Creativity in Collaborative Learning across the Life Span

Creativity is one of the competencies required in order successfully to meet challenges across the life span. After defining the broad concept of creativity and its relevance in education, this paper discusses the outcome of a literature review on creativity in collaborative learning across the different stages of an individual’s development, with a specific focus on the use of ICT as a means of fostering the creative learning process. Although much of the literature concerns creativity and critical thinking skills in children and adolescents, we analyze the specific requirements and specificities of these competencies in advanced adulthood. We aim specifically to characterize the capabilities of older adults to collaborate through Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs). The last part of the paper discusses means of promoting the development of creative skills at different ages, notably in elderly persons, and the use of collaborative learning technologies.