Assessment for creative teaching and learning in disciplined improvisation

Creativity is of growing significance in educational reform worldwide. The Thinking School, Learning Nation policy of Singapore in 1997, the White Paper on Creative Education of Taiwan in 2003, the Learning to Learn educational reform of Hong Kong in 2001 and the report of National Advisory Committee on Creative and Cultural Education of England in 1999 all gave creativity a significant role in education (Craft, 2011; Hui & Lau, 2010). Nevertheless, creativity assessment in schools is always criticized as lagging behind the educational policies (Craft, 2011; Leong, et al., 2012). A tension view of creativity and assessment is common (Cunliffe, 2008). “Does assessment weaken student creativity?” (Beghetto, 2005, p. 254) is a question on the minds of many educators. Yet, Craft (2011) suggested that creativity assessment is multi-faceted. Assessment is not necessarily a negative force, but its influences depend on what kinds of assessment are conducted (Beghetto, 2005). Assessment may even have a strong leverage effect on educational reform, especially in the Chinese context (Cheng, 2010a). Started from the classic study of Black & William (1998), “assessment for learning” is of growing significance in education field. Parallel reforms are widespread around the world (Burnard, 2011; Earl, 2013) and in Hong Kong (Mok, 2010). Assessment is not merely for measuring and grading student achievements. “Assessment is an integral part of learning, guiding the process and stimulating further learning” (Earl, 2013, p. 25). Following this direction, this study explores various assessment practices which may facilitate (or hinder) creative teaching and creative learning. In the Routledge International Handbook of Creative Learning , Burnard (2011) had offered a review chapter titled “Constructing assessment for creative learning.” This article revisits this topic by using classroom improvisation as a lens to search for various forms or possibilities of creativity-conducive assessments. In this chapter, creative teaching and learning generally refer to any kinds of learning or teaching which can facilitate the development of creativity of students in school contexts. In this regard, our meaning of creative teaching is near to “teaching for creativity” in Jeffrey and Craft (2004). Copyright © 2015 Taylor and Francis.