Technology and creativity in the 21st century : a philosophical narrative of an arts educator

• Main Author: LaMonde, Anne-Marie R.
• Language: English
• Published: 2009
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/12124

This thesis is an exploration of the relationships that potentially exist between technology and creativity with the purpose of addressing one of the greatest conundrums in the classroom, namely, the nurture, assessment, and evaluation of creativity in a technologically rich environment. Addressing those relationships is believed to be the first step toward solving problems inherent of pedagogy, but must be preceded by a shared (i.e., general) understanding of both phenomena. It is believed, however, that the development of an understanding is constrained by the theoretical gap that exists between viewing the general natures of those phenomena. Existing studies on technology and creativity, both quantitative and qualitative, have resulted in an increase in knowledge that is principally 'particular' and brimming with variables. The abundance of particular knowledge, however, conceals the possibility of a 'general' theory that may reveal the essential characters of either phenomenon. Touching on historical research and problems inherent of pedagogical means that focus on technology or creativity, the writer attempts to demonstrate the need for a theoretical understanding. Moreover, a personal narrative is interwoven to reveal several troublesome dialogues (i.e., constructivism and postmodernism) that impede further research in creativity and technology. McLuhan's inherent notions of medium and message offer a new lens from which to view media generally and, as such, may serve to address the classic paradoxes of dualities: mind/body, concrete/abstract, percept/concept, theory/praxis, and figure/ground. Additionally the significance of the work undertaken by L.S. Vygotsky and his student, A.R. Luria on language and cognition is reviewed. From that perspective, a metaphorical comparison is made to technology and creativity, respectively. The core relationship between technology and creativity is philosophically interpreted, if not the same as, similar to the relationships arising from such paradoxes as medium/message and art/science.