Abstract:

The goal of this research was to determine the long-term impact that instructional interventions, based on research in metacognition and learning theory, have on students’ creativity. The study builds off research that has been conducted documenting the impact of technology based instructional interventions. The study tracked students beginning their freshman year to determine if observed improvements have been maintained throughout four years of undergraduate study.

Preliminary research has indicated that an approach to education influenced by research in learning theory and metacognition does, in the short-term, result in students who are more creative. By continuing testing throughout students’ education an equally important question was answered. To what degree do students maintain or improve this level of enhanced creative thinking ability over an extended period of time? The researchers continued to follow approximately one hundred and twenty North Carolina State University students from various disciplines throughout their education. The final stage of testing concludes in the 2009 fall semester following students’ fourth year of study.

The knowledge gained demonstrates how educational interventions utilizing online blogs and other Internet based technologies have been successful in enhancing students creative thinking abilities. The goal was to provide educators with insight and guidance in the application of a metacognitive approach as well as introduce available technologies to aid in this process. This study addresses the need for such professional development and provides educators with a plan of action. Essentially, providing educators and students with a toolbox of creative strategies as well as a framework towards a reflective approach.

One of the most critical aspects of education is teaching creative thinking processes. This ability enables students to succeed in any discipline that they choose to enter. Metacognition, the ability to be aware of, attend to, and use information about their own cognitive processes serve students for a lifetime and transcends the ever-changing challenges of the conceptual age. Metacognitive thinking allows students to build a metacognitive knowledge base and apply their creative thinking skills to an infinite number of applications. Knowing this, educators should ask themselves; how effective is current educational system at developing students with strong creative thinking abilities and how can these skills be enhanced through the use of innovative technologies?

With creative thinking as the core competency, college graduates have the vast potential to add tremendous value to society through a range of ideas from products and services to businesses and organizations. Recent graduates use these skills to offer more services to clients, and capitalize on this knowledge to excel in a large variety of settings.

A core value of education lies in how effectively educators prepare students to utilize the cognitive processes associated with creative thinking. Education is a place where creativity and spontaneity should guide exploration and serve as a basis for learning. To promote creativity, education should build and support an understanding and awareness of the cognitive processes related to creative thinking. Utilizing Internet based technologies with iteration and reflection as essential parts of the process provides an optimal framework for this development to take place.

Keywords:

creativity, creative thinking, design education, metacognition, technology.