Title: Creativity and learning through electronic group causal mapping

Authors: Duncan Shaw

Addresses: Aston Business School, Aston Triangle, B4 7ET, Birmingham, UK

Abstract: This paper proposes, and begins to evaluate, a format of brainstorming-type activity which aims to release the creativity of participants and encourage them to learn about a wider range of issues in more detail. The format does this through providing a two-stage brainstorming session. After the first brainstorm, participants have an opportunity to both piggy-back off other peoples ideas (i.e. create new ideas by synthesising other peoples| ideas into their own perspectives), and share causal links to build a causal map with the brainstormed ideas. Five causal mapping sessions with organisations have been analysed. Findings suggest that ideas shared when piggy-backing are often highly creative and unique for the participant who shared them. Also piggy-backing and causal linking seem to provide effective opportunities for individual learning as participants have time to reflect upon other peoples| perspectives and share their own views on those.

Keywords: brainstorming; causal mapping; creativity; computer technology; learning.

DOI: 10.1504/IJIL.2004.005497

International Journal of Innovation and Learning, 2004 Vol.1 No.4, pp.364 - 377

Published online: 12 Oct 2004 *

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