Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Creativity in Design Engineering and the Role of Knowledge: Modelling the Expert

  • Published:
International Journal of Technology and Design Education Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The present study focuses on the relationship between the acquisition of design knowledge by novice design students and the quality of their designs. Design learning is typically based on action and reflection. Knowledge of solution processes, being part of this reflection, is found to be crucial in monitoring and controlling the design process and in reaching an optimal, creative result. The studies described in this article suggest a close relationship between the amount of process knowledge – knowledge of managing and monitoring the solution finding process – reported by novice designers, and the creativity of the designed product.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ö. Akin (1986) Psychology of Architectural Design Pion Limited London

    Google Scholar 

  • P. A. Alexander J. E. Judy (1988) ArticleTitle‘The Interaction of Domain-Specific and Strategic Knowledge in Academic Performance’ Review of Educational Research 58 375–404

    Google Scholar 

  • P.A. Alexander D.L. Schallert V.C. Hare (1991) ArticleTitle‘Coming to Terms: How Researchers in Learning and Literacy Talk about Knowledge’ Review of Educational Research 61 315–343

    Google Scholar 

  • P.A. Alexander T.L. Jetton J.M. Kulikowich (1996) ArticleTitle‘Interrelationship of Knowledge, Interest and Recall: Assessing a Model of Domain Learning’ Journal of Educational Psychology 87 559–575 Occurrence Handle10.1037/0022-0663.87.4.559

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • T. M. Amabile (1983) The Social Psychology of Creativity Springer-Verlag New York

    Google Scholar 

  • T. A. Amabile (2001) ArticleTitle‘Beyond Talent: John Irving and the Passionate Craft of Creativity’ American Psychologist 56 IssueID4 333–336 Occurrence Handle10.1037//0003-066X.56.4.333 Occurrence Handle11330231

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Archer B. (1963) ‘Systematic Method for Designers’, Design4

  • J.R. Anderson (1987) ArticleTitle‘Skill Acquisition: Compilation of Weak-method Problem Solutions’ Psychological Review 94 192–210 Occurrence Handle10.1037/0033-295X.94.2.192

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • J. R. Anderson (1996) ArticleTitle‘ACT: A Simple Theory of Complex Cognition’ American Psychologist 51 IssueID4 355–365 Occurrence Handle10.1037/0003-066X.51.4.355

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Anzai Y. (1991) ‘Learning and Use of Representations for Physics Expertise’. In: Ericsson K.A., Smith J. (ed). Toward a General Theory of Expertise, Cambridge University Press, New York, pp. 64–92

  • J. Bransford R. Sherwood N. Vye J. Rieser (1986) ArticleTitle‘Teaching Thinking and Problem Solving’ American psychologist 41 1078–1089 Occurrence Handle10.1037/0003-066X.41.10.1078

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • M.T. Chi P.J Feltovitch R. Glaser (1981) ArticleTitle‘Categorization and Representation of Physics Problems by Experts and Novices’ Cognitive Science 5 121–152

    Google Scholar 

  • Christiaans, H. H. C. M.: 1992, Creativity in Design. The Role of Domain Knowledge in Designing, Lemma B.V., Utrecht

  • H. H. C. M. Christiaans (2002b) ArticleTitle‘Creativity as a Design Criterion’ Creativity Research Journal 14 41–54 Occurrence Handle10.1207/S15326934CRJ1401_4

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Christiaans H.H.C.M. (2002a), Book Review of C. Eastman, M. McCracken,, W. Newstetter (eds.), (2001). Design Knowing and Learning: Cognition in Design Education. Elsevier, Oxford. Design Studies23(4) 2002, 433–434

  • J. Cohen (1960) ArticleTitle‘A Coefficient of Agreement for Nominal Scales’ Educational and Psychological Measurement 20 37–46

    Google Scholar 

  • G. Cooper J. Sweller (1987) ArticleTitle‘The Effects of Schema Acquisition and Rule Automation on Mathematical Problem-solving Transfer’ Journal of Educational Psychology 79 347–362 Occurrence Handle10.1037/0022-0663.79.4.347

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eastman C. M. (1969) ‘On the Analysis of Intuitive Design Processes’. In: Moore G.T. (ed). Emerging Methods in Environmental Design and Planning. The MIT Press, Cambridge,Massachusetts

  • C. Eastman M. McCracken W. Newstetter (Eds) (2001) Design Knowing and Learning: Cognition in Design Education Elsevier Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • R. Elio P. B. Scharf (1990) ArticleTitle‘Modelling Novice-to-expert Shifts in Problem Solving Strategy and Knowledge Organization’ Cognitive Science 14 579–639 Occurrence Handle10.1016/0364-0213(90)90010-T

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • K.A. Ericsson J. Smith (1991) Toward a General Theory of Expertise Cambridge University Press New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Eyk, G. H. A. van.: 1982, ‘The Writing of Learning Experiences as a Teaching Tool’, in R. Langdon, K. Baynes, P. Roberts (eds.), Design Education: Vol.5. Proceedings of the Design Policy Conference,London, 1982, Design Council, London

  • R.M. Gagné (1970) The Conditions of Learning Holt EditionNumber2 Rinehart Winston

    Google Scholar 

  • J. G. Greeno (1980) ‘Trends in the Theory of Knowledge for Problem Solving’ D. T. Tuma F. Reif (Eds) Problem Solving and Education Erlbaum Illsdale, NJ 9–25

    Google Scholar 

  • Groot, A. D. de: 1974, ‘To What Purpose, to What Effect? Some Problems of Method and Theory in the Evaluation of Higher Education’, in W. A. Verreck (ed.), Methodological Problems in Research and Development, Swets, Zeitlinger, Amsterdam

  • D.F. Halpern (1998) ArticleTitle‘Teaching Critical Thinking for Transfer Across Domains: Dispositions, Skills, Structure Training and Metacognitive Monitoring’ American Psychologist 53 IssueID4 449–455 Occurrence Handle10.1037/0003-066X.53.4.449 Occurrence Handle9572008

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • A. Hedge B.R. Lawson (1979) ‘Creative Thinking’ W.T. Singleton (Eds) Compliance and Excellence. The Study of Real Skills. MTP press ltd Lancaster 280–305

    Google Scholar 

  • T.de Jong M. G. M. Ferguson-Hessler (1986) ArticleTitle‘Cognitive Structures of Good and Poor Novice Problem Solvers in Physics’ Journal of Educational Psychology 78 279–288 Occurrence Handle10.1037/0022-0663.78.4.279

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • P. Kirschner P. Van Vilstercn H. Hummel M. Wigman (1997) ArticleTitle‘The Design of a Study Environment for Acquiring Academic and Professional Competence’ Studies in Higher Education 22 151–171 Occurrence Handle10.1080/03075079712331381014

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • P. Langley H.A. Simon G.L. Bradshaw J.M. Zytkow (1987) Scientific Discovery Computational Explorations of the Creative Processes The MIT Press Cambridge, MA

    Google Scholar 

  • J. Larkin J. McDermott D. Simon H. Simon (1980) ArticleTitle‘Models of Competence in Solving Physics Problems’ Cognitive Science 4 317–348 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0364-0213(80)80008-5

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • R.E. Mayer (1987) Educational Psychology: A Cognitive Approach Little Brown, Boston

    Google Scholar 

  • Pietersen, C.: 2002, ‘Research as a Learning Experience: A Phenomenological Explication’, The Qualitative Report7(2). http://www.nova.edu/ssss/QR/QR7-2/pietersen.html

  • D. A. Schön (1983) The Reflective Practitioner Basic Books New York

    Google Scholar 

  • H. A. Simon (1973) ArticleTitle‘Structure of Ill Structured Problems’ Artificial Intelligence 4 181–201 Occurrence Handle10.1016/0004-3702(73)90011-8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • D. K. Simonton (2000) ArticleTitle‘Creativity: Cognitive, Personal, Developmental and Social Aspects’ American Psychologist 55 IssueID1 151–158 Occurrence Handle10.1037//0003-066X.55.1.151 Occurrence Handle11392859

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sternberg R. J., Lubart T. I. (1996) ‘Investing in Creativity’. American psychologist 677–688

  • J. Sweller (1989) ArticleTitle‘Cognitive Technology: Some Procedures for Facilitating Learning and Problem Solving in Mathematics and Science’ Journal of Educational Psychology 81 457–466 Occurrence Handle10.1037/0022-0663.81.4.457

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • P. Tynjala (1998) ArticleTitle‘Traditional Studying for Examination Versus Constructivist Learning Tasks: Do Learning Outcome Differ?’ Studies in Higher Education 23 173–189 Occurrence Handle10.1080/03075079812331380374

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Venselaar K., Gerritsen van de Hoop W., Drunen P. van (1987) ‘The Knowledge Base of the Designer’, in P. R. J. Simons, G. Beukhof (eds.), Regulation of learning,pp. 121–135, SVO, The Hague.

  • R. W. Weisberg (1986) Creativity. Genius and Other Myths Freeman New York

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering, Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands

    Henri Christiaans

  2. VRC, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    Kees Venselaar

Authors
  1. Henri Christiaans
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Kees Venselaar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Henri Christiaans.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Christiaans, H., Venselaar, K. Creativity in Design Engineering and the Role of Knowledge: Modelling the Expert. Int J Technol Des Educ 15, 217–236 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10798-004-1904-4

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10798-004-1904-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation