Online Mentoring and Creative Problem Solving for Academically Talented High-School Students

Technology is changing the way in which gifted students are identified and supported. In the past, the focus has been on acceleration and enrichment. However, with technological progress, academically talented students can connect with mentors both locally and globally, and mentors can customize individualized support to match gifted students’ interests and talents. The cultivation of 21st-century skills among talented students has become a global goal, including in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). To enhance the creative problem-solving skills of academically talented high-school students in the UAE, the College of Education at a leading institute launched an online mentoring program for several students based on the Real Engagement in Active Problem Solving (REAPS) model. This paper describes the experience of implementing an online mentorship program designed to enhance creative problem-solving skills among talented students in the UAE. Through this program, talented students had the opportunity to work with experienced mentors on complex real-world problems, collaborate in teams, consider multiple perspectives, and develop innovative solutions to local and global issues. This innovative experience showed that the REAPS model is an effective method for teaching creative problem-solving skills, and online mentoring is a promising strategy for gifted education to develop future and life skills.