The purpose of this study was to investigate incentives and barriers to creativity in the context of distance learning. One hundred and twenty-two students of an undergraduate distance course participated in the research. A scale was used to assess the students' perception of both the pedagogical practices which help to develop and express creativity, implemented by their tutors, and the barriers to developing/expressing creativity in distance learning. Aspects of the political and pedagogical design relating to the development/expression of creativity were analyzed. The results showed that the students consider that pedagogical practices implemented by their tutors have developed their creative skills. The barrier to creativity most frequently referred to by the students was the difficulty with time management. The political and pedagogical design of the course includes creativity and ways of fostering it in distance education. The identification of practices that stimulate creativity, as well as the barriers, allows interventions to be planned and implemented in order to enhance the development of students' creative potential.
Creativity; Distance education; College students; Teaching methods
