Abstract:

In this work we present the results of encouraging creativity in a Master subject where its thematic, research methodologies, could be sometimes quite academic for the students. The first objective in this experience was to apply a STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) competence, Science, by means of giving freedom to the students to select a topic of interest and create research questions about it. The second objective, one the literature review was developed, was to apply a second STEAM competence, Arts & Design, using a digital tool for representing their analysis in a creative way. For doing so, we decided to present them different infographic open applications that help them to represent their study. But again, we did not provide a compulsory template or graphic, letting them to explore the tool and to select the way of representing their results. As we observed, the level of creativity was different depending on the student but all of them made the effort to use the tool. Moreover, we suggested a second tool, the visualization of literature maps with software tools, in order to explore future research gaps of interest. At the end of the experience, we delivered a questionnaire to the students to review all the STEAM competences, including creativity within Science and Arts & Design.

The work that we present is developed within two educational innovation and improvement projects of the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV). They are composed by professors from two departments, Management and Conservation & Restoration of Cultural Heritage, to achieve synergies that allow us to cover all STEAM strategies. In the first project, “Applying STEAM strategies in the areas of Social Sciences and Art”, we propose in our subjects the development of Science, Technology, Enginnering, Arts & Design and Maths competences. In this case, we have focused on: being able to establish research questions/hypotheses (Science competence) and to propose creative solutions (Arts & Design competence). In the second project, “Infographics. Use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in the visual and creative representation of content for teaching”, the aim is that the students would be able to synthesize contents and to represent them through infographics, with free and open software.

Keywords:

Infographic, STEAM competences, creativity, literature review, literature map, master level.