"No problem can be solved by the same kind of thinking that created it." ~ Albert Einstein
Philosophy
Our society is plagued with many
injustices and problems that are so large in scale that students might find it daunting to try to find solutions to them. These problems are
referred to as “wicked problems.” Kolko introduces the idea of wicked problems in his book Wicked Problems: Problems Worth Solving. He explains that "A wicked problem is a social or cultural problem that is difficult or impossible to solve for as many as four reasons: incomplete or contradictory knowledge, the number of people and opinions involved, the large economic burden, and the interconnected nature of these problems with other problems." Kolko explains that wicked problems include most large-scale social issues that plague humanity, like poverty and malnutrition. In our
Jesuit education at USF, we want our students to go out into the world feeling empowered because they possess the mindset, skills, and information needed to make a
difference in the field that they are passionate about. Andrew Thon, S.J. (2013) explains in his book titled The Ignatian Imperative that the goal of Ignatian pedagogy is the transformation of not only the way students think and act, but of the very way in which they live in the world as women and men of competence, conscience, and compassion. Are we achieving this with our siloed
curricula? Are we helping students make meaning and connect their learning
outcomes and experiences in the core liberal arts curricula to their field(s) of study as well as their co-curricular experiences? Are
we helping students find issues and areas that they are passionate about? What
learning and experiential opportunities are we providing students so that they can explore
these areas and develop deep holistic understanding of these issues ? What teaching and learning
experiences are we creating to promote solution-based critical thinking? Our Jesuit education mission and promise to our students is
that we will help them discover their true calling in life and prepare them to change
the world. Are we keeping that promise?
Andrew Thon, S.J. (2015) states that Ignatian pedagogy stresses the social dimensions of learning and teaching and encourages mutual sharing of experiences and reflective dialogue among learners (p.37). This pedagogy relates to constructivist theory of learning in the sense that both pedagogies connect student learning and growth to personal interaction and human relationships.
Through this project we are proposing the adoption of a "design thinking" approach in a week-long workshop format where faculty from various disciplines co-teach and facilitate lessons that will leverage the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) within a constructivist framework to meaningfully engage students in finding holistic and innovative design solutions to real life problems and issues.
Andrew Thon, S.J. (2015) states that Ignatian pedagogy stresses the social dimensions of learning and teaching and encourages mutual sharing of experiences and reflective dialogue among learners (p.37). This pedagogy relates to constructivist theory of learning in the sense that both pedagogies connect student learning and growth to personal interaction and human relationships.
Through this project we are proposing the adoption of a "design thinking" approach in a week-long workshop format where faculty from various disciplines co-teach and facilitate lessons that will leverage the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) within a constructivist framework to meaningfully engage students in finding holistic and innovative design solutions to real life problems and issues.
Purpose
The primary purpose of this course is to provide an opportunity to promote students’ problem-solving skills within the frameworks of design thinking, Jesuit Ignatian educational values, and the constructivist learning theories of Piaget and Vygotsky. In addition, students will utilize information communication technologies and teamwork - essential 21st century skills. Through the integration of these paradigms we hope to have students engage with real life and authentic issues and prompt them to experiment, create, and prototype models, gather feedback, and design new solutions to real life problems.
Razzouk and Shute (2012) state that in addition to playing an integral part of the design, engineering, and business fields, design thinking has proven to have a positive influence on 21st century education across disciplines because it involves creative thinking in generating solutions to problems. Citing Rotherham & Willingham (2009) and Shute & Torres (2012) Razzouk and Shute (2012) state that in academic environments, students are required to read critically, think and reason logically, and solve complex problems. Therefore, to help students succeed in this interconnected, digital world we live in, educators should support students in developing and honing 21st century skills such as design thinking, systems thinking, and collaboration, that enhance their problem-solving abilities and prepare them for college and careers (p. 331). Razzouk and Shute (2012) assert that all these skills are consistent with the theoretical traditions of Lave & Wegner’s (1991) situated cognition, Piaget’s (1978) developmental theories, and constructivism. Since this course proposal is for a Jesuit institution, we will also relate these paradigms to the Ignatian pedagogical paradigm that forms the core of Jesuit education and combines the Ignatian vision of the human person and the world in a dynamic five-step methodology (Thon, 2013, p. 38).
The matrix below summarizes how these theoretical paradigms can be integrated and leveraged to optimize the student learning experience.
Razzouk and Shute (2012) state that in addition to playing an integral part of the design, engineering, and business fields, design thinking has proven to have a positive influence on 21st century education across disciplines because it involves creative thinking in generating solutions to problems. Citing Rotherham & Willingham (2009) and Shute & Torres (2012) Razzouk and Shute (2012) state that in academic environments, students are required to read critically, think and reason logically, and solve complex problems. Therefore, to help students succeed in this interconnected, digital world we live in, educators should support students in developing and honing 21st century skills such as design thinking, systems thinking, and collaboration, that enhance their problem-solving abilities and prepare them for college and careers (p. 331). Razzouk and Shute (2012) assert that all these skills are consistent with the theoretical traditions of Lave & Wegner’s (1991) situated cognition, Piaget’s (1978) developmental theories, and constructivism. Since this course proposal is for a Jesuit institution, we will also relate these paradigms to the Ignatian pedagogical paradigm that forms the core of Jesuit education and combines the Ignatian vision of the human person and the world in a dynamic five-step methodology (Thon, 2013, p. 38).
The matrix below summarizes how these theoretical paradigms can be integrated and leveraged to optimize the student learning experience.
Design Thinking Modes(d.school Bootcamp) |
Ignatian Education Methodology(d.school Bootcamp) |
Constructivism(Lecture Presentations, Vygotsky & Piaget Primers) |
Sample Activities |
---|---|---|---|
Empathize:
Mindsets: |
Context:
|
Inquiry & investigation / Articulation of prior knowledge and preconceptions
|
Activities: |
Define:
Mindsets: |
Experience:
|
Cooperative learning |
Activities: |
Ideate:
Mindsets: |
Reflection:
|
New schemas are constructed by students |
Activities: |
Prototype:
Mindsets: |
Action:
|
Hands-on experiential learning |
Activities: |
Test:
Mindsets: |
Evaluation:
|
Authentic performance based assessment
|
Activities: |
"What is needed in education today is the development of a design attitude. ...The decision attitude assumes it is easy to come up with alternatives to consider, but difficult to choose among them. ...The design attitude…is concerned with finding the best answer possible, given the skills, time, and resources of the team, and takes for granted that it will require the invention of new alternatives." ~ Richard J. Boland and Fred Collopy
The Challenge
- Eighteen students will be recruited from various graduate and undergraduate academic programs on campus and will be divided into three teams of six students. Each team will be comprised of students from various academic programs and levels.
- The course will be structured as a "boot camp" in which students will participate in a week-long workshop involving intensive course work, research, and hands-on projects from 8:00 am until 5:00 pm daily.
- Students will be working in their teams to come up with an innovative design for a student study space to be constructed at USF. They will be given the following parameters to work within:
|
Learning Goals
- develop awareness of how design thinking can be applied in a wide range of contexts
- investigate and think creatively about design problems and opportunities
- initiate an attitude of playfulness to aid design thinking
- develop visual literacy and articulacy to explain design decisions
- use computing tools and online environments to aid design thinking
Learning goals are adapted from: The Open University: Design thinking: creativity for the 21st century
References
Koloko, John, 2012. Wicked Problems: Problems Worth Solving. Free online edition: https://www.wickedproblems.com/
Morris, H., & Warman , G. (2015, January). Using design thinking in higher education . Retrieved April 23, 2015, from Educause: http://www.educause.edu/ero/article/using-design-thinking-higher-education
Razzouk, R., & Shute, V. (2012). What is design thinking and why is it important? Review of Educational Research, 0034654312457429.
Thon, A.J. (2013). The Ignatian imperative: Student affairs educators in Jesuit higher education. Marquette University college of Education. Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Morris, H., & Warman , G. (2015, January). Using design thinking in higher education . Retrieved April 23, 2015, from Educause: http://www.educause.edu/ero/article/using-design-thinking-higher-education
Razzouk, R., & Shute, V. (2012). What is design thinking and why is it important? Review of Educational Research, 0034654312457429.
Thon, A.J. (2013). The Ignatian imperative: Student affairs educators in Jesuit higher education. Marquette University college of Education. Milwaukee, Wisconsin.