The Effect of a Course Environment Enriched with Web 2.0 Tools on Students' Innovative and Creative Thinking Skills

This study investigates the influence of a classroom setting enhanced by Web 2.0 tools on the creative and innovative thinking abilities of middle school students. The intervention was conducted as part of the "Ethics and Security" unit in the Information Technologies and Software course, with the experimental group receiving eight weeks of instruction incorporating Web 2.0 tools and the control group following traditional instructional approaches. Various Web 2.0 tools, including WordArt, Padlet, PuzzleMaker, Powtoon, Kahoot, and StoryJumper, were employed in the experimental group's instruction. Following the intervention, the effects on students' creative and innovative thinking skills were evaluated, alongside their perceptions of these tools. The study comprised 64 sixth-grade students from a public middle school during the 2023–2024 academic year. It employed an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design, wherein the quantitative phase utilized a quasi-experimental pretest–posttest control group design. Measurement instruments consisted of the Creative Thinking Scale and the Innovative Thinking Scale. Research findings demonstrate that learning environments enriched with Web 2.0 tools positively impact students' creative and innovative thinking skills. Qualitative insights were gathered via interviews with 15 students exhibiting high and low innovation scores, exploring their experiences with Web 2.0 environments and views on innovation and creativity. Results indicated that students across groups found Web 2.0-based learning engaging and distinctive, with those scoring higher in innovation demonstrating greater interest in these tools. These findings indicate that the integration of Web 2.0 tools yields positive educational outcomes.