How to make brainstorming and idea screening learning more effective

Abstract

Brainstorming is commonly taught as a of part innovation courses and various rules have been suggested for gaining better outcomes. Typically brainstorming is executed as an interactive group activity. However, some studies argue that better results in terms of number of generated ideas can be achieved by using individual creativity, so-called nominal group approach. In an educational context individually performed tasks are more easily to assess and they are also immune to the various known problems of student group work. Therefore, this study combines guidelines how experimental brainstorming learning setting should be applied and could be varied while noting the known pitfalls of brainstorming and student assessment. Second, since idea quantity can also breed quality, we tested if the greater number of ideas is leading to a higher idea quality. Experimental learning setting with a student group (N=114) verified that idea quantity is helping only on the later stages of idea screening.