Addressing Students’ Creativity in Algorithm Design

摘要

The algorithms course demands high rigor to computing students. Designing an algorithm requires high level of abstraction, and analyzing the algorithm also requires a mathematical apparatus. However, algorithmics is a topic which also is frequently associated to creativity. We conducted an exploratory study of students’ creativity by examining their designs of algorithms for a given problem. In particular, we analyzed their contributions in an assignment, where they were asked to design heuristic algorithms for an optimization problem. Students’ contributed algorithms were analyzed using both quantitative and qualitative methods, and the resulting categories were used to compute three components of creativity (namely fluency, flexibility and originality) as well as global creativity. About half the students hardly were creative, but about one tenth of students exhibited notable creativity.