Teaching Political Science using Design Thinking: Insights from “Contemporary African Politics” and “Elections around the World”

Abstract

This paper describes a relatively new active learning approach—Design Thinking—and its adoption in two comparative politics courses. I draw on my experience using Design Thinking in political science courses to offer instructors another pedagogical tool in the active learning toolkit. I outline the rationale for adopting a Design Thinking approach and offer concrete examples of everyday design challenges and semester-long design projects for political science instructors interested in both low- and high-intensity options to replace or supplement sage-on-the-stage techniques and other active learning approaches. The article concludes with a discussion of potential benefits as well as barriers to implementation and what resources institutions of higher learning could provide to support Design Thinking courses.