FOSTERING CREATIVITY IN COMPUTER SUPPORTED COLLABORATIVE LEARNING ACTIVITIES

In recent decades, several studies about creative thinking are focused on its development through teamwork activities, using creativity techniques. Collaborative learning as an instructional method provides suitable conditions for the implementation of such activities. Social interaction and communication are the common ground of collaborative learning and the development of creativity. Moreover, both creative thinking and collaborative learning are facilitated and supported through the use of appropriate Information and Communication Technology (ICT). In addition, the need to study the possibility of applying creativity techniques in cases of Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) has arisen. The research may concern existing or new creativity techniques, specially designed for the case of CSCL and also examine whether these affect the process and the outcome of CSCL. This paper presents a study of two, equivalent effectiveness, groups of university students (Group A - GA and Group B - GB), who developed branching stories according to a CSCL scenario. Creativity techniques were provided to GA, in contrast to GB. Both groups worked exclusively through an electronic environment. The groups were compared in terms of their interaction throughout the process of collaboration as well as on the base of their final product. Drawing a comparison between the two groups, regarding the creativity, significant difference is observed in the fluency of ideas during the second half of the story development process. More specifically, using the creativity techniques, GA has generated significantly more ideas than the GB. Additionally, GA shows better and more extensive elaboration of its ideas, throughout the development of the story. Finally, there was a non-statistically significant greater flexibility in the first stage of the story development process by GA. The research findings support the hypothesis that creativity techniques are not only feasible in CSCL environments but in addition they can foster creativity dimensions such as fluency, elaboration and flexibility. The present research contributes in the investigation of the relation among creativity and CSCL as well as in the design of creative learning activities and scenarios. Future directions of the research could concern the invention and validation of new creativity development techniques especially adapted for CSCL environments.