Walden University ScholarWorks Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection 2017 Creativity in Asynchronous Online Discussions Timothy D. Corfman Walden University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations Part of the Education Commons This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection at ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Walden University College of Education This is to certify that the doctoral dissertation by Timothy Corfman has been found to be complete and satisfactory in all respects, and that any and all revisions required by the review committee have been made. Review Committee Dr. Dennis Beck, Committee Chairperson, Education Faculty Dr. Jennifer Smolka, Committee Member, Education Faculty Dr. Shereeza Mohammed, University Reviewer, Education Faculty Chief Academic Officer Eric Riedel, Ph.D. Walden University 2017 Abstract Creativity in Asynchronous Online Discussions by Timothy Dwight Corfman MEd, Abilene Christian University, 1991 BA, Abilene Christian University, 1988 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Education Walden University August 2017 Abstract It is vital for online educators to know whether the strategies they use help students gain 21st-century skills. One skill that has been identified as important in the 21st century is creativity; however, a gap existed in the literature concerning whether online courses could help students to develop creativity. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine whether participation in online courses can help students develop creativity using asynchronous online discussions, textbooks, and teacher developed materials. Amabile’s componential model of creativity formed the study’s conceptual framework. A case-study approach was used to examine the question of whether asynchronous online discussions and other materials used in online courses could help students develop creativity. One professor, recognized by her peers for her expertise in online education, and three of her online graduate students who volunteered for the study, were interviewed using Zoom. Twenty-nine transcripts of asynchronous online discussions were analyzed using a sequential process of building an explanation, checking the explanation against the data, and repeating the process. Key results from the study indicated that project- based prompts, problem-based prompts, and heuristics used in asynchronous online discussions can help promote creativity. Recommendations for future research include conducting a similar case study with a more diverse group of participants and with a course in a different specialty. These findings may promote social change by helping online instructors use appropriate prompts for asynchronous online discussions that will help students refine their creative skills to ultimately use them in the 21st century workplace Creativity in Asynchronous Online Discussions by Timothy Dwight Corfman MEd, Abilene Christian University, 1991 BA, Abilene Christian University, 1988 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Education Walden University July 2017 Dedication I would like to dedicate this dissertation to my parents, John and Jimmie Corfman; my wife, Mary Corfman; and my children, Sarah, Daniel, and Amy Corfman. Acknowledgments I would like to thank Dr. Dennis Beck, who guided me through the dissertation process, and Dr. Jennifer Smolka, who gave me timely feedback as I wrote this dissertation. I would also like to thank those who gave me materials that allowed me to conduct this study and those who allowed me to interview them. Table of Contents List of Tables .................................................................................................................... vi List of Figures ................................................................................................................... vii Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study ....................................................................................1 Background ....................................................................................................................1 Problem Statement .........................................................................................................5 Purpose of the Study ......................................................................................................7 Research Questions ........................................................................................................8 Conceptual Framework ..................................................................................................8 Nature of the Study ......................................................................................................11 Definitions....................................................................................................................11 Assumptions .................................................................................................................14 Scope and Delimitations ..............................................................................................15 Limitations ...................................................................................................................15 Significance..................................................................................................................16 Summary ......................................................................................................................17 Chapter 2: Literature Review .............................................................................................18 Literature Search Strategy............................................................................................19 Conceptual Framework ................................................................................................20 Definition of Creativity ......................................................................................... 23 4 P’s of Creativity ................................................................................................. 24 Propulsion Theory of Creative Contribution ........................................................ 25 i Elements of the Componential Model of Creativity ............................................. 26 The Creative Process............................................................................................. 35 Literature Review Related to Key Concepts ................................................................35 Asynchronous Online Discussions ....................................................................... 35 Types of Online Classes........................................................................................ 36 Asynchronous Online Discussions ....................................................................... 37 Community of Inquiry .......................................................................................... 38 Teaching Creativity ............................................................................................... 49 Summary ......................................................................................................................59 Chapter 3: Research Method ..............................................................................................60 Research Design and Rationale ...................................................................................60 Role of the Researcher .................................................................................................62 Methodology ................................................................................................................62 Participant Selection Logic ................................................................................... 63 Instrumentation ..................................................................................................... 65 Procedures for Recruitment, Participation, and Data Collection .......................... 66 Data Analysis Plan .......................................................................................................67 Issues of Trustworthiness .............................................................................................72 Credibility ............................................................................................................. 72 Transferability ....................................................................................................... 73 Dependability ........................................................................................................ 73 Confirmability ....................................................................................................... 73 ii Limitations ............................................................................................................ 73 Ethical Procedures ................................................................................................ 74 Summary ......................................................................................................................74 Chapter 4: