Training Programs on Creativity and Creative Program Solving at Russian Universities

Abstract

Theincreasingglobalchallengesarehighlightingtheimportance of open-mindedness, thinking “outside the box”, and the ability to view a situation from different perspectives. The integration of various bodies of knowledge and the application of creative methods in a practical professional domain are becoming critical skills nowadays. This paper aims to study the experience of Russian universities in teaching creativity to students and to propose the courses and programs which enhance the students’ creativity. The data was collected by examining the curricula, students’ outputs and activities as well as by conducting a survey. The set of questionnaires was designed to measure the components of the students’ creative potential and to find out their information processing skills (in lectures, while working independently, preparing for seminars). Moreover, the students were asked to assess the professors’ motivation to foster students’ expression of their individual creativity and creative teamwork. The professors, in turn, were interviewed in order to receive the evaluation of the students’ learning outcomes. The article outlines the proposed by Russian universities courses and programs on unlocking and increasing their students’ creative potential and describes the complex of measures taken by Kazan Federal University in order to enrich and implement its students’ creativity.