Design Thinking and Secondary Schools Applications

Design Thinking and Secondary Schools Applications

Patrick Donovan EDUC 6030

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Design Thinking can be used in schools to put the student, or the teacher, at the center of the problem-solving process that includes their perspective and feedback as we create possible solutions based on everything we can see and understand. This can be a very iterative process that focuses on an end goal.

Summary - What is Design Thinking

Design Thinking is not a new concept but it has not been used as effectively in education as it could. In a basic way, Design Thinking can be thought of as a problem-solving framework that encourages creativity, empathy, and iterative learning.

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Index

Why

Phases of Design Thinking

Challenges

Iterative Process

Prototyping

Testing and Feedback

Reflection

Why

There are many problems that we face in education, from the classroom level to the system level. Design Thinking in secondary schools offers a powerful approach to education by promoting creativity, problem-solving, and adaptability. Design Thinking offers a fresh perspective on system design and instructional strategies. It encourages teachers and staff to prototype and test new teaching methods or system processes, creating a culture of continuous improvement. As a result, both teachers and students benefit from a dynamic and responsive educational experience that aligns with 21st-century learning goals.

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Define

Ideate

Prototype

Test

Empathize

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Possible Steps to Design Thinking in Schools

• Empathize - Understand student needs and learning experiences.
• Define - Identify key challenges in teaching and learning.
• Ideate - Brainstorm creative solutions to improve learning.
• Prototype - Develop small-scale tests of new ideas.
• Test - Implement and refine based on feedback.

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Challenges - There are many challenges in the classroom, or school, that can be the focus of our Design Thinking.

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Determining better ways to instruct students, implementing other instructional practices, using educational technology more effectively, identifying barriers to student learning created by their own characteristics in comparison to our instructional design, .....

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Iterative Process

Design Thinking can revolve around the use of an iterative process where there is no end point but a chance to come back around to find more ways to improve and grow. The iterative process is a critical component of Design Thinking that involves continuously refining and improving ideas based on feedback and observations. For teachers, adopting an iterative approach means viewing lesson plans, instructional strategies, and classroom management techniques as evolving tools rather than fixed solutions. By experimenting with small changes, observing their impact, and making adjustments, educators can more effectively respond to the diverse and dynamic needs of their students. Using an iterative process allows teachers to adopt a growth mindset, where setbacks are opportunities for learning and innovation. This approach encourages flexibility and resilience, helping educators avoid the trap of rigid teaching methods that may not work for every learner. Ultimately, an iterative mindset empowers teachers to create more engaging, effective, and inclusive learning environments by continuously seeking what works best in their unique classroom contexts. The iterative process also allows us to ensure that as our students, and the whole world, change - that we can continue to create learning experiences that meet their actual needs.

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Prototyping

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Prototyping is an essential phase of Design Thinking because it allows educators to transform ideas into possible solutions quickly. By creating low-stakes, small-scale versions of new strategies or processes, teachers can test their ideas without committing extensive resources, such as time. Prototyping also fosters a culture of experimentation and learning, where feedback and data is actively sought to refine and improve the solution before larger implementation. For example, when developing a lesson plan aimed at improving accessibility for students with diverse reading needs, a teacher might prototype by introducing a single reading assignment with varied formats—such as audio, visual, and simplified text versions. By observing how different students engage with these formats, the teacher can gather valuable insights and iterate on the approach, eventually scaling it to include all classroom readings in a more inclusive and effective manner.

'Your content is liked, but it hooks much more if it's interactive'

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Testing and Feedback

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Testing and gathering feedback are critical to understanding the effectiveness of a prototype in practice. In our example of improving accessibility for classroom readings, a teacher could introduce the varied reading formats to a small group of students and observe their engagement and comprehension. The teacher can gather direct feedback from students about which formats helped them learn best. The teacher can also use assessments or quick checks for understanding to provide insights into how the new approach impacts learning outcomes.

Based on this feedback, the teacher can refine the reading materials, perhaps adding more scaffolding or offering additional resources, ensuring the final solution is both effective and inclusive for a broader range of students.

'Your content is liked, but it hooks much more if it's interactive'

Reflection

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We must identify the problem, determine solutions, focus on the user, design and implement prototypes, collect data and feedback, and then keep trying until we find the best solution we can.

Iterate, Iterate, Iterate

A key aspect of Design Thinking is that it is based on an interative approach which means that we keep trying and finding better ways to meet our goals. There is not pre-determined steps to implement and then call it quits. We must be looking for ways to keep identifying problems, using users (students and teachers) to give us the insight we need, and then see what works and what doesn't.

There are many ways that we can incorporate Design Thinking into the work that we do at school. From teachers implementing it to better design learning experiences for their students, to administrators using Design Thinking to create better systems to help all students be successful.

There are so many things that happen throughout a class or a school day that there are many areas that we can focus on in order to make improvements for student learning. Identifying the top challenges, the ones that make the most impact, will be key to making those changes that are needed to truly improve schools for our students.

What Challenges can you identify?

At the classroom level, this means observing and understanding students' needs, challenges, and perspectives. Teachers can conduct surveys, hold open discussions, or simply watch how students interact with lessons and each other to gather insights. Another way to collect this information is to view the class or the whole day from their perspective to understand the true problems and obstacles they face.

Empathize

Gathering perspective and data

Once insights are gathered, educators can identify specific challenges within their classrooms. This could involve framing a problem like, “How might we increase student engagement during group work?” to focus on a clear, actionable goal. This can be tied to a specific learning standard or it can be related to a professional learning goal for the teacher. This can even be done with other teachers as part of their PLC process.

Define

Identify Clear Problem

In this phase, teachers brainstorm creative solutions to the defined problem. This might involve collaborating with colleagues or even including students in the process to generate fresh ideas for instructional strategies or classroom activities. Teachers can make use of current research to find possible solutions but everything should be connected to the problems they identified in their specific spaces and with their specific students.

Ideate

Determining Possible Paths

At the classroom level, prototyping could involve creating a small-scale version of a new activity, lesson plan, or classroom setup. Teachers can experiment with these prototypes to see how well they address the problem. They do not need to make large-scale changes but can be tested in one period versus all periods. The goal is to implement a possible solution to see what works and what doesn't so that we can continue to create a better solution.

Prototype

Build and Implement

Teachers implement the prototype and gather feedback from students. This phase emphasizes observation and reflection, allowing teachers to tweak and improve their solutions based on real-world results. The teachers can bring in others such as administration or Instructional Coaches to help collect data and observations to better be able to make decisions on what worked and what needs to be fixed before the next implementation.

Test

Implement and Get Feedback