{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,31]],"date-time":"2026-03-31T11:59:40Z","timestamp":1774958380485,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":34,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,12,13]],"date-time":"2024-12-13T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1734048000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Robot. AI"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Creative Problem Solving (CPS) is an important competency when using digital artifacts for educational purposes. Using a dual-process approach, this study examines the divergent thinking scores (fluidity, flexibility, and originality) and problem-solving speed in CPS of different age groups. Participants engaged in CreaCube CPS tasks with educational robotics for two consecutive instances, with performance analyzed to explore the influence of prior experience and creative intentions. In the first instance, infants and children demonstrated greater originality compared to seniors, solving problems quickly but with less originality. In the second instance, teens, young adults, and seniors showed enhanced originality. The results highlight trends influenced by prior experience and creative intentions, emphasizing the need for customized instructions with modular robotics to improve CPS across the lifespan.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/frobt.2024.1497511","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,12,13]],"date-time":"2024-12-13T05:11:07Z","timestamp":1734066667000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Comparative analysis of creative problem solving tasks across age groups using modular cube robotics"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"11","author":[{"given":"Mehedi Hasan","family":"Anik","sequence":"first","affiliation":[]},{"given":"Margarida","family":"Romero","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,12,13]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"58","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-319-55553-9_5","article-title":"A didactical model for educational robotics activities: a study on improving skills through strong or minimal guidance","volume":"1","author":"Atmatzidou","year":"2017","journal-title":"Educ. Robotics Makers Era"},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"87","DOI":"10.1007\/s40692-020-00172-7","article-title":"Group processes and creative components in a problem-solving task with modular robotics","volume":"8","author":"Cassone","year":"2021","journal-title":"J. Comput. Educ."},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"39","DOI":"10.1186\/s40594-020-00238-z","article-title":"Fostering computational thinking through educational robotics: a model for creative computational problem solving","volume":"7","author":"Chevalier","year":"2020","journal-title":"Int. J. STEM Educ."},{"key":"B4","first-page":"3","article-title":"In what way can technology enhance student learning? A preliminary study of technology supported learning in mathematics","author":"Choi","year":"2013"},{"key":"B5","first-page":"1344","article-title":"Creating technology enriched activities to enhance middle school students\u2019 interest in STEM","volume-title":"Proceedings of EdMedia + Innovate Learning","author":"Christensen","year":"2019"},{"key":"B6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"164","DOI":"10.1002\/j.2162-6057.2008.tb01293.x","article-title":"Creativity as a matter of choice: prior experience and task instruction as boundary conditions for the positive effect of choice on creativity","volume":"42","author":"Chua","year":"2008","journal-title":"J. Creative Behav."},{"key":"B7","volume-title":"Educational research: planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research","author":"Creswell","year":"2020"},{"key":"B9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"899","DOI":"10.1007\/s10956-016-9647-z","article-title":"Dragons, ladybugs, and softballs: girls\u2019 STEM engagement with human-centered robotics","volume":"25","author":"Gomoll","year":"2016","journal-title":"J. Sci. Educ. Technol."},{"key":"B10","volume-title":"The nature of human intelligence","author":"Guilford","year":"1967"},{"key":"B11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"616","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2014.00616","article-title":"Measuring inhibitory control in children and adults: brain imaging and mental chronometry","volume":"5","author":"Houd\u00e9","year":"2014","journal-title":"Front. Psychol."},{"key":"B12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1083","DOI":"10.1007\/s10798-018-9478-8","article-title":"Pilot analysis of the impacts of soft robotics design on high-school student engineering perceptions","volume":"29","author":"Jackson","year":"2019","journal-title":"Int. J. Technol. Des. Educ."},{"key":"B13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"175","DOI":"10.1007\/s10956-016-9663-z","article-title":"Effect of robotics on elementary preservice teachers\u2019 self-efficacy, science learning, and computational thinking","volume":"26","author":"Jaipal-Jamani","year":"2017","journal-title":"J. Sci. Educ. Technol."},{"key":"B14","volume-title":"Educational research: quantitative, qualitative, and mixed approaches","author":"Johnson","year":"2019"},{"key":"B15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"153","DOI":"10.1080\/15332276.2009.11673538","article-title":"Learning to solve problems: an instructional design guide","volume":"24","author":"Jonassen","year":"2009","journal-title":"Gift. Talent. Int."},{"key":"B16","volume-title":"Thinking, fast and slow","author":"Kahneman","year":"2011"},{"key":"B17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1080\/10494820.2022.2158478","article-title":"An affordance-based framework for the design and analysis of learning activities in playful educational robotics contexts","author":"Kalmpourtzis","year":"2022","journal-title":"Interact. Learn. Environ."},{"key":"B18","first-page":"197","article-title":"Educational robotics and teaching introductory programming within an interdisciplinary framework","volume-title":"Research on e-learning and ICT in education","author":"Karatrantou","year":"2011"},{"key":"B19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"59","DOI":"10.1002\/j.2162-6057.2009.tb01306.x","article-title":"The role of bilingualism in creative performance on divergent thinking and invented alien creatures tests","volume":"43","author":"Kharkhurin","year":"2009","journal-title":"J. Creative Behav."},{"key":"B20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"427","DOI":"10.1177\/14782103231177107","article-title":"Literacy, numeracy, and problem-solving skills of adults with disabilities in STEM fields","volume":"22","author":"Kirksey","year":"2023","journal-title":"Policy Futur. Educ."},{"key":"B21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"642147","DOI":"10.3389\/feduc.2021.642147","article-title":"Teachers\u2019 creative behaviors in STEAM Activities with modular robotics","volume":"6","author":"Leroy","year":"2021","journal-title":"Front. Educ."},{"key":"B22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1247","DOI":"10.1007\/s11423-022-10128-6","article-title":"Creative intention and persistence in educational robotic","volume":"70","author":"Leroy","year":"2022","journal-title":"Educ. Technol. Res. Dev."},{"key":"B23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2194","DOI":"10.1080\/10494820.2021.1875005","article-title":"Interactivity and materiality matter in creativity: educational robotics for the assessment of divergent thinking","volume":"31","author":"Leroy","year":"2023","journal-title":"Interact. Learn. Environ."},{"key":"B24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"101","DOI":"10.1080\/0950069032000070289","article-title":"RESEARCH REPORT: student understanding of the nature of science and their problem-solving strategies","volume":"26","author":"Lin","year":"2004","journal-title":"Int. J. Sci. Educ."},{"key":"B25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"45","DOI":"10.1177\/073428299100900104","article-title":"Creativity and the finding and solving of real-world problems","volume":"9","author":"Okuda","year":"1991","journal-title":"J. Psychoeduc. Assess."},{"key":"B26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"38","DOI":"10.1002\/j.2162-6057.2011.tb01083.x","article-title":"Effects of quantity and quality instructions on brainstorming","volume":"45","author":"Paulus","year":"2011","journal-title":"J. Creative Behav."},{"key":"B27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"133","DOI":"10.1007\/s10956-011-9291-6","article-title":"Virtual and physical experimentation in inquiry-based science labs: attitudes, performance and access","volume":"21","author":"Pyatt","year":"2012","journal-title":"J. Sci. Educ. Technol."},{"key":"B28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"35","DOI":"10.1186\/s40594-018-0133-4","article-title":"Students\u2019 perceptions of STEM learning after participating in a summer informal learning experience","volume":"5","author":"Roberts","year":"2018","journal-title":"Int. J. STEM Educ."},{"key":"B29","first-page":"524","article-title":"Seniors\u2019 activity on creative problem solving with modular robotics","volume-title":"International conference on human-computer interaction","author":"Romero","year":"2022"},{"key":"B30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.21432\/cjlt28170","article-title":"Analysing an interactive problem-solving task through the lens of double stimulation","volume":"48","author":"Romero","year":"2022","journal-title":"Can. J. Learn. Technol."},{"key":"B31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"397","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-030-11548-7_37","article-title":"CreaCube, a playful activity with modular robotics","volume-title":"Games and learning alliance: 7th international conference, GALA 2018, palermo, Italy, december 5\u20137, 2018, proceedings 7","author":"Romero","year":"2019"},{"key":"B33","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3","DOI":"10.1007\/s10798-015-9304-5","article-title":"Robotics in the early childhood classroom: learning outcomes from an 8-week robotics curriculum in pre-kindergarten through second grade","volume":"26","author":"Sullivan","year":"2016","journal-title":"Int. J. Technol. Des. Educ."},{"key":"B34","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.15294\/jpii.v8i2.19249","article-title":"Enhancing elementary school students\u2019 abstract reasoning in science learning through augmented reality-based interactive multimedia","volume":"8","author":"Syawaludin","year":"2019","journal-title":"J. Pendidik. IPA Indones."},{"key":"B36","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2129","DOI":"10.1007\/s10798-021-09688-0","article-title":"Characteristics of student engagement in high-school robotics courses","volume":"32","author":"Verner","year":"2022","journal-title":"Int. J. Technol. Des. Educ."},{"key":"B38","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1539","DOI":"10.1080\/03055698.2022.2107873","article-title":"Effects of educational robotics on the creativity and problem-solving skills of K-12 students: a meta-analysis","volume":"50","author":"Zhang","year":"2022","journal-title":"Educ. Stud."}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Robotics and AI"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/frobt.2024.1497511\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2024,12,13]],"date-time":"2024-12-13T05:11:12Z","timestamp":1734066672000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/frobt.2024.1497511\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2024,12,13]]},"references-count":34,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/frobt.2024.1497511"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/frobt.2024.1497511","relation":{},"ISSN":["2296-9144"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2296-9144","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2024,12,13]]},"article-number":"1497511"}}