Alfonso:

Given that creativity almost always require that we engage in finding a solution to a problem (see link), I think applying creativity to engineering courses or activities such as problem-based learning would be more effective. But, you as the facilitator would need to know how to guide students thru the process of problem-based learning in order for students' to use their creative ability to solve the problem presented. The latter I think would be more authentic for engineering students as their job is to "solve problems".

Best regards,

Debra

http://image.slidesharecdn.com/creative-and-innovative-thinking-skills2503/95/creative-and-innovative-thinking-skills-4-728.jpg?cb=1185052537

Hi

I hope that following article and link be useful, plz check out.

Best Wishes

http://www.eslbase.com/teaching/grammar-teaching-implicit-explicit

I can only answer this from personal experience as I have only passing knowledge of the literature. 

I think teaching creativity techniques can help if they are seen as directly relevant to the engineering task and not something on the side e.g. tinkering over brainstorming. 

Moreover working on a 'creativity culture' is key. Which engineers do you set as an example and what do you tell about them? Does formative and summative feedback centralize creative problem solving? etc. I guess you would call this an implicit approach although much can be done by looking at what extent creativity is explicitly valued in the rest of the program.

Going with disproportionate emphasis on explicit and implicit  teaching, ending up with different ratios in the delivery method,  there should be more explicit teaching at lower levels; more implicit at higher levels. Implicit at lower levels does not work because, the student has to be well versed with the technicalities and to gain a certain proficiency ("learning the ropes"), implicit works at higher levels, especially when the student appreciates the "limitless possibilities within the limited".

The challenge is to reduce the explicit to essentials, and not to bloat the syllabi with arcane or complex knowledge. At higher levels, there is need to implicitly develop creativity, so that the students's thinking is honed to function like a Swiss knife-configurable and adaptive when demands are placed upon it.

Though not exactly the same as engineering, the picture I had in mind is the kid going through hundred of hours of learning scales and appeigios on the musical instrument-explicit teaching/learning. As opposed to a professional musician taking a masterclass with a maestro-implicit teaching.