INTRODUCING DESIGN THINKING TO IDENTIFY TEACHER AND STUDENT NEEDS

In a university setting, teachers noticed that students in an intensive English program had low motivation and commented that they felt that they were still in school.In another instance, teachers showed signs of burnout and complained that the workload was too much and that the students were too demanding of their time.In a third instance, staff were stressed and tired all the time.To address these problems, teachers and administrators worked together and followed the design thinking process to identify the cause of each problem, and to come up with effective solutions.According to Stanford University, "Design thinking is a methodology for creative problem solving."It is a human-centered approach focusing on the needs of the user.Design thinking (DT) has been growing in popularity among educators as an instructional tool to teach students teamwork and problem solving.However, DT can also be used by administrators and educators to solve problems, address needs, and redesign programs and curricula.The five stages of DT are as follows: 1) "Empathize" by conducting interviews and research to gain insights into the specific needs of the people who are experiencing the problem, the users; 2) "Define" the problem and identify the needs.3) "Ideate" for innovative solutions and select the optimum solution; 4) "Prototype" the solution; and 5) "Test" the solution by getting feedback from the users in order to make modifications.Following this process allows for an in-depth understanding of the needs faced by those experiencing the problem.By using DT, educators and administrators can uncover hidden challenges and feel empowered to discover creative solutions.In this session, the presenter will demonstrate how DT can be used as a framework to identify and address the needs of students, teachers, and staff in educational settings.Examples of the problems, the steps followed, and the solutions reached will be shared.The presenter will share practical recommendations, and engage the audience in a discussion to explore further applications of DT.Participants will gain practical insights into incorporating the DT methodology into their everyday life.Questions from the audience will be welcome.