Competency-based education and creative thinking.

When creativity is considered as an approach to problem-solving, rather than as an innate talent, then education can play an important role in its development. This paper postulates that competency-based education, because of its emphasis on stated objectives, feedback, self-evaluation, and alternative learning experiences, is an approach to curriculum design that should lead students to become more creative thinkers. A description of competency-based-education is given, and research on educational methods and creativity is surveyed. The implications of this type of program for occupational therapy education are considered.