Research linking digital technologies to young children's creativity : An interpretive framework and systematic review

• Published in: Issues in educational research Vol. 32; no. 1; pp. 105 - 125
• Main Authors: Fielding, Katie, Murcia, Karen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Perth, WA Institutes for Educational Research in NSW, SA and WA 01.01.2022; Western Australian Institute for Educational Research Inc
• Subjects: Children & youth; Computers; Creative ability; Creative development; Creative Thinking; Creativity; Digital technology; Early Childhood Education; Educational Policy; Educational Research; Educational technology; Electronic Publishing; Evaluation; Generic skills; Learning; Multimedia Materials; Problem solving; Social aspects; Systematic review; Systematic reviews; Technology; Thinking Skills; Young Children; Australia
• ISSN: 1837-6290; 0313-7155; 1837-6290

Creativity and technology are two vital elements of 21st century learning. Increasingly, educational policies internationally are acknowledging the importance of developing children's problem solving, innovation and computational thinking skills. It is also clear that children are spending more time accessing digital technologies both at home and in educational settings. However, little research has been conducted which focuses on the intersection of young children (4 to 8 years), digital technologies, and the development of creativity. In order to identify empirical evidence of how digital technologies impact the demonstration and development of young children's creativity, a systematic review of the literature was carried out, with 19 studies meeting the review's inclusion criteria. Each of the studies was then analysed using a lens that made explicit the associated process skills and characteristics of young children's creative thinking and learning. Analysis of the identified studies through the 'A-E' of Creativity framework (Murcia, et al., 2020) led to the conclusion that appropriately designed and used digital technologies could indeed provoke and facilitate young children's creativity. The predominance of particular devices, and emerging themes in relation to the affordances of the identified technologies, highlighted the importance of future research exploring quality learning design and digital pedagogies in early learning.