Formative Assessment of Creativity in Undergraduate Mathematics: Using a Creativity-in-Progress Rubric (CPR) on Proving

Abstract

Creativity is one of the most important aspects of mathematicians’ work (Sriraman 2004), whether it is an enlightenment that is somewhat unexpected or a product that is aesthetically pleasing (Borwein, Liljedahl & Zhai 2014). There are studies in the primary and secondary levels on mathematical creativity of students (e.g., Leikin 2009; Silver 1997), and recent efforts have included mathematical cre- ativity in K-12 education standards (e.g., Askew 2013). However, there is little research in undergraduate mathematics education on creativity. The project described in this chapter introduces an assessment framework for mathematical cre- ativity in undergraduate mathematics teaching and learning. One outcome of this project is a formative assessment tool, the Creativity-in-Progress Rubric (CPR) on proving, that can be implemented in an introductory proof course. Using multiple methodological tools on a case study, we demonstrate how implementing the CPR on proving can help researchers and educators to observe and assess a student’s development of mathematical creativity in proving. We claim if mathematicians who regularly engage in proving value creativity, then there should be some explicit discussion of mathematical creativity in proving early in a young mathematician’s career. In this chapter, we also outline suggestions on how to introduce mathemati- cal creativity in the undergraduate classroom. M.