Abstract:

This paper investigates the perceptions about creativity and Social Networking Sites (SNS) among undergraduate design students. This is an under-researched area and the use of a phenomenography to examine this topic, was deemed appropriate due to the objective of the study which is to unpack the spectrum of views (referential aspects) and the respective causes (structural aspects) of the latter. The literature on creativity provides different perspectives on what can foster it. There is a lack of a commonly agreed definition of what is creativity. However, there is no dispute on the potential instructional benefits of SNS. The outcomes of this study suggest that there is a relationship between on the one-hand the limited perceptions of SNS vis-a-vis creativity and on the other hand the lack of exposure to instructional strategies that embed in a systemic and effective manner the use of SNS in teaching and learning. If design education is to benefit from the synergies between creativity and SNS, it is suggested that instructional design needs to embed and explore in design curricula the use of SNS in a manner that promotes higher order thinking competencies and skills.

Keywords:

Social networking sites, social technologies, social media, social networks, creativity, design education.