Reconceptualization of Group Creativity Based on Educational Neurology

Objectives This study attempted to reconceptualize the existing concepts of group creativity that have been discussed in various ways from an educational neurological perspective in relation to the effects of learner brains and other nervous systems, and suggested useful educational implications. The reconceptualization of group creativity from an educational neurological point of view is to provide a significant link through which individual creativity can lead to group creativity based on an understanding of changes in the nervous system, including the brain. Methods In this study, the basic search term was set as group creativity, and domestic research mainly focused on papers for doctoral degrees and higher along with papers published in the Korea Citation Index (KCI). In the case of overseas research, academic databases such as Academic Search Premier, ERIC, Education Source, Google Scholar, and Web of Science were comprehensively searched and cross-checked through peer evaluation by referring to impact factors. Also, the reviewed documents were examined for their degree of relevance and consistency to the content of books on collective creativity and neurology. Results In this study, group creativity was reconceptualized as 'the tendency or ability of a group to produce new and useful ideas and outcomes by reorganizing the patterns of interactions between members of groups into types that are different from existing connections based on changes in individual nervous systems. The important point here is that both group creativity and individual creativity are based on changes in the nervous system including the brain, and changes in the effects of individual nervous systems that create multifaceted interactions within groups become an important link for individual creativity to lead to group creativity. Conclusions Reconceptualizing group creativity from an educational neurological perspective in connection with changes in the effects of the nervous system signifies that both individuals and groups can perform higher-order functions such as creativity based on the modularity and connectivity of the nervous system, and that group creativity can connect to individual creativity in various ways based on changes in the nervous systems of members in the group. In the future, research on how learners' individual creativity can develop in harmony with individual learners' unique characteristics and lead to creativity in various group creativity should be fully supported. For this, group creativity based on collaborations among various academic fields in addition to Educational Neurology will be required.