Dual-Modes of Creative Thought in the Classroom: Implications of Network Neuroscience for Creativity Education

Students experience varying engagement levels and modes of thought in educational contexts, and educators have substantial influence on those attributes of student engagement. When designing lessons, educators typically utilize Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives; however, there are calls for education planning to be more empirically grounded and supportive of creativity. Previous to the past decade, creativity neuroscientists have focused on small-scale regional attributions of cognitive processes to specific brain areas. The most recent decade, however, has seen a trend toward a large-scale view attributing cognitive processes to whole-brain networks. Several networks have been identified, and two-the default mode network and executive control network-have been implicated in creative cognition. These networks appear to interact, and neuroscientists have associated them with dual-process models delineating generative and evaluative phases of the creative process, type I and type II cognitive processes, and associative and analytic modes of thought. In the current article, we draw on cognitive science and creativity neuroscience research to advance the notion that modes of creative thought are legitimate and important creativity-supportive learning objectives. Given that creativity is a 21st century educational priority, it is imperative for educators to begin considering how to design creativity-supportive learning experiences with these modes at the front of their minds. Recommendations for educational practice and future research directions are provided. What is the significance of this article for the general public?Contemporary cognitive science and creativity neuroscience researchers are making exciting discoveries regarding the modes of thought benefiting creativity-a 21st century educational priority. This article reviews these discoveries and shares their educational implications. The authors advance the notion that associative and analytic modes of creative thought are important learning objectives that will enrich student creativity. Recommendations for educational practice and future research are provided.