Enhancing the creative learning experience through harnessing the creative potential of digital and social media platforms in art and design educational contexts

Despite the advancements in social media technologies, the effectiveness of repurposing them for pedagogical purposes is yet to be evaluated as an educational approach in the conventional art or design classroom. The research analyses the potential role of digital and social media applications in enhancing the creativity of art and design students, and explores the benefits they bring to the creative process both for students and educators. It involves two experimental studies; the first study explores the use of a digital painting technique by 23 fine arts students, while the second study investigates the use of social media apps by 42 graphic design students. The study is undertaken in an experimental educational setting and aims to determine how digital media can be employed by educators to expand student's creative thinking. The findings examine the students' and educators' attitudes, preferences, and the challenges they face while incorporating these technologies.