Technology for Enhancing Creativity

Written by:

Endang Asrini Arifiati (1507042025)

Technology has been seen as a medium to gain information and to make people ease in delivering the information. People almost do not recognize that they should start seeing computer screens not only as information sources, but also as a new medium for creative design and expression. Saomya (2013) emphasized that the more we learn about the abilities of technology, the more creative we become. Generaly, creativity refers to the abilities that are most characteristic of creative people (Runco and Jaeger, 2012: 94). According to Robinson and Aronica (2015), creativity is the process of having original ideas that have value. It then puts the imagination or ideas to work. The ideas do not have to be new, it can be the modification of other's idea.

 Creativity is also defined as the tendency to generate or recognize ideas, alternatives, or possibilities that may be useful in solving problems, communicating with others, and entertaining ourselves and others (Franken, 1993: 396). In accordance to Franken, Newel and Shaw in Sefertzi (2000: 2) stated that creativity is the generation of imaginative new ideas. The result of its creative thinking process is essential to develop creative solution and creative action-based strategies to solve problems. 

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Tools in technology can be used as media of creativity. Blog, for example, is a great way for the development of creative thinking and writing in students. It offers them freedom to post whatever they want and comment upon or share each other’s material. They can write on topics that intrigue them and give vent to their ideas without having to worry about grading or grammatical errors. Students can also volunteer to organize and manage a class blog, which will act as one of sources of expression for the entire class. Blogging makes students feel responsible for their own learning and they are encouraged to incorporate creativity in their learning through them, which they could not do before. Blogging platforms which are very common for teachers and students are Blogger and WordPress. Those platforms are free and easy to be used.

Mind-Mapping and Brainstorming tools also give impact on students' creative thinking. Brainstorming on topics has now become a great collaborative way in today’s teaching practices. It encourages students to think out of the box and creatively. Brainstorming when done with technology becomes much more easy and engaging. Students can  do it on their own conveniently. They can use easy and free tools to make fantastic mind-maps and visual graphs to illustrate a topic or a concept. These tools will boost their creativity and provide different ways to interconnect their thoughts. Some free mind-mapping tools for students and teachers are Spiderscribe, Bubbl, Wisemapping and many more which can be seen in the following article.

References

Franken, Robert E. 1993. Human Motivation 3rd Edition. New York: Brokes Cole. ISBN-13:9780534156121

Robinson, Ken and Aronica, Lou. 2015. Creative Schools. Viking. Retrieved from the URL https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2015/04/22/sir-ken-robinson-creativity-is-in-everything-especially-teaching/ on December 31st, 2016

Runco, M.A and Jaeger, G.J. 2012. The Standard Definition of Creativity. Creativity Research Journal, 24(1), 92-96

Saomya, Saxena. 2013. How to Enhance Student Creativity. Retrieved from the URL http://edtechreview.in/trends-insights/insights/750-how-can-technology-enhance-student-creativity on December 31st, 2016