140 likes | 392 Views
Promoting Creative Thinking through the use of ICT. Steve Wheeler, Sue Waite & Carolyn Bromfield University of Plymouth United Kingdom. In this presentation. The Pilot Study Creativity and divergent thinking A new model of creativity Research findings. An Exploration of Creative Thinking:.
E N D
Promoting Creative Thinking through the use of ICT Steve Wheeler, Sue Waite & Carolyn Bromfield University of Plymouth United Kingdom
In this presentation... • The Pilot Study • Creativity and divergent thinking • A new model of creativity • Research findings
An Exploration of Creative Thinking: What is the impact of ICT on creative thinking in the Primary Classroom?
The School • A School with 41 Year Six Students • Each child with a networked PC • A qualitative study of activities and outcomes
Creativity “Creativity in general is the ability to come up with new ideas that are surprising yet intelligible, and also valuable in some way”(Boden, 2001) • ‘new’ in respect of human history, or • ‘new’ with respect to the individual’s previous way(s) of thinking
Types of Creativity (Boden) • Combinational creativity - combining old ideas in new ways, e.g. analogy in science • Exploratory creativity - what do the rules enable me to do? e.g. jazz music. • Transformational creativity - significant alteration of one or more rules in concept space, e.g. E=MC2.
Levels of Creativity (Wallas) • Preparation: logical and systematic examination of the problem space • Incubation: Subconscious processing • Illumination: Sudden insight (Gestalt) • Transformation: Verification of the solution and application to the problem space • Leads toCreative Action
Barriers to Creativity • Teacher insisting on the ‘right answer’ • Impatience with ‘dreamers’ • Contempt for ‘unusual’ solutions • No time for questioning • No time for experimentation and ‘play’ • Regimentation of learning through a rigid curriculum • ‘Transmission’ mode
Creative Thinking • Divergent thought • Freedom of expression • Incubation period • Transformative learning • Novel solutions • Fun!
Creative Thinking Model Social Interaction Problem Solving Creative Cognition
Creative Thinking Model Social Interaction Creative Action Transformation Problem Solving Creative Cognition
Example 1: Web pages Social Interaction Creation of Personal Web Pages Problem Solving Creative Cognition
Example 2: E-Pals Social Interaction Text based Interaction Problem Solving Creative Cognition
Main Research Findings • Open ended tasks facilitated • More learning styles accommodated • Choice of learning activities (multi-tasking) • Greater ‘on task’ ratio • More efficient ‘incubation’ periods • More exploration and self discovery • Quality and quantity of work increased