Design Thinking is a mindset and approach to learning, collaboration, and problem solving. In practice, the design process is a structured framework for identifying challenges, gathering information, generating potential solutions, refining ideas, and testing solutions. Design Thinking can be flexibly implemented; serving equally well as a framework for a course design or a roadmap for an activity or group project.
Classrooms and schools across the world are facing design challenges every single day, from teacher feedback systems to daily schedules. Wherever they fall on the spectrum of scale the challenges educators are confronted with are real, complex, and varied. And as such, they require new perspectives, new tools, and new approaches. Design thinking is one of them.
Design Support
Design Consultation for projects, session, and courses, including active learning and facilitation strategies.
Brainstorming Kits including Post-it notes, Sharpie markers, and stickable chart paper.
Physical Prototyping Cart with dozens of creative, constructivist supplies, including felt, yarn, foil, craft sticks, rubber bands, Play-Doh, Legos, and more.
Prototyping. Design Thinking use cases, collated workbooks, and curated research.
To Do:
- Developing and agreeing on criteria for their designs.
- Selecting tools and materials in this case, Makers Empire and 3D printing.
- Supporting each other to learn how to use the new tools.
- Producing a working prototype.
- The testing process for our first graders involved:
- Giving each other feedback
- Assessing their designs against the previous agreed criteria
- Making modifications and improvements to their designs
- Testing their designs in the context they would be used.
- Reflecting on their problem-solving processes and learning outcomes.
Think about projects you can do with your own students that will help enhance and deepen their learning. How might you support your students to:
- Develop empathy, insights and understandings.
- Define a problem as an actionable question.
- Generate and visualise ideas.
- Develop prototypes; and
- Evaluate and test their designed solutions.