Design Thinking Skills Research Articles

Online Design Thinking Instruction and Changes in Pre-Service Teachers’ Self-Perceptions of Design Thinking and Reflective Thinking: A Mixed-Method Study

It is an undeniable fact that Design Thinking (DT) and Reflective Thinking (RT) skills are among the qualities that must be possessed by every individual, especially teachers, who are one of the most important pillars in achieving the goals of curriculums, in the world of education where digital technology has become a great power. This makes it necessary to carry out studies to develop teacher training programs in this direction. The purpose of the current study is to determine the effect of DT training on the DT and RT tendencies of pre-service teachers and to elicit the opinions of pre-service teachers on this process. The study group consisted of a total of 44 second-year pre-service teachers, 32 female and 12 male, attending the Department of Primary Teaching in a state university. The study employed an embedded design, one of the mixed methods, and qualitative research was embedded within quantitative research. An quasi-experimental method was used in the quantitative dimension of the study, and the case study design was used in the qualitative dimension. In the experimental dimension the study, data were collected by using the “Design Thinking Scale”, “Reflective Thinking Level Determination Scale” and a “Personal Information Form” developed by the researcher. The qualitative data of the study were collected by using a semi-structured interview form prepared by the researcher. At the end of the study, it is believed that online DT instruction may have an impact on pre-service teachers' both DT and RT tendencies, and that pre-service teachers with low reflection and critical reflection tendencies may have benefited more from online DT instruction compared to those with higher tendencies.

A multi-smart agent-based training environment for enhancing 3D graphics production and design thinking skills among elementary computer teachers

This study introduces a multi-smart agent-based training environment aimed at enhancing the production of 3D graphics and fostering design-thinking skills among primary-stage computer teachers. This environment offers a collaborative and interactive learning experience using intelligent agents represented as animated characters. The research evaluates the effectiveness of this innovative training approach through experimental groups, demonstrating significant improvements in the cognitive and psychomotor domains of 3D graphics production skills and in developing design thinking. The results underscore the potential of smart agent technology in educational settings, offering a dynamic platform for teacher professional development by integrating modern technological tools and creative problem-solving methodologies. This study pioneers using multi-smart agent environments in primary education, providing a novel framework that significantly enhances educators' skills and prepares them for future technological advancements in teaching.

FORMING DESIGN THINKING SKILLS DURING THE EDUCATION OF FUTURE SPECIALISTS

The article revealed the meaning of the concepts of «thinking», «design thinking» by theoretically analyzing the scientific works and identifying the psychological and pedagogical features of formation of students' design thinking skills in the educational process. The levels of development of design thinking skills of future specialists, the authors relied on the design thinking criteria, components, and terms cited by scientists in the research. Diagnosing design thinking using a three-level stage, components such as cognitive, analytical, and activity were distinguished by the improvement of the process of forming students' design thinking skills. The experimental part of the research was planned and experimental work was carried out using effective methods. Surveys were conducted to determine design thinking by methods of «critical thinking», J. Barrett's «Critical Analysis» methodology, and Michael Chaifitz's test to assess the ability to find logical errors. The results of the pedagogical experiment showed the low level of design thinking of students. It needs creation and usage for improving the educational process in HEI. A work plan was created, and during its implementation, the solution to the problem of determining the effectiveness of design thinking was demonstrated based on the analysis of the results of each of the conducted methods. Comparing the results, none of the stages of development of design thinking could exclude an insufficient level; showed the highest indicator of students' cognitive stage; the analytical component of design thinking posed the greatest challenge, with only 69% of students indicating they were ready to make logical connections, and 13% saying they had great difficulty making them. It is possible to influence students by encouraging responsibility and independence, realizing awareness, creativity, self-development, learning to monitor, generalize, compare, and increase their attention in order to form design thinking skills, and the formation of design thinking skills is not enough.

Developing Future Teachers’ Design Thinking Skills through Constructive Teaching

In this article, the authors draw attention to the problem of developing design thinking skills in students, in particular creativity and innovation, through constructive learning. At present, the accelerated development of science and technology is increasing the demands on humanity, as a result of which there is a need to form an intellectual, constructive personality who has developed a thinking design, that is, the mechanisms necessary to establish dialogic relationships with people must be formed, culture, civilization, capable of self-improvement, self-regulation, self-realization and the formation of one’s image. During the period of rapid development of innovations and technologies in our country, one of the most important areas is the training of future teachers in higher education institutions, and design thinking is a necessary skill for both future teachers and their future students. However, the skill of design thinking is one of the new skills that has not yet been fully explored and developed in our country. Constructive learning has been widely studied and is being studied in pedagogy. The purpose of the presented article is to analyze and discuss constructive pedagogical methods for the formation of design thinking skills among future teachers. The article identifies the research issues of the topic, conducts an extensive analysis of sources of foreign and domestic literature, and also reflects the results of a survey conducted among students and teachers in order to determine the meaning of the concepts of “design thinking” and “constructive learning”. The article also states that in the 2022-2023 academic year, an experimental course “Effective constructive approaches in the educational process” was tested, aimed at developing design thinking skills among students of the educational program 6B01 – “Pedagogical Sciences”, and the results obtained on the basis of quantitative methods were proposed. The course, implemented using constructive teaching methods, gave positive results, the possibility of forming design thinking skills in future teachers through constructive learning was revealed.

Utilising Design Thinking To Alleviate The Effects Of Covid-19 On Civil Servant Operations

The phenomenon of design thinking has a significant potential to form a synergistic interaction of individual abilities of leaders, managers and civil servants in the context of global challenges caused by the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. Against the backdrop of these issues, ensuring the effectiveness of key state institutions and organisations is of particular relevance, which, in turn, requires a detailed analysis of potential measures to counteract negative impacts. The aim of the study is to analyse the potential of design thinking in the context of developing and implementing a comprehensive mechanism for overcoming the effects of COVID-19 on the activities of civil servants. The article focuses on the functionality of design thinking in terms of civil servants’ basic professional and personal skills. The possibility of their allocation as separate indicators of the concept is considered. The structural elements of design thinking are outlined, and each of them is described in detail. The imperative for establishing a unified mechanism to address the pandemic’s existing and potential adverse consequences is clearly demonstrated. The peculiarities of integrating design thinking based on the Stanford concept into the work of civil servants in Ukrainian public institutions are described. It is assumed that implementing this goal will increase the efficiency of civil servants, forming an effective mechanism for mitigating the risks caused by the pandemic. The author identifies sustainable principles that can facilitate the operational and strategic management of team performance in the civil service. The priorities for further improvement of design thinking skills to improve the efficiency of public institutions are revealed. The specifics of the Stanford model as an effective tool for team development and management decision-making are investigated. The main principles of the mechanism for overcoming the destructive effects of COVID-19 through the introduction of design thinking technology, which helps improve public institutions’ efficiency and quality of work and create favourable conditions for team effectiveness, are analysed. The study’s results have practical value in the development, improvement and modernisation of the design thinking concept to minimise the impact of the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hybrid Information Technology Learning Based on Project Work to Enhance Students' Design Thinking in Creating Digital Innovations

This study explores the effectiveness of a hybrid information technology learning model based on project work in enhancing students' design-thinking skills necessary for creating digital innovations. Traditional teaching methods have shown limitations in fostering essential design-thinking competencies among information technology students, necessitating innovative pedagogical strategies. Utilizing a quasi-experimental design, this research implemented a hybrid learning framework that integrates project-based learning (PjBL) with digital tools to offer a dynamic, student-centered educational environment. Over a two-month period, 80 information technology (IT) students from Mandalika University of Education were selected using purposive sampling and divided into an experimental group, who engaged in the hybrid model, and a control group, which continued with traditional methods. Data were collected using structured questionnaires pre- and post-intervention to assess various design-thinking skills, including creativity, collaboration, and adaptability. The data analysis involved descriptive statistics and analysis of variance (ANOVA) to compare the performance of the two groups. Results indicate significant improvements in the experimental group's design-thinking abilities compared to the control group, emphasizing the hybrid model's potential to effectively bridge the gap between conventional education and the requirements of the digital era. This study contributes to educational research by demonstrating that a well-structured hybrid learning environment can substantially enhance students' abilities to innovate and apply design thinking in real-world digital scenarios, suggesting a need for curricular adjustments that emphasize such integrative approaches in IT education.

Nurturing creative confidence and learner empathy

As a contemporary and boundary spanning approach, design thinking is gaining traction in higher education, but it has not yet been established in academic staff development. The aim of this study is to reflect on a recent staff development intervention on blended learning course design, aimed at promoting a ‘design thinking mindset’ among university lecturers. By analysing empirical data gathered through participant interactions, we discuss the implications and potential of design thinking for academic staff development. Data analysis shows an increased awareness of the complex and diverse student body, a recognition for interdisciplinary collaboration, mentoring and reflective thinking. Additionally, it is highlighted that adopting design thinking is not without challenges, which include the need for continued practice, securing departmental buy-in and upscaling initiatives. The findings emphasise the importance of creating a ‘safe’ space to experiment, modelling a designing-on-the-go approach, focusing on the iterative processes of (re)design, providing scaffolding for learning, making design thinking processes explicit, building a community of practice, regular feedback and maintaining the balance between playfulness and reflection. Success of such an intervention will rely on balancing the development of design thinking skills, a design thinking mindset and creative confidence.

Designing activities and tools to support university students' creative and collaborative exploration of physical computing

Today’s digital world requires students to gain skills in collaborative problem solving and digital literacy. One approach is to teach people how to design computational artefacts that require both electronics and programming. Physical computing platforms offer an endless amount of possible opportunities for people to design and develop technological artefacts. However, many times students are overwhelmed when trying to learn both software and hardware simultaneously. The students struggle to be innovative and creative in their projects. Also, they focus on mastering the tool and following instructions for existing projects rather than being able to creatively explore the tool and understand the process of designing and developing new artefacts. For that reason, we aimed to answer the question: What type of tools and activities can be developed to support university students creative exploration of physical computing? Programming and electronics are fundamental design disciplines in today's digital world, and therefore they should be taught through design activities rather than limiting education to textbook readings and laboratory exercises. We introduce our process of designing activities combined with a supportive tool to ease these challenges. The activities and tools were developed iteratively in three phases with a series of workshops with 126 students and teachers. The tool consists of a set of paper cards that provide necessary details (hints) about the electronics and software and help provide structure for the students to conceptualise how their artefact interacts. We additionally, introduced a learning Jigsaw pattern (orchestration script) for the later intervention that enabled individual students in the groups to focus on design, hardware, or software. For evaluation, we used the Creativity Support Index (CSI), which is a psychometric survey designed to assess the support of the creative process. The instrument investigates collaboration, efforts worth the result, exploration, immersion, enjoyment, and expressiveness. The results between the phases showed improvement with the use of the refined versions of the cards and orchestration of the learning activity. This study has demonstrated that design activities can provide a more accessible approach for the introduction of physical computing to students from various majors. Moreover, learning physical computing through design activities allows the learner to develop computational and design thinking skills for collaboratively solving problems.

Design Thinking Scale Development: Assessing Reliability and Validity

This study aims to develop a scale to measure the design thinking process and to evaluate the reliability and validity of this scale. It fills this gap by introducing a 36-item scale specifically designed to measure design thinking abilities across the five key stages of the design thinking process: empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test, to provide an accurate assessment of individual abilities across these stages. Aligned with the well-established design thinking process, the scale comprises five sub-dimensions, each focused on a specific stage. It employs a 5-point Likert-type response format, ensuring nuanced feedback. Rigorous psychometric evaluations confirmed the scale's trustworthiness. Internal consistency within each sub-dimension was exceptional, with Cronbach's alpha coefficients exceeding .80 across all stages. Remarkably, the overall scale achieved an outstanding .95 Cronbach's alpha, signifying unparalleled cohesiveness and reliability. Validity was further established through rigorous statistical analyses. Exploratory component analysis (EFA) accounted for 60% of the variance, confirming the structure and demonstrating strong item-to-factor loadings (ranging from .31 to .74). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) provided additional validation, with all fit indices exceeding established benchmarks, solidifying the scale's accuracy and applicability. Beyond these impressive psychometric qualities, the study offers several key advantages. The concise 36-item format ensures efficient administration and analysis, while the five distinct sub-dimensions allow for targeted evaluation of specific strengths and weaknesses within each stage. This detailed feedback holds immense value for researchers, educators, and professionals seeking to cultivate design thinking capabilities in diverse settings. By providing a validated and reliable tool for design thinking assessment, this study empowers a comprehensive understanding of individual strengths and weaknesses across the five critical stages. This, in turn, enables targeted interventions and fosters the development of effective design-thinking skills in various contexts.

Integrating Problem-Based Learning And Design Thinking: Innovative Approaches To Enhancing Student Engagement

Design thinking is a suitable strategy for educators to implement in secondary education. However, 45% of teachers never applied in teaching and learning (T&L). One effective approach to integrating design thinking skills in learning is through problem-based learning (PBL). PBL allows secondary students to develop self-directed learning, teamwork, communication and critical thinking skills. This study aims to explore how design thinking skills can be use in PBL. In this study, Form 4 secondary students from Batu Pahat, Johore were chosen using purposive sampling using a quantitative approach with an adaption a set of questionnaires. Through the descriptive statistics analysis the results indicate majority of the samples strongly agreed PBL have helped them to work in group (5.00), PBL should be kept as part of T&L process (4.25). For design thinking samples felt in; Empathize, comfortable to deal the unsolved problems with their group (4.88), Identify, important to discuss in a group how to reframe the initial problem in order to achieve a good result (4.63), Ideate, comfortable to accept the group’s decision (4.88), Build, comfortable to create something new (4.50), Test, failure is part of learning process and learnt from the mistakes made (4.63). Overall, PBL in lessons proved to be effective, fostering students' critical thinking and teamwork skills as students adapted cognitive and social constructivism and design thinking enhancing critical thinking and teamwork of students.

Fostering STEM Learning: Exploring the Integration of Design Thinking in Islamic STEM Education

This study investigates the integration of Design Thinking in STEM education within an Islamic context, focusing on thermal packaging as a learning module. The research examines differences in STEM Interest, Design Thinking skills, and Subject Knowledge across 7th and 8th-grade students, as well as the relationships between these constructs. A quantitative approach was employed, involving 64 preparatory students from an institute of religious studies in Qatar. Participants engaged in a Design Thinking-based STEM workshop on thermal packaging, followed by a comprehensive survey assessing the three key constructs. The Independent-Samples Mann-Whitney U Test revealed no significant differences between grade levels for STEM Interest (U = 424.500, p = .434), Design Thinking skills (U = 494.000, p = .843), or Subject Knowledge (U = 469.500, p = .873). However, bivariate correlation analysis showed strong positive relationships among the constructs for both grade levels. For 7th-grade students, STEM Interest and Design Thinking Skills were strongly correlated (r = 0.856), while 8th-grade students showed a robust correlation between Design Thinking Skills and Subject Knowledge (r = 0.884). These findings suggest that integrating Design Thinking approaches in STEM education within an Islamic context can effectively enhance students' interest, skills, and knowledge simultaneously. The study highlights the potential of Design Thinking-based STEM workshops to create a synergistic learning environment that aligns with Islamic principles and values while preparing students for contemporary challenges. The research contributes to the growing body of literature on culturally responsive STEM education and provides insights for educators seeking to bridge traditional Islamic teachings with modern technological advancements.

Biomimicry in Science Classrooms: Learning Design Thinking Skills Inspired by Nature "A Proposed Teaching Model

Biomimicry is one of the modern approaches that draw inspiration from natural models and processes for solutions to address human challenges, and it is also a new educational trend that has emerged to meet the needs of education, especially education for sustainability. The study aims to enrich the educational literature with qualitative additions about the applications of biomimicry in education, and to present a teaching model based on biomimicry to develop design skills among learners of science and interdisciplinary education. The study used a qualitative approach, specifically an integrative literature review methodology, to evaluate and analyze studies related to biomimicry and its impact on teaching and learning; With the aim of enhancing the theoretical and applied understanding of biomimicry in the context of education. The study provided a theoretical framework on: the concept of biomimetics, its levels and principles, how educational literature addressed the use of biomimicry in education and teaching, the relationship between biomimicry and design skills, and finally, it presented an effective framework for a teaching model using biomimicry that can be applied to develop design thinking skills. For learners across different educational stages. Keywords:Biomimicry – Science Education- Interdisciplinary Education - Design Thinking - Education for Sustainability.

Teacher Education: Design Thinking Approach in Makerspaces to Produce Quality Educational Video Games with a Visual Identity and Improve Design Thinking Skills

Video games participate effectively in the educational process due to their attractive visual features, but there are many challenges that teachers face when using them. Among these challenges is designing games to suit the goals of the educational process and respecting societal identity. Although there are many studies on educational video games, limited approaches that enhance teachers’ education have been explored. The current study focuses on stimulating pre-service teachers’ design thinking skills and improving the quality of their video games that have a visual identity by incorporating a design thinking approach into a makerspace. This study followed a quasi-experimental approach, in which 38 pre-service teachers from the departments of Art Education, Early Childhood Education, and Educational Technology at the College of Education at King Faisal University in Saudi Arabia participated. They designed and produced educational video games that consider visual identity and completed the design thinking scale. The results showed that there was great cooperation between participants from all disciplines in the work team, which affected the generation of creative and innovative ideas and the quality of the educational video games. This is due to the use of design thinking elements such as empathy, identification, ideation, and prototyping with different tools in the makerspace. This study calls for the use of a design thinking approach in the classroom learning space for teachers’ education, discusses implications for educational practices, and recommends further research in this area.

KRUSKAL WALLIS ANALYSIS TO FIND OUT THE IMPROVEMENT OF DESIGN THINKING SKILLS IN OBJECT-ORIENTED PROGRAMMING MATERIALS THROUGH EDUCATIONAL CONTENT

Education legislation in Indonesia currently requires Informatics subjects, which is closely related to programming-based material. However, many students in Indonesia still have difficulty learning about programming material. One of them is due to the background of students about the ability to think in the process of solving a program code. Seeing the phenomenon of today's students who are active on social media, it is a good step if social media is used as a learning media platform. This study aims to analyze the improvement of design thinking skills by using educational content-based learning media. The research method used was R&D with the ADDIE media development model and One Group Pretest-Posttest as the research design. The results showed an increase after students were given treatment in the form of educational content based learning media. The Kruskal Wallis test results showed a significant difference between the upper class, middle class, and lower class. The N-Gain obtained in the upper class is 0.560, in the middle class is 0.505, and in the lower class is 0.303. The average value of the results of student responses to learning media is 96.59 percent with the category "Very Good".

The intertwined effects of digital literacy, agile mindset on design thinking skill and management control competency: Insights from Thai young accountants

The research conducted in Thailand has illuminated the intricate interplay among digital literacy, an agile mindset, design thinking skills, and management control competency among young accountants. Employing a robust questionnaire constructed based on an extensive literature review and validated through a pilot test, the study engaged 450 participants, with a predominant representation of females (79.8 %) and males (18.7 %). Leveraging PLS-SEM analysis to examine the relationships between these variables, the research elucidates that both digital literacy and an agile mindset exert substantial influence over the cultivation of design thinking skills and management control competencies. Accountants who possess a high level of digital knowledge and embrace agile thinking demonstrate a remarkable capacity to effectively apply these proficiencies. Consequently, the study emphasizes the critical imperative of fostering and nurturing digital knowledge and agility among the emerging generation of accountants, equipping them to adeptly confront the multifaceted challenges posed by the digital era. It is worth noting that while the study reveals close relationships among Digital Literacy, Agile Mindset, Design Thinking Skill, and Management Control Competency, the strength of each relationship exhibits variations. Additionally, design thinking skills also play a partial mediating role when establishing the indirect effect on the digital literacy-management control competency and agile mindset-management control competency nexus—a facet that merits further exploration and investigation in future research endeavours.

University Education in a Time of Perpetually Wicked Problems

Wicked problems differ from tame ones in important ways that define significant challenges in resolving them. Among these differences are their lack of a prescriptive definition, their absence of a clear stopping rule, their emphasis on better or worse outcomes rather than right or wrong solutions, their uniqueness, and their demand that resolutions not make the problem worse. University graduates will take on central roles and leadership responsibilities for addressing the world’s wicked problems such as those identified as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Those roles and responsibilities require advanced critical, systems, design, and ethical thinking skills and not just the disciplinary tactics and tame problem-solving abilities that largely comprise a university educational experience. This paper challenges the ways in which universities fail to equip their graduates with sufficient understanding of wicked problems and the approaches that offer the best chance to address them. The increasingly-granular structure of the academic year, the curricular emphasis on disciplinary rather than inter- or multi-disciplinary learning experiences, the lack of collaborative opportunities with those of other theoretical and practical perspectives, and the lack of intentional learning for critical, design, systems, and ethical thinking are discussed.

Developing Critical Skills and Design Thinking via Practical Classes in Higher Education

This article explores the importance of developing critical and design thinking skills in university education. With the growing demand for creative and innovative professionals in various industries, it is essential for universities to provide students with the opportunity to develop these competencies through hands-on activities. The authors argue that a hands-on learning approach, such as project assignments, case studies, business games, model and systems design tasks, can help students develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills needed in today's rapidly changing job market. Design thinking is also becoming a core competency, capable of helping students effectively solve complex problems, develop innovative solutions, and make creative decisions. The article presents various methods of teaching practical classes for economic specialties and discusses the benefits of including such classes in the learning process. By highlighting the benefits of hands-on learning for student development and career growth, this article aims to encourage higher education institutions to adopt a more hands-on approach to education, helping students become well-rounded and employable graduates. The authors emphasize the importance of teacher assistance, acting as mentors and coaches, to contribute to the development of creative thinking and innovative approaches in students. Based on the study's results, recommendations were developed to create conditions for the development of students' critical and design thinking. Compliance with these conditions will enable universities to improve the quality of education in terms of forming competencies and enhancing graduates' competitiveness in the labor market.

Facilitating students’ design thinking skills in science class: an exploratory study

ABSTRACT This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a design thinking teaching and learning model on students’ design thinking skills in science class. The study utilised two projects, ‘Making a Simple Solar Water Heater’ and ‘Drawing a 3D Topographic Map of Zhejiang Province,’ based on the 5th-grade science curriculum in China, and involved 45 Grade-5 students from a primary school. The quasi-experimental repeated measure method was used to evaluate the students’ improvement in design thinking skills, with task-based pre-, mid-, and post-tests. Employing quantitative data analysis, the results showed significant improvement in students’ overall performance, with more pronounced improvement between the pre-test and post-test than between the pre-test and mid-test. The analysis of the seven design indexes of students’ design work demonstrated significant improvement in five indicators, except for ‘material’ and ‘shape.’ The study highlights the importance of incorporating design thinking into elementary school curricula to equip students with the necessary competencies for success in the twenty-first-century workforce.

A conceptual model for educating design thinking dispositions

Design thinking dispositions are essential for students to understand why design thinking knowledge should be applied to perform specific tasks. However, few studies are focused on teaching design thinking dispositions. This study proposes a conceptual model that supports teaching design thinking dispositions to address this gap. The model was instantiated in an undergraduate course. Students’ reflections about the course were collected to evaluate the model. The use of the model is also demonstrated by considering different teaching scenarios. This study contributes to better teaching and learning design thinking dispositions based on a unique model that helps educators organize their design thinking courses. The study also derives some implications for educators. While teaching design thinking knowledge and skills is essential, developing students’ design thinking dispositions is equally essential.

ANALISIS PENGARUH PENERAPAN DESIGN THINKING PADA BISNIS RINTISAN (STUDI KASUS: WIRAUSAHA MERDEKA UNIVERSITAS PADJADJARAN)

A startup business is a business that is still in the development phase. Currently, the growth of startups in Indonesia is increasing rapidly, making Indonesia the 6th country with the most startups. The development of startups is certainly inseparable from the increasingly complex challenges in the business sector. This certainly makes design thinking relevant as a tool to understand users, identify problems and opportunities and create solutions. Quantitative research was conducted on students participating in the Merdeka Entrepreneur program at Padjadjaran University to find out whether the application of design thinking can have an influence on the startup business being run. The results of statistical analysis show that the design thinking variable has a positive value on startup businesses. With these findings, researchers highlight the importance of design thinking skills in bridging entrepreneurs in facing challenges in the business sector.
 
 Key words: Design Thinking, Startup