  This study explores the influence of an interdisciplinary intervention on
creative problem-solving skills. Literature deems such skills as vital for
software engineering (SE) students in higher education. 39 SE students and
graphic design (GD) students were randomly paired to work on an open-ended
creative coding assignment in p5.js, an online JS-based Processing editor that
makes it easy for novices to quickly and easily code visual webpages. Three
categories were formed: the test group SE+GD (18 students), and control groups
SE+SE (10) and GD+GD (11). A mixed methods approach was taken to gather and
interpret results: Amabile's Consensual Assessment Technique provided a global
creativity score for the finished product, the Creative Programming Problem
Solving Test assessed three dimensions of the creative process (Ability,
Mindset, Interaction), and 9 semi-structured follow-up interviews provided
context and revealed underlying themes. The results indicate that, while the
creativity of the end product initially takes a hit, the SE+GD groups'
socio-interactive creativity levels increased. We also observed fixed mindsets
towards creativity ("design students are more creative than we") that call for
future work.
