The role of diversity of life experiences in fostering collaborative creativity in demographically diverse student groups

Abstract

Collaborative learning becomes a key instructional tool in a variety of educational settings, from primary to higher education. This paper examines the role of demographic diversity (gender and nationality) on collaborative creativity. A self report questionnaire is used to evaluate students’ life experiences in terms of diverse mindsets (diversity in interests, likes, and attitudes) and intergroup contact (interaction with dissimilar others), and a research report analysis reveals groups’ collaborative creativity. The results show that diverse mindsets moderate the effect of gender diversity on collaborative creativity in such a way that groups whose members are more broadly oriented in terms of interests, likes, and attitudes benefit more from this form of demographic diversity as compared with groups whose members are less broadly oriented. No support is found for the moderating role of intergroup contact for the effect of demographic diversity on collaborative creativity. The results presented in this paper suggest that diversity of life experiences is a moderator worthwhile considering in the group diversity–group creativity relationship and provide insights into the necessary conditions for collaborative creativity.