Educational technology integrating the project and problem-based approach in technical disciplines for the formation of creativity and creative thinking in engineering students

Dynamic changes nowadays make creativity the most important economic resource of the 21st century. Success in the modern world depends on the rapid generation of creative ideas and non-standard solutions. A business that cannot create innovative concepts and implement innovative solutions, constantly renew and modernize its productions is doomed to failure. In order to respond adequately to dynamic changes and challenges, it is necessary for people to develop radically new knowledge, skills and competences. Not long ago, logical thinking, precision, and organizational abilities were decisive for professional realization, but now the need for a new way of thinking that challenges and rejects the imposed models and creates new non-standard concepts comes to the fore. The new century increasingly needs creative thinking people. In the field of vocational education and training, European requirements and initiatives are aimed at overcoming the closed nature of educational systems and modeling vocational training in accordance with the real needs of the labor market. The development of creativity and innovation at all levels of education, including vocational technical education, are part of these initiatives.In the context of this understanding, the current paper presents an educational technology for the formation of creativity and creative thinking by integrating the project-based and problem-based approach in the learning process of technical disciplines in engineering students. The presented results of the successful verification of the technology in a real learning environment are grounds for its implementation in a developed online platform.