Apply design thinking techniques to learning and teaching strategies
In previous posts, we covered design thinking for schools and design thinking for students and teachers – and the various creative ways in which a design thinking innovation methodology is being applied to the education system and K-12 and higher ed curriculum. However, this educational application extends far beyond the classroom walls – design thinking is also a useful approach for all types of learning and teaching, wherever they occur. Organizations can use design thinking to improve their employee training programs, for example, or individuals can apply design thinking methodology to their own unique educational goals or challenges. In this post, we’ll share some of those techniques and thought processes when applying design thinking to learning more broadly.
The Design Thinking Process
By now, you are likely familiar with the commonly used 5-stage design thinking process (popularized by the Stanford d.school and others) that includes the following:
- Empathize
- Define
- Ideate
- Prototype
- Test
Using this framework in educational pursuits will allow you to better understand and analyze the goals (and accomplishment of those goals) in the process. During the “Define” stage, you will be able to adequately explain and understand the challenge at hand – whether that’s filling in knowledge gaps or discovering a new educational skill or subject altogether. With the problem defined, you can then develop a measurable performance goal that will allow you to conclude whether or not you’ve adequately solved the challenge through learning initiatives or training.
During your ideation or brainstorming session, you or your team can then analyze potential solutions and their benefits or drawbacks. Thinking through deficiencies in your learning or training system using the design thinking framework will prevent faulty implementation from limiting learning progress to occur down the road. Similarly, prototyping and testing will also ensure you do not waste time or resources investing in a solution that will not properly solve the educational challenge in your way.
Design Thinking for Learning Examples
To understand how design thinking can practically improve learning, here are some examples of how it’s used in educational and corporate learning environments:
1. K-12 Education: Enhancing Student Engagement
Teachers can apply the design thinking process to create more engaging and personalized learning experiences. For instance, by empathizing with students’ struggles with a particular subject, a teacher might redefine their approach to teaching by incorporating more visual aids and interactive activities, addressing the diverse learning styles in the classroom.
2. Corporate Learning: Onboarding Programs
Organizations have successfully used design thinking to overhaul employee onboarding programs. By interviewing new hires (empathize), companies identify pain points in their onboarding process. From there, they define the problem, ideate potential solutions such as mentoring systems, and prototype and test new tools like interactive onboarding apps. These design thinking strategies lead to more efficient and welcoming onboarding experiences.
3. University: Designing Inclusive Learning Spaces
Universities have utilized design thinking to build inclusive and accessible learning environments. For example, the University of Maryland used a student-led design thinking initiative to redesign a study space that accommodated diverse learning preferences, including quiet areas, collaboration zones, and flexible furniture arrangements.
Design Thinking and Lifelong Learning
Learning is not limited to formal education or training programs; individuals can apply design thinking to enhance their lifelong learning efforts. For example, when setting personal development goals, learners can empathize with their motivations and challenges (such as time constraints or lack of resources), define specific objectives, and brainstorm strategies to overcome barriers. They might prototype different learning methods, such as self-paced online courses or peer study groups, and continuously refine their approach based on what works best.
This approach enables people to adapt their learning strategies to changing circumstances, ensuring continuous growth and the achievement of personal or professional goals.
Benefits of Applying Design Thinking to Learning
- Personalized Learning Experiences: By focusing on empathy, educators can create learning strategies tailored to individual needs, resulting in a more personalized and effective learning experience.
- Collaboration and Creativity: Design thinking encourages collaboration, making it ideal for group learning or team-based training programs where creative problem-solving is essential.
- Innovation in Learning Design: Applying this methodology fosters continuous innovation in how educational content is delivered, ensuring learners are more engaged and motivated.
- Measurable Impact: The prototyping and testing phases allow educators and organizations to track the effectiveness of their initiatives and adjust accordingly, ensuring that learning goals are met.
Design Thinking Resources
Below are a few recommended resources for using design thinking methodology for educational or learning purposes.
1. Online Design Thinking and Innovation Training
Our online innovation learning site includes over 25 courses geared toward beginners and more experienced innovators alike. From facilitation skills to starting your own project and more, there are many helpful resources, toolkits, and tips you can incorporate into your own design thinking-led learning project.
2. Remote Learning Software Tools
With more people working remotely in 2020 and beyond, virtual software tools like Zoom and Miro are essential. In this round-up post, we share some of the top software tools that are useful for virtual design thinking and innovation focused initiatives.
3. Trends in Training and Development
These training and development trends aren’t going away any time soon! They may just spark a creative solution to your learning challenge or help you implement an idea more effectively.
In this post, we covered more broadly how design thinking can be applied to all educational and learning focused challenges. Whether it’s for higher education or personal growth and development, the design thinking methodology is a useful tool to design and develop a rewarding and effective learning and training program to overcome your challenge.
Need help using design thinking in action? Contact us today for personalized assistance and recommendations such as design thinking training, workshops, and courses.