Teaching and Learning Creativity in Virtual Settings

Abstract

The role of creativity in the economy is seen as crucial to assist nations in attaining higher employment and economic achievement and to cope with increased competition (Davies, 2002,Burnard, 2006). As a consequence, education systems are being required to undergo “a major overhaul in resources, attitudes, and understanding” so that creativity can be valued to manage literacy as a non-linear information structure through different settings (Turner-Bisset, 2007). Nourishing and fostering creativity in all educational settings while using technology as a conduit unlocks the opportunity to produce a highly employable workforce with 21st-century skills. Hence, the major challenge lies in how educators can prepare students by fostering creativity and enhancing 21st-century skills through information and communication technologies (ICT) in a virtual learning environment, referred to as a “virtual setting” in this study. This paper aims to explore the factors that hinder or foster the teaching and learning of creativity in a virtual setting through smart devices by conducting fve expert indepth interviews with “Pro-C” artists from various professional backgrounds and applying a thematic analysis to derive implications for educators and students for using technology as a conduit to enhance creativity [Aus: Introduction]