“Empathy is my favorite word”: Facilitating design thinking mindset through modular learning and self-assessments in an online course

Design thinking has emerged as an effective methodology to enhance critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving. Nevertheless, incorporating design thinking (DT) into the curriculum can be challenging, and more illustrative examples are needed. This study examines a DT intervention in an online course, including a 30-minute learning module and recurring self-assessments over four semesters, encompassing 156 students. The findings indicate that the intervention significantly improved students’ DT competencies, especially in “Empathy.” Clear distinctions are observed between the high and low DT groups, particularly in their ability to use DT skills across different contexts. Limitations and possible implications were also discussed.