Effects of Convergent and Divergent Feedback on Creative Thinking During Children’s Design Processes

Effects of Convergent and Divergent Feedback on Creative Thinking During Children’s Design Processes

Schut, A. (TU Delft Science Education and Communication)
Klapwijk, R.M. (TU Delft Science Education and Communication)
Gielen, M.A. (TU Delft Design Conceptualization and Communication)

Seery, N. (editor)
Buckley, J. (editor)
Canty, D. (editor)
Phelan, J. (editor)

2018

This paper explores patterns in the feedback preceding instances of design fixation in children (age 9 to 11) carrying out a co-design project. Our goal is to find ways to improve the early mastering of their divergent (DT) and convergent thinking (CT) skills, which in turn will help the children to develop their creative abilities. Previous research has shown that children who participate in a design process experience difficulty in adjusting, changing and elaborating previously selected design ideas. This dynamic is referred to as design fixation. In the case study presented here we analysed the feedback preceding the fixation moments of the children, using Eris’s question-driven design model. We found that most of the feedback was convergent in nature and, additionally, that feedback that could be considered divergent did, for the most part, not spark any DT processes within the design teams. We presume that the expectations and assumptions that were implicitly present in the feedback has negatively influenced the possibility of any new DT processes. Based on the conclusions of this research we will explore new methods and tools stimulating divergent feedback in order to prevent and overcome design fixation during the children’s design process.

Divergent thinking
Convergent thinking
Design education
Feedback
Design fixation

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:ed89b7e1-d257-43ba-9986-902b4195c259

Technology Education Research Group

978-1-5272-2507-7

2018 PATT36 International Conference: Research and Practice in Technology Education: Perspectives on Human Capacity and Development

PATT36 The 36th Pupils’ Attitudes Towards Technology, 2018-06-18 → 2018-06-21, Athlone Institute of Technology, Co. Westmeath, Ireland

Institutional Repository

conference paper

© 2018 A. Schut, R.M. Klapwijk, M.A. Gielen