Building on my previous post highlighting Aarhus University's recent analysis of creativity in research, I now draw attention to a newly published study from the University of Tokyo. This research indicates that breakthrough moments occur when individuals break free from repetitive thought patterns and engage in broader, long-range explorations within a knowledge network. The study suggests that true insight involves retrieving unlikely associations through optimal, expansive searches, rather than through numerous short-range attempts. https://www.nature.com/articles/s44271-025-00235-4
To cultivate genuine insight among students, universities should redesign curricula to foster cognitive flexibility and creative problem-solving. Implementing open-ended design thinking and project-based learning encourages students to explore diverse ideas and iterate solutions, moving beyond fixed thought patterns. Faculty development programs should equip instructors to recognize and interrupt cognitive fixation, promoting divergent questioning techniques. Assessment models should reward flexibility, and originality over single-answer correctness, aligning evaluation with the goal of nurturing innovative thinkers.
PS - The previous post 'Unveiling the Crucial Role of Divergent Thinking Among Early-Career Scientists' is also relevant in this context https://19-pacheco-torgal-19.blogspot.com/2024/04/unveiling-evolution-of-divergent.html
