An Analysis of Technological Creativity in Taiwan's Primary School Students

Author: Jon-Chao, Hong(Professor, National Taipei Teacher College), Fong-Mei, Kang(Professor, National Taiwan Normal University), Chan-Li, Lin(Graduate student, National Taiwan Normal University)

Vol.&No.：Vol. 48, No.2
Date：October 2003
Pages：239-254
DOI：10.6300/JNTNU.2003.48(2).05

Abstract：

Creativity cannot only be developed through linguistic and mathematical learning and through artistic activity and performance in children; it can also be developed through technological practice and competition. In order to develop young pupils' creativity beginning from elementary school, the National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) and Chinese Creativity Development Association (CCDA) organized a nation-wide "youth robot contest" last year. As part of the contest we examined the "creativity traits" manifested by the best teams: These included not only personal traits but also creativity in completing projects and the suitability for promoting technological creativity of each team's environment. Through focus-group interviews, the traits of results were identified and re-examined. These important finding are as follows:
On the creative personality: Those team members who expressed themselves were curious, confident, goal-driven, responsible, flexible and had a good sense of timing; and most of them scored higher in bodily and interpersonal intelligence among Gardner's multiple-intelligence categories.
On the process of creating a robot: The problems to be solved included cutting and assembling of materials; students thought the best ways to come up with ideas on solving these problems included (a) peer discussion, (b) referring to similar robots, and (c) on-line searching.
On creativity-promoting environments: Most of the sample's parents adopted democratic and strategic approaches to disciplining their children, and arranged various kinds of activities besides the regular school curriculum for them to engage in.

Keywords：creativity development, creativity contest, creative traits, technological creativity, problem solving

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