solving complex problems

In Samsung Solve for Tomorrow, creativity emerges in the reference to soft skills and the 4Cs (acronym in English for Creativity, Critical Thinking, Communication, and Collaboration), competencies for the 21st century, such as those necessary for contemporary students to conduct their journeys of learning, and fundamental for the resolution of complex social problems. Through the construction and elaboration of their projects, students are invited to “think outside the box,” contributing to the global scientific debate and to facing the challenges of society.