Abstract:

Objectives: Creative thinking is a critical 21st-century competency, yet it is often insufficiently and inconsistently addressed within higher education, particularly in design disciplines where technical and disciplinary demands dominate curricula. The objective of this study is to develop and evaluate a scaffolded pedagogical framework that systematically integrates creative thinking instruction across undergraduate and graduate design education while supporting future-ready and digitally enhanced learning.

Methodology: The study employed a mixed-methods approach. First, an extensive review of established creative thinking and innovation frameworks informed the development of a structured sequence of creative thinking tools embedded across second-year undergraduate studios through graduate-level coursework. The framework integrated research-driven inquiry, observational and analytical methods, concept translation strategies grounded in cognitive theory, and the intentional use of AI-enhanced design tools to support ideation and iterative exploration. Implementation occurred across multiple studio courses over successive academic terms. Data collection included rubric-based assessment of student work, post-assignment reflective writing, instructor observations, and student feedback surveys.

Results: Findings indicate that students exposed to the scaffolded framework demonstrated measurable improvements in creative confidence, cognitive flexibility, and the ability to synthesize research and precedent into coherent design solutions. Qualitative analysis revealed deeper reflective engagement and more intentional use of creative processes, while quantitative rubric scores showed improved performance in ideation depth, conceptual clarity, and evidence-based decision-making over time. The guided integration of AI-enhanced tools further expanded ideation capacity without diminishing critical judgment or authorship.

Conclusions: The results suggest that creative thinking can be effectively cultivated through structured, evidence-based pedagogy rather than treated as an implicit or intuitive skill. The proposed framework offers a transferable model for design and interdisciplinary education, demonstrating how scaffolded instruction and AI-enhanced tools can support creative, critical, and innovative competencies aligned with evolving professional and educational contexts.

Keywords:

Design Thinking, Creative Thinking, 21st Century Education, Design Education, Scaffolded Education, Evidence-Based Design, AI-Enhanced Pedagogy, AEIOU Framework, IDEO Framework, Agile/Kanban Workflow, ChatGPT, Midjourney, DallE.