Effects of a computer-based enrichment programme on the development of analytical and creative abilities in gifted students

Abstract

Enrichment programmes are designed to offer gifted students experiences that are not covered in the regular curriculum We used a pre-test–post-test control group design to examine the effects of a computer-based enrichment programme on the development of analytical and creative abilities in 26 gifted children in an experimental group (15 boys, mean age = 10 years and 3 months) and compared this to 20 equally gifted children in a control group (8 boys, mean age = 10 years and 4 months). Students were identified as being analytically gifted, creatively gifted, or analytically-creatively gifted. In general, results showed increasing levels of analytical ability and stable levels of creative ability. In addition, hierarchical regression analyses showed a positive effect of the enrichment programme on the development of analytical abilities in children with relatively low starting levels of analytical ability (i.e. the creatively gifted students). To conclude, results suggest that rather than analytically gifted children, children with creative talents gained most advantage from participating in the computer-based enrichment programme.

Keywords:

• Giftedness
• enrichment programme
• computer-based learning
• creativity

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Desirée Houkema and Prof. Dr. Lianne Hoogeveen for providing the teacher training and for their valuable feedback.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) under grant [411-12-621].