Nurturing Musical Creativity through Assessment for Learning

Abstract

Assessment is one of the thorniest aspects of teaching for creativity. Nevertheless, research suggests there is tremendous potential for nurturing creativity through assessment. This article identifies how music educators can leverage assessment for learning (formative assessment) as a powerful tool for cultivating creativity within a variety of music activities. Four core strategies are described: (a) developing flexible success criteria, (b) providing and supporting engagement with feedback, (c) activating self-assessment, and (d) optimizing the classroom context for creativity-nurturing assessment.