Comparisons of creativity performance and learning effects through digital game‐based creativity learning between elementary school children in rural and urban areas

Abstract Background Creativity is an important ability for problem‐solving in both personal life and academic learning. Few creativity studies have investigated the development of children's creativity in disadvantaged rural areas or compared the rural–urban differences through digital game‐based creativity learning. Understanding such differences can help provide resources for promoting learning equality in creativity. Aims This study aimed to compare the rural–urban difference in elementary school children's creativity performance and their learning effect through digital game‐based creativity learning. Sample Participants were 261 3rd and 4th graders and 194 5th and 6th graders from 6 elementary schools. Method Two digital game‐based creativity learning systems were employed to conduct a five‐class experimental instruction. A creativity test and a questionnaire were also used. Results and Conclusions The results indicate that the urban middle graders, but not the upper graders, outperformed their rural counterparts in the creativity test before game‐based learning. Nevertheless, all children got a higher score on the creativity test after the game‐based learning, suggesting the employed creativity learning systems could be vehicles for improving elementary school children's creativity. However, the rural children gained less from the learning than the urban children, which may be due to weaker competencies in self‐regulated learning. Further studies can employ an inventory to verify this and also consider providing more scaffolding of self‐regulated learning to more disadvantaged students during digital game‐based creativity learning. Additionally, the results of this study reflect the importance of self‐determination and rewards in learning motivation. Appropriate rewards may encourage persistence in taking on challenges.