Children need to learn the skills required for design thinking to make an impact in the community.

FREMONT, CA: Design thinking not only helps students in creative problem-solving at the school level but also in developing skills that create an impact on the community at large. In classrooms, design thinking is confined only to developing joint skills and creativity. The addition of technology amplifies the outcome of design thinking; effectively and on time

It is essential for teachers to educate students on working in self-motivated teams that develop unconventional methods to challenges faced by communities; whether the community is a neighborhood, a classroom, or beyond. Teachers are making use of design thinking strategies coupled with technology to help pupils find authentic solutions for social challenges.

Prepare Students for Design Thinking

Unique experiences play a vital role in connecting students with their peers. The combination helps in offering unusual perspectives, in-depth insights, and distinctive solutions.

The five stages of design thinking include:

• Empathize With Others: Without empathy, it will be difficult for students to understand the pain points of a community, nor will they be open to ideas.

• Define the problem: The solutions to problems appear only upon understanding where the trouble lies.

• Ideate: No matter how doubtful, students usually put forward their responses and solutions. During the ideating stage, it’s essential that the educator allows the group to look at all the options.

• Build a Prototype: What plays a vital role in building a prototype is the learning experience involved because some models may work and others may not.

• Test: Most often, students keep a check on their work, which helps them determine their effectiveness.     

Below are some ways teachers can merge technology with design thinking:

• Curating videos and photos,

• Film animation,

• Designing video games,

• Developing protocols and procedures,

• Approaching subject matter experts outside the classroom,

• Building virtual prototypes of STEM innovations.

Additionally, design thinking considerably reduces dependence on memorization for learning.  Pupils who engage in design thinking study to:

• Be receptive to change,

• Demonstrate flexibility,

• Develop creativity,

• React with empathy,

• Make advancement in their critical thinking skills.