Dimension 2.2
Problem solving as a creative act
From the DQ global standards, creativity is a central element found in many of the components as part of an individual or organizational digital quotient. Creativity involves “problem-solving through the creation of new knowledge, technologies, and content” (DQ website, n.d.). From the DQ chart, I notice that creativity includes content creation and computational literacy. As revealed in the findings, the lived experiences of Carina and Merak included the element of computational thinking, but this was not mentioned by other participants. As research by Brassard et al., (2021) suggests, this creative component of MDL is not highly prevalent in teacher education.Although problem solving as a creative act may be a fuzzy concept to define, it is connected to the ability to adapt, improve, and innovate (Henriksen & Cain, 2020; Henriksen & Mishra, 2015). Findings from research by Henriksen and Mishra (2015) suggests that teachers who actively cultivate a creative mindset in their teaching practices transfer these creative tendencies from outside open avocations and interests into their teaching practices. This is evident in the findings where participants bring interests from their OEPr into their course designs, such as connections with the UNESCO sustainability goals (CICAN, 2020), and opening their learning spaces to external experts and interested participants which shapes their own and their students’ MDL.