Abstract:

This article deals, from a critical point of view, the way in which our engineers are currently being trained in the field of creativity in the schools of industrial engineering. Creativity is a key competence in industrial engineering.

Institutions, enterprises as well as academia agreed that. Therefore, it must be taken into account in industrial engineer´s training.

Along this work it is shown that presence of creativity in industrial engineering faculties is still scarce. Our industrial engineers finish their studies with solid technical and scientific knowledge; but with important gaps in the matter of creativity.

Engineering curricula are oriented to analytical and scientific subjects, leaving few rooms for practices which foster creative thinking. Moreover, unfortunately, both the new plans that are emerging and the reforms that are being made on the old plans fall again and again in the same mistakes and forget to give space enough to training in creativity.

The educational strategies proposed to encourage creativity can, apparently, suppose an increase in the workload as well as changes in the styles of teaching and learning. But if the problem is approached intelligently not only not increase the workload, but thanks to a solid creative training our students could approach other scientific-technical content in a more agile way and less time of dedication.

The solution therefore covers the two aspects: one is in terms of educational programs, and the second is to instill in teachers and students, rather than a favorable opinion, a proactive attitude towards developing creativity in the industrial engineering classrooms; not only in the design subjects, but in others in which a new creative approach can give the students more motivation and, with it, better results.

Keywords:

Engineering Education, Creativity, Innovation, Industrial Engineering.