The PISA examination stands for the “Programme for International Student Assessment.” It is an international assessment conducted by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to evaluate and compare how 15 year-old students from different countries are performing in school. PISA results are like gold nuggets of knowledge and guidance for policymakers, educators and researchers. They indicate what’s going well and what needs a little boost in the education systems. These insights help them to improve things for all concerned.
Alongside the PISA studies in 2021, The B!G Idea was working hard to add creative thinking workshops to the assessment framework. This unique piece of work indicates that we have been on the cutting edge of the education system, realising and teaching the crucial role of creative thinking for students.
Some of the ways in which we as a programme align with the thinkings of the PISA examination are as follows:
· The B!G Idea programme is all about unleashing creativity which falls nicely in line with the PISA 2022 Creative Thinking assessment which evaluates students’ abilities to come up with new and original ideas.
· As we all know The B!G Idea tackles real-life problems that matter like mental health, displaced people, climate change and human rights which is exactly what PISA looks for in creative thinking across different areas.
· The OECD and The B!G Idea are completely on the same wavelength when it comes to believing in everyone’s creative potential. They both know that creativity is a unique and crucial skill that should be fostered through education.
· The B!G Idea and the PISA creative thinking assessment have a common mission – to equip students with skills that will help them thrive in a world that’s always changing.
· The PISA report understands the importance of teaching and supporting creative thinking in schools. They believe it’s all about adopting some principles that value and promote creativity. The B!G Idea programme gives students the opportunity to unleash this newfound creativity and go wild with it.
As Edward de Bono said: “There is no doubt that creativity is the most important human resource of all. Without creativity there would be no progress”. While our programme doesn’t specifically set out to align with other findings, it’s always a bonus when we see ourselves hitting the mark. It’s proof that what we’re doing is seriously important in the lives and development of our young people.
