Knowledge transformers: A link between learning and creativity

ion/ Detailing Abstraction generates a new version of the knowledge with less detail than the original through the use of representation of abstract concepts or operators. Detailing is the opposite, in which the new knowledge is generated with more details. Association/ Disassociation Association determines a dependency between given entities or descriptions based on some logical, causal or statistical relationships. The opposite is disassociation, which asserts a lack of dependency. Derivations (Reformulation)/ Randomisation Derivations are transformations that derive one knowledge from another piece of knowledge (based on some dependency between them). Randomisation transforms one knowledge segment into another by making random changes. Explanation/ Discovery Explanation derives additional knowledge based on domain knowledge. Discovery derives new knowledge without an underlying domain knowledge. Group Rationalisation (or Clustering)/ Decomposition Group rationalisation involves the grouping of past designs according to their similarities when considering particular perspective(s) or criteria. Decomposition removes the groupings. Generalisation/ Specialisation Generalisation generates a description that characterises all of the concept based on a conjunction of all the specialisations of that concept. Typically, the underlying inference is inductive. Specialisation increases the specificity of the description. Similarity comparison/ Dissimilarity comparison Similarity comparison derives new knowledge about a design on the basis of similarity between the design and similar past design(s). The similarity comparison is based on analogical inference. The opposite is dissimilarity comparison, which derives the new knowledge on the basis of lack of similarity between the two or more past designs. 3 Models and theories of creativity The purpose of this section is to investigate whether there exist cognitive processes similar to knowledge transformers in the formulations of models and theories of creativity. This is based on the premise that proponents of these models or theories must characterise the essence of the cognitive process of creativity in order to explain AID’02 Workshop on Learning and Creativity 5 the phenomenon of creativity. Hence, the approach here is, firstly to describe the models and theories and then to infer whether the cognitive processes are similar or synonymous with the knowledge transformers presented in section 2.