Group Creativity in Learning Context: Understanding in a Social-Cultural Framework and Methodology

Chunfang Zhou, Lingling Luo

Research Center for Science, Technology and Society, School of Humanities and Law, Northeastern University, Shenyang, China.
UNESCO Chair in Problem-Based Learning, Department of Development and Planning, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark.

DOI: 10.4236/ce.2012.34062                

Abstract

Recent studies have emphasized group creativity as a social-cultural conception, but they lack a focus on the relationship between group creativity and knowledge creation. This paper aims to build a framework for group creativity in a learning context which includes both theoretical understanding and empirical methodology. Thus, a literature review is led by the following questions: How has creativity theory been developed from individual to group level? From a social-cultural perspective, how can group creativity, knowledge creation, and their relationship be understood? And what methods have been employed to study group creativity? As the review demonstrates, creativity theory has been driven by new insights from recent sociology studies. Three focuses have been shaped from group creativity studies: 1) group creativity in context, 2) group-level creative synergy, and 3) strategies for developing group creativity. Individual knowledge is a potential resource for group creativity, and group creativity could be a driver of knowledge creation. Empirically, group creativity can be examined through both qualitative and quantitative approaches, which also calls for a creative combination of methodologies in future studies.

Keywords

Group Creativity; Knowledge Creation; Leaning Context; Methodology

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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