Design Thinking for Educators

Design Thinking is a versatile and innovative problem-solving approach that has been successful across a variety of industries and service sectors. User needs and experiences are the focus of this approach. It involves immersing oneself in a particular situation to gain insights, visualizing the problem, and developing sustainable solutions. This course is intended to meet the needs of teachers who are interested in developing innovative teaching methods and tools to engage their students more effectively. The use of Design Thinking in education promotes a student-centered approach, allowing educators to gain a deeper understanding of the interests and needs of their students while creating engaging and interactive learning experiences that enhance creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. However, a potential challenge in implementing Design Thinking in education is resistance to change from traditional teaching methods, as Design Thinking requires a shift in mindset and pedagogical approaches. Ultimately, the successful implementation of Design Thinking in education requires an openness to embrace new approaches and a commitment to making it work. The course provides hands-on activities and exercises to help educators gain the necessary skills and knowledge to implement Design Thinking in their classrooms. It also provides support and guidance to help educators overcome any challenges they may face.The course is designed for an experiential learning on the use of Design Thinking in Education individually as well as a team through Team-Based Online Project (TOP) approach.

Week 1: Design Thinking: Mindsets and Processes

Design Thinking: Mindsets - Human Centered Problem-Solving Approach – Design Thinking Models - Convergent and Divergent Thinking– -Double Diamond Design Thinking approach - Phases of Design Thinking: Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, Test, Implement and Reflect– 21st Century Learning Skills through Design Thinking - Mapping of Design Thinking with Outcome Based Education (OBE) and Conceive-Design-Implement-Operate (CDIO) Educational Framework.

Week 2: Empathize Phase

Need Analysis: Identification and understanding of students’ need and requirements - Current practice/process - Goal/requirements of the user - Learners’ Style Preferences – Data Collection Methods/Tools used: Interviews, Survey, Observation, Empathy Mapping, Mind Mapping and Concept Mapping.

Week 3: Define Phase

Synthesis of observations of the students’ responses – Statements of needs and problems of the students - Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) for 21st Century Learning - 5E Inquiry-based approach - Engagement, Exploration, Explanation, Elaboration, and Evaluation. Revisiting the existing instructional practice - Definition of problem statement – Point of View (PoV) - Three lenses of Design Thinking: Desirability, Feasibility and Viability - Description of Problem Environment - Creation of Students’ Profiles.

Problem Framing Techniques: User research analysis, Affinity Diagrams, User Personas, 5 Whys, Cause-effect Diagram – Collaborative tools.

Week 4: Ideate Phase

Concept Generation: - Instructional Design Models - Lateral Thinking Concepts – Brainstorming of possible solutions, Six Thinking Hats. Brainstorming, Mind Mapping, SCAMPER Technique, Idea Cards. Concept Evaluation: Concept screening – Selection Matrix – Rating and Ranking of concepts – Concept scoring – Selection of one or more concepts.

Week 5: Prototype Phase

Instructional Design - Scaffolding of activities - Supporting elements of instructional planning - Creation of Prototypes for Multiple Concepts, Implementation plan – Instructional Design Rapid Prototypes: Paper Prototypes, Storyboarding, Digital Prototyping, Low-fidelity prototypes, Functional Prototypes and High-Fidelity Prototypes.

Week 6: Test Phase

Identification of target audience - Test methods – Concept testing - Refinement of instructional design specification on students’ feedback - Evaluation of Potential Solutions, Selection of best design - Usability testing, Surveys, Prototype walkthroughs, Think-aloud method.

Week 7: Implement Phase

Description of Implementation scenario - Implementation strategies – Implementation Plan: Classroom management – Observation – Instructional Delivery - Assessment Plan – Project based Learning (PbL) - Implementation of team-based task.

Week 8: Reflect Phase

Experiential Learning Theory - Conduct of Assessment – Formative and Summative Assessment. Interpretation of results and Inference. Reflection-in-Action: Cognitive, Social-cultural, Technological, Productivity and Meta-cognitive episodes. Synthesis and review - Reflection report - Share and Communicate.