Creativity as a Higher Thinking Skill
The process of human thinking is simply astounding. The brain is one of the most complex structures known to man. We think in many ways, and on many levels of thinking skills that varies from simplicity to complexity according to the effort and awareness accompanied to each level.
According to Bloom, there are six levels, beginning with the simplest skills and moving to the highest, most complex skills (Bloom et al., 1956) as follows:
- Remembering: the most basic skill of remembering specific information—things like math facts, dates and vocabulary.
- Understanding: the ability to comprehend the meaning of a concept or an information and state its main ideas.
- Applying: the ability to actually use the new knowledge or concept.
- Analyzing: the ability to break down information or concept into parts and examine them.
- Evaluating: the ability to present and defend opinions by making judgments about information.
- Creating: the ability of taking the new information and compiling it in new ways—this is where more abstract, thinking-outside-the-box skills come into play.
The first three skills are considered as the lower thinking skills, while the last three are the higher thinking skills or what is called the “metacognition”.
Metacognition refers to “thinking about thinking” and was introduced as a concept in by John Flavell, who is typically seen as a founding scholar of the field. Flavell said that metacognition is the knowledge you have of your own cognitive processes (your thinking). Flavell (1979). It is your ability to control your thinking processes through various strategies, such as organizing, monitoring, and adapting. Additionally, it is your ability to reflect upon the tasks or processes you undertake and to select and utilize the appropriate strategies necessary in your intercultural interactions.*
*https://saylordotorg.github.io/text_leading-with-cultural-intelligence/s06-02-what-is-metacognition.html
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