Figural a Flexibility Test for Improving Creative Thinking in an Arabic Learning Environment

The capability of graduates to be flexible in the face of rapidly altering situations is an increasingly crucial requirement that teachers should be conscious of, given that persistent development and technological progress are characteristic of contemporary life. Proficiency for learning and cognitive abilities are two areas in which learners need to acquire knowledge. Cognitive spatial ability has various dynamics, the assessment of which can be undertaken through numerous techniques. The major objectives of this paper are to develop a web-based system for measuring adult cognitive ability within an Arabic learning environment, in addition to enhancing their creative thinking and learning capabilities through utilising the kit of factor referenced cognitive tests, devised by Ekstrom et al. (1976). The web-based system will focus on the figural flexibility test (Toothpicks test planning patterns – storage test). Each test has its own objective with regard to assisting with the measurement of people’s creative ability in different ways, as a means of enhancing creative thinking and learning. Prior to constructing the figural flexibility test system, we are going to distribute a questionnaire in order to assess and examine certain crucial aspects, to inform the construction of our system. The questionnaires were distributed to university students in the Faculty of Computing and Information Technology (FCIT), in addition to random distribution via email and social media, namely, Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp. Over 500 questionnaires were distributed with 400 responses received. The objective was to assess the new system’s feasibility, as well as to design a system that meets the user’s requirements. As a result of the questionnaire, 77% of people were found to believe that creating a web-based system can assist students with developing their creative thinking and learning abilities. Keywords—Creative thinking; kit of factor referenced cognitive tests; students; toothpicks; planning patterns; storage test; cognitive abilities