The Impact of Creative Thinking Skills and Online Learning Systems

Study Case The Impact of Creative Thinking Skills and Online Learning Systems on the Academic Achievement of Calculus II Students Michael Kurniawan (2018123456) University of Cincinnati, 2600 Clifton Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45221, United States kurniaml@mail.uc.edu Abstract During the Covid-19 pandemic, all countries in the world were required to participate in overcoming various life problems, including in the field of education. One of the steps taken was the implementation of online learning activities. This study aims to determine the effect of students' creative thinking skills and online learning methods on their Calculus II course grades. The variables studied include creative thinking skills, online learning methods, and Calculus II course grades. Data were collected through observation, questionnaires, and tests, then analyzed quantitatively. The results show that 72.7% of the variation in Calculus II course grades (Y) is influenced by creative thinking skills (X1) and online learning methods (X2), while the remaining 27.3% is influenced by other factors. Separately, creative thinking skills contribute 54.4%, while online learning methods contribute 59.5% to the increase in Calculus II grades. This study only reviewed internal factors in the form of creative thinking skills and online learning methods, while other external factors that also have an influence need to be further researched in subsequent studies. Keywords: creative thinking skills, online learning methods, Calculus II course grades. INTRODUCTION The Covid-19 pandemic has forced the entire world, including the United States, to adapt in various aspects of life, especially in the field of education. The government, through the U.S. Department of Education, has instructed all educational institutions to implement an online learning system in order to maintain the continuity of the MICHAEL KURNIAWAN 1 Study Case educational process amid social restrictions. However, the online system is not without challenges. One of the negative effects that often arises is an increase in boredom and a decrease in student motivation to learn. Therefore, lecturers are required to be more innovative and creative in delivering lecture material so that students are able to develop learning methods that produce new understanding and original ideas. Creative thinking is a mental activity that encourages a person to produce new ideas as a result of the development of knowledge and experience. This is in line with the views of Coleman and Hammen [1], that creative thinking is a mental process that aims to increase originality and insight in creating new ideas. Potur and Barkul [2] also mention that creative thinking is a unique cognitive ability directed at solving problems in new, unconventional ways. Referring to Munandar's [3] view, indicators of creative thinking ability include fluency, flexibility, originality, detail orientation, and evaluation ability. According to Uno and Nurdin [4], factors that encourage creativity include sensitivity to the environment, freedom of thought, commitment to progress, courage to take risks, perseverance, and a conducive environment. Meanwhile, Torrance [5] emphasizes the importance of teachers appreciating students' ideas and questions, giving them the freedom to experiment without fear, and instilling cause-and-effect relationships in learning evaluations. This approach creates a healthy space for the development of student creativity. The learning environment plays an important role in supporting creativity. Uno and Nurdin [6] state that the environment is everything that enables learners to learn— whether in the form of physical facilities such as classrooms and libraries, or social conditions that encourage active learning. Thus, a good environment serves as a learning resource that supports the educational process. In the context of implementing learning during the pandemic, Federal Education Directive No. 4 of 2020 recommends that all academic activities be carried out from home using online methods. According to Salamun [7], learning methods are different ways to achieve different learning outcomes, depending on the conditions and objectives of learning. Ahmadi [8] defines learning methods as strategies applied by educators to achieve learning objectives effectively, while Sudjana [9] refers to methods as a means of connecting educators and students in the teaching process. During the pandemic, various learning methods were developed and implemented, including Project-Based Learning, Online Learning, Offline Learning, Home Visits, MICHAEL KURNIAWAN 2 Study Case Integrated Curriculum, and Blended Learning. • Project-Based Learning was implemented so that students could collaborate, empathize, and innovate through project-based tasks in small groups, in accordance with the guidelines of Federal Education Directive No. 4 of 2020. • Online Learning was considered effective for high-risk areas because all activities were conducted virtually through platforms such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams. • Offline Learning was implemented on a limited basis in low-risk areas while still observing health protocols, conducted through a shift model system. • Home Visit Learning allows educators to visit students at home to provide direct learning, suitable for students who have difficulty accessing technology. • Integrated Curriculum combines several courses into one integrated project, encouraging collaboration between lecturers and cross-disciplinary synergy. • Blended Learning combines online and face-to-face learning through video conferencing, which has been proven to improve students' cognitive abilities [10]. Learning methods have several main functions: 1. As an extrinsic motivational tool, helping students stay motivated to continue learning. 2. As a learning strategy, allowing teachers to adjust their approach according to the diverse abilities of students. 3. As a tool to achieve educational goals, ensuring that material is delivered effectively and learning outcomes are achieved optimally. The value or learning outcomes of Calculus II represent the success of the learning process through changes in students' cognitive, affective, and psychomotor abilities. According to Dimyati and Mudjiono [11], learning outcomes are the result of the interaction between learning and teaching activities. However, many students still consider calculus to be a difficult and uninteresting subject. This perception impacts low focus and a lack of effective learning strategies, leading to poor mastery of calculus concepts. This phenomenon can be seen from the low average scores of students in Calculus II compared to other courses. A lack of understanding of calculus can hinder students' abilities in advanced courses such as differential equations, basic physics, real analysis, and vectors. As stated by Buchori [12], mastery of mathematics and basic science is a MICHAEL KURNIAWAN 3 Study Case prerequisite for the technological advancement of a nation. Calculus plays an important role in the development of various disciplines, including engineering, medicine, pharmacy, economics, and psychology. Purwanto et al. [13] state that calculus is the main analytical tool for understanding change, especially in engineering and the exact sciences. Therefore, improving the quality of calculus learning outcomes requires appropriate learning strategies, especially in extraordinary circumstances such as a pandemic. A study at the University of Cincinnati, Department of Computer Engineering, shows that the average score of students in Calculus II courses is still low, with only 1030% of students obtaining an A or B. This is in line with Horst's [14] research, which identifies three main difficulties in learning calculus: difficulty in determining integral models, understanding the concepts of definite and indefinite integrals, and interpreting the results of applying integrals to real-world problems. Calculus, as a major branch of mathematics, covers the concepts of single variable function integrals, integration techniques, definite and indefinite integrals, and their applications in calculating area, volume of rotating objects, arc length, and surface area of rotation. Based on this theoretical framework, this study was conducted at the University of Cincinnati to examine the extent to which creative thinking skills and online learning methods affect grades in Calculus II. The objectives of this study are: 1. To determine the simultaneous influence of creative thinking skills and online learning methods on Calculus II course grades. 2. To determine the individual influence of creative thinking skills on Calculus II course grades. 3. To determine the influence of online learning methods on Calculus II course grades. RESEARCH METHOD This research was conducted at the University of Cincinnati, Department of Computer Engineering in the even semester of the 2020 academic year. The choice of research location was based on two main considerations: 1. The research location coincided with the author's teaching location, which facilitated the observation and data collection process. 2. The author's curiosity about the learning outcomes of Calculus II, which was MICHAEL KURNIAWAN 4 Study Case conducted entirely through online learning methods during the Covid-19 pandemic, and the extent to which students' creative thinking skills played a role in solving calculus problems independently. This research lasted for four months, from April to August 2020, using a quantitative approach with a survey method. Data were collected through observation, distribution of Likert scale-based questionnaires, and mathematics ability tests. Data analysis was performed using multiple linear regression tests using SPSS version 22.0 for Windows software. The processing of research results included descriptive statistics (mean, median, mode, standard deviation, and frequency distribution) to provide an overview of each variable, as well as inferential statistics to test the research hypothesis. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Data Description The collected data are presented in Tables 1–4 as follows: Table 1: Recapitulation of Scores for Each Variable MICHAEL KURNIAWAN 5 Study Case Table 2: Statistics for Calculus II Course Grades Table 3: Statistics for Online Learning Methods Table 4: Normality Test (One-Sample Kolmogorov–Smirnov Test) MICHAEL KURNIAWAN 6 Study Case Based on these results, the highest score for students' creative thinking skills was in the range of 93, online learning methods was 92, and Calculus II course scores reached 99. Classical Assumption Test 1. Normality Test The Kolmogorov–Smirnov test shows that all research variables (creative thinking skills, online learning methods, and Calculus II course scores) are normally distributed. This is indicated by the Asymp. Sig. (2-tailed) value of each variable being above the significance threshold of 0.05, meaning that the regression model meets the normality assumption. 2. Linearity Test The linearity test results show that there is a significant linear relationship between the variables of creative thinking ability and Calculus II course scores, with Deviation from Linearity > 0.05. The same applies to the relationship between the online learning method and Calculus II scores, which also shows a significant linear relationship. 3. Multicollinearity Test The Tolerance and Variance Inflation Factor (VIF) values indicate that there is no multicollinearity problem between the independent variables. 4. Autocorrelation Test Based on the Durbin–Watson value, the regression model is proven to be free from autocorrelation problems. 5. Heteroscedasticity Test The results of the Glejser test and observations on the scatter plot show that the data points are scattered randomly around the Y-axis, so the regression model is free from heteroscedasticity. With all classical assumptions fulfilled, the regression model is declared suitable for further analysis. Regression and Hypothesis Tests Table 7. Correlation Coefficient (R) and Determination (R²) Values MICHAEL KURNIAWAN 7 Study Case The analysis results show that R = 0.853 and R² = 0.727, which means that 72.7% of the variation in Calculus II (Y) values can be explained by two independent variables, namely creative thinking ability (X1) and online learning methods (X2). The remaining 27.3% is influenced by other factors outside the model. Table 8. F Test (Simultaneous) The F test results show Fcount = 51.968 > Ftable = 4.079 at α = 0.05. Thus, H₀ is rejected and H₁ is accepted, which means that there is a significant simultaneous effect of creative thinking ability and online learning methods on Calculus II scores. Table 9. t Test (Partial) • Creative thinking ability (X1): tcount = 4.352 > ttable = 1.684 (α = 0.05) • Online learning method (X2): tcount = 4.979 > ttable = 1.684 (α = 0.05) Both independent variables have a significant effect on Calculus II scores partially. Multiple Linear Regression Equation 𝑌̂ = −38,391 + 0,739𝑋1 + 0,756𝑋2 Interpretation: • The constant -38.391 indicates that without creative thinking ability and online learning methods, Calculus II scores are negative (not practically significant). • The coefficient 0.739 indicates that every 1-point increase in creative thinking skills will increase Calculus II scores by 0.739 points. • The coefficient 0.756 indicates that every 1-point increase in the effectiveness of online learning methods will increase Calculus II scores by 0.756 points. MICHAEL KURNIAWAN 8 Study Case Discussion Research conducted at the University of Cincinnati shows that creative thinking skills contribute significantly to students' academic achievement in Calculus II courses. Students with high levels of creativity are able to develop more varied and efficient problem-solving strategies. Effective online learning methods have also been shown to have a positive impact on learning outcomes. The integration of technologies such as Zoom, Canvas, and MATLAB Online allows students to remain actively engaged even when learning virtually. However, this study has several limitations: 1. The instrument used, a Likert scale questionnaire, allows for subjective bias, where respondents may provide answers that do not fully reflect the actual conditions. 2. The study only reviewed internal factors (creative thinking skills and online learning methods), without considering external factors such as motivation, learning environment, or technological support facilities. Therefore, it is recommended that future research include external variables such as digital literacy levels, technology access, and individual learning styles to obtain a more comprehensive picture. CONCLUSION 1. There is a significant simultaneous influence of creative thinking skills and online learning methods on Calculus II course grades. Based on the F test results and the coefficient of determination (R² = 0.727), it can be concluded that 72.7% of the variation in Calculus II scores is explained by creative thinking skills and the effectiveness of online learning methods. 2. There is a significant effect of creative thinking skills on Calculus II scores. The correlation coefficient (r) value of 0.744 and R² = 0.554 indicate that creative thinking skills contribute 54.4% to the improvement in Calculus II learning outcomes. 3. There is a significant effect of online learning methods on Calculus II course grades. The correlation coefficient (r) value of 0.771 and R² = 0.595 indicate that online learning methods contribute 59.5% to the improvement in students' Calculus II grades. MICHAEL KURNIAWAN 9 Study Case Overall, this study confirms that the combination of students' creative thinking skills and the application of effective online learning methods can significantly improve learning outcomes in Calculus II at the University of Cincinnati. REFERENCE MICHAEL KURNIAWAN 10