Mapping creative pedagogies in open wiki learning environments

Abstract

As applied to education, creativity has become an increasingly common, yet often unattainable learning objective. Educators need innovative approaches and tools to effectively apply creative teaching practices. The present study aims to investigate how wiki methodologies can foster creative pedagogies. Wikis constitute a good candidate for stimulating creative teaching approaches. Indeed, they provide flexible and open environments which foster collaboration and students’ active participation. However, a gap remains in the literature regarding the relationship between wikis and creative pedagogies. In addition, the use of wikis by teachers and students as collaborative editing tools in today’s classroom has been scarcely studied. In this multiple case study, seven school teachers from different educational centres designed four scenarios mediated by wikis and applied them with 143 students. Using in-depth interviews and expert evaluations, we explored how creativity emerges while teaching and learning with wikis. Based on results, we propose a map of creative pedagogies that appeared as the most prominent in the context of wiki-based learning, together with their characteristic components. Namely, the emerging creative pedagogies are synergistic collaboration, learner-centred, knowledge connection and open-ended ethos. This mapping can be applied to different educational contexts, although it may vary according to the specificities of the methodology and technology used. The study raises discussion on the pedagogical possibilities offered by the participative digital culture that defines wiki approaches.