Asee peer logo

The status of creativity among engineering graduates

Download Paper |

Conference

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Location

Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Publication Date

June 22, 2025

Start Date

June 22, 2025

End Date

August 15, 2025

Conference Session

ERM WIP V: Assessing & Developing Competencies in Engineering Education

Tagged Division

Educational Research and Methods Division (ERM)

Tagged Topic

Diversity

Page Count

8

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/57272

Paper Authors

biography

Catalina Cortazar Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile

visit author page

Catalina Cortázar is a Faculty member in the engineering design area DILAB at the School of Engineering at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (PUC). Catalina holds a Ph.D. in Engineering Science with a focus on Engineering Education from PUC, an MFA in Design and Technology from Parsons The New School for Desing, an MA in Media Studies from The New School, and a bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering, with a concentration in Structural Design.

visit author page

author page

Matias Lopez Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile

author page

Amanda Allendes Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile

author page

Andrés Ignacio Guevara Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile

Download Paper |

Abstract

This is an empirical work in progress. STEM is the acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. STEM students solve real-world problems. For example, engineers must identify problems, ideate, prototype, test, and implement the best solution. Creativity is required to solve real-world problems. To increase creativity, innovation, and other competencies in STEM students necessary for employability and economic growth, the Americans for the Arts-National Policy Roundtable introduced STEAM, which integrates STEM with the arts. Creativity is still considered complex to define. The widely accepted definition states that creativity requires originality and effectiveness. Various studies emphasize that students and alums of engineering schools perceive a deficiency in their creativity and problem-solving strategies. Creativity and innovation affect economic growth. Economic growth, human progress, and, thus, the country's development is directly influenced by technological innovation. Thus, understanding how alumns and employers perceive creativity in a Latin American country is relevant. Only then will we be able to move from STEM to STEAM and, as engineering educators, contribute to the country's development. This empirical work in progress aims to answer the following question: How do employers and alums perceive the level of creativity among recent engineering graduates in a Latin American country? The preliminary findings show that engineering alumns define creativity as something new or a non-structured process. Some of them perceive their work as not being creative. This perception might impact who enrolls in engineering, affect the diversity of the student body and the capacity to innovate for future engineers and impact the country's development.

Cortazar, C., & Lopez, M., & Allendes, A., & Guevara, A. I. (2025, June), The status of creativity among engineering graduates Paper presented at 2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Montreal, Quebec, Canada . https://peer.asee.org/57272

ASEE holds the copyright on this document. It may be read by the public free of charge. Authors may archive their work on personal websites or in institutional repositories with the following citation: © 2025 American Society for Engineering Education. Other scholars may excerpt or quote from these materials with the same citation. When excerpting or quoting from Conference Proceedings, authors should, in addition to noting the ASEE copyright, list all the original authors and their institutions and name the host city of the conference. - Last updated April 1, 2015