Design thinking (also called human centered design) is a framework for critical thinking and creative problem solving that has been used in a variety of contexts – engineering, business, design, liberal arts, education, healthcare, and so many more. Universities are creating programs and centers around design thinking to help break down silos, to provide a common “language” for students from a variety of majors, and to teach students ways to approach “wicked programs” with a new design mindset.

At Idea Factory, we are hoping to do the same.

This Pedagogy in Practice session will address using elements of design thinking to create student centered learning experiences. We will show how to use the framework on two levels – how to use it to design learning experiences within your course and also how to teach elements of the framework within your context. This is important based on what we have learned during the pandemic - that students need to be engaged on multiple levels.

In this session, you will: 

• learn a student-centered design framework that provides a pathway for critical thinking and creative problem solving;
• learn ways that design thinking can be used to create deeper learning experiences in your class;
• learn ways that you can teach elements of design thinking to students in order for them to increase their creative confidence. 

This session will conclude with the development of a faculty interest group to continue the converstion around human centered design, and to provide opportunites for faculty and staff to collaborate across departments, colleges, and even with other universities to design more engaging and experiential courses for TCU students.