Understanding and using a design-thinking process is a learning innovation that emerged over five decades ago. According to Dam and Siang, design thinking concepts were discussed in an early book by Herbert A. Simon as early as 1969 and incorporated concepts such as observation, prototyping and testing (2022). To investigate this innovation further, I will define the design-thinking process and describe its impact on learning, and its reliance on technology, followed by a table that will highlight usability and assess risk and value proposition from both the perspective of the designer/instructor as well as the student/ learner.
Design thinking is a process in which instructors and designers engage in a set of steps to identify and design solutions to address challenges while emphasizing the user needs and experiences throughout the design, from defining the problem to testing the solution, referred to as human-centred (Soegaard, 2002). The five stages, as explained by Tran (2022), are:
Empathize – Develop empathy and find out the needs for the solutions.
Define – Define issues and the potential of addressing them.
Ideate – Think and generate new, creative ideas.
Prototype – Make a draft or sample of the solutions to explore the ideas further.
Test – Test the solutions, evaluate, and gather feedback.
Each stage can be revisited as the process unfolds, allowing for an iterative solution to emerge that actively encourages the designer to understand the user’s needs, brainstorm and create the first attempt at a tangible solution while continuously testing the solution on a user group while learning and adjusting based on user feedback (Crichton & Carter, 2017).
One of the most significant impacts on learning, discussed by Goldman et al. (2012), is the shift from mindsets to mindshifts. Mindshifts, as explained, happen when individuals actively engage in design thinking; they bring in elements such as human-centeredness, experimentation, collaboration, and metacognition into the design process and, through this process, move away from egocentric outcomes to human-centred solutions that demonstrate empathy for others (Goldman et al. 2012).
Goldman et al. continue by highlighting how assessments can be used to uncover nuances in the mindshifts of designers; At the same time, the research looks at technologies and tools to capture and understand if elements of a mindshift are present, the assessment tools themselves can be fairly simple to relatively complex (2012). Technology is vital to other components of design thinking as well, especially when you put the end user in the centre of the process; for example, this could include aspects of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), such as incorporating audio as an alternate or complement to the text. Prototyping and testing are also aspects that rely on technology and can extend brainstorming to include highly innovative and typically untraditional solutions.
Design thinking has many benefits worth exploring. At the same time, there are some typical pitfalls to be avoided; however, fostering a design thinking mindshift has copious benefits for designers as well as learners where the solutions are proactive, sympathetic and optimistic by design.
Impact of Design Thinking on Learning
| Designer / Instructor | Student / Learner | |
| Usability | It can and often feels unscripted and messy when done correctly; however, many instructional design models can provide a framework, such as ADDIE (Svihla, 2017). | Creates clear and concise connections between the assessment and the learning. Learning is designed with the student at the forefront, often resulting in innovative learning opportunities (Goldman et al., 2012). |
| Risk | Time and resource constraints. Fear of adding new processes to an already packed curriculum and lack of expertise in implementing design thinking (Crichton & Carter, 2017). | It is essential to recognize that a power dynamic is involved when working closely with students. Careful consideration should be taken to ensure participants feel comfortable providing honest feedback (Svihla, 2017). |
| Value | Design thinkers have a sense of optimism; designers know that a potential new solution is better than the status quo, even when faced with obstacles (Crichton & Carter, 2017). | Promotes a growth mindset which changes the narrative from seeking approval to an enthusiasm for learning (Crichton & Carter, 2017). |
References
Crichton, S. & Carter, D. (2017). Making the Connection: Designing, Making, and New Culture of Learning. Taking Making into Classrooms Toolkit (pp 15-21). Open School/ITA.
Crichton, S. & Carter, D. (2017). Why We Need our Students to be Design Thinkers. Taking Making into Classrooms Toolkit (pp 46-49). Open School/ITA.
Dam, R., Siang, T. (2022, May). The History of Design Thinking. Interaction Design Foundation. https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/article/design-thinking-get-a-quick-overview-of-the-history
Goldman, S. et al. (2012). Assessing d.learning: Capturing the journey of becoming a design thinker. In H. Plattner, C. Meinel & L. Leifer (eds). Design thinking research: Understanding innovation. (pp. 13-33). Berlin: Springer
Svihla, V. (2017). Chapter 23. Design Thinking and Agile Design. In R. West (Ed.), Foundations of Learning and Instructional Design Technology (1st ed.).
Soegaard, M. (2002). The Basics of User Experience Design by Interaction Design Foundation. Interaction Design Foundation.
Tran, E. (2022, August 16). 15 Innovative Teaching Methods with Guide and Examples. AhaSlides. https://ahaslides.com/blog/15-innovative-teaching-methods/
01/03/2023
I like your exploration of the impacts of design thinking on learning, but am left wondering if it works in all contexts and disciplines? This post seems to be more about building a case for design thinking as a tool and less about innovation, a stronger closing might help to resolve this:)