ERIC Number: EJ1282044
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2020
Pages: 23
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-1837-6290
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
A Framework for Identifying and Developing Children's Creative Thinking While Coding with Digital Technologies
Issues in Educational Research, v30 n4 p1395-1417 2020
We present research that explored digital coding in an Australian early years learning centre and how it impacted on a focus group of 3 and 4-year-old children's creativity. The questions that guided the design experimental method were: (1) how do young children develop and demonstrate creativity when learning through play with digital coding technologies? and (2) what does creativity look like in young children's engagement with digital coding technologies? After firstly discussing the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) context of the research, we explore the meaning of creativity in the early years and establish the conceptual framework for analysing children's play and learning with a "BeeBot" coding toy and "iPad app." Importantly, our review and synthesis of significant literature led to the development of an innovative framework, the "'A' to 'E' of children's creativity." This framework includes five proposed characteristic clusters of children's creativity, including agency, being curious, connecting, daring and experimenting. Using critical episodes in an illustrative learning journey analysed through the framework, the children's use of a "BeeBot" and a "BeeBot iPad" application showed that creativity can be largely impacted by digital coding. We conclude by proposing pedagogical principles that could better enable children's creativity when learning, especially when coding with digital technologies.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Preschool Children, Creative Thinking, Creativity, Play, Coding, Early Childhood Education, STEM Education, Computer Oriented Programs, Handheld Devices, Educational Technology, Problem Solving, Learning Processes
Western Australian Institute for Educational Research Inc. 5/202 Coode Street, Como, Western Australia 6152, Australia. e-mail: editor@iier.org.au; Web site: http://www.waier.org.au
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Australia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A

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