1. Enhancing Design Thinking in Education with Generative AI: A Case Study at Flinders Innovation and Enterprise

Figure 2: Ikigai (Source: Authors)

Task

Our objective was to integrate human-centred AI with practical problem-solving, focusing on addressing real-world challenges identified in the UNSDGs. The core of our teaching innovation lies in empowering students to tackle global issues using GenAI tools, combined with a human-centred approach. This initiative aimed to equip students with the ability to use technology thoughtfully and innovatively, ensuring their solutions are sustainable, equitable and centred around human needs and values.

Action

We integrated freely available GenAI tools like Bingchat, ChatGPT, and DALL·E into our curriculum to make learning more engaging and accessible for all students, especially neurodivergent students. GenAI helped neurodivergent students comprehend difficult assignment instructions, check grammar, and receive personal tutoring, allowing for better performance. This approach democratised education by removing financial barriers and ensuring every student had the opportunity to thrive. We emphasised ethical GenAI use through prompt engineering and regular mentoring and monitoring in our workshops.

Our innovative approach utilised GenAI to tailor facilitation to students' diverse learning styles and needs, making the learning experience more personal and effective. This adaptation transformed the educational landscape to be more inclusive and supportive. We designed our course to be scalable and applicable across various educational settings and disciplines. In high school, students can use AI to brainstorm and rapidly prototype solutions to community-related challenges, learning practical applications of design thinking principles. At the university level, the course could include more complex projects, such as developing sustainable business models, with GenAI providing data analysis and pattern recognition support. For professional development workshops, participants could use GenAI to simulate real-world client interactions and receive immediate feedback on their design solutions. This showcases the versatility of the course and how GenAI can enhance the design thinking process. Sustainability was crucial; using freely available GenAI resources maintained the program's longevity. 

Results

Despite initial reluctance and concerns about GenAI among most students, fueled by media articles and bans from some institutions (Cassidy, 2023), our university's leadership support allowed us to be pioneers in integrating GenAI into our course (Shepherd, 2023). The tangible outcomes have been significant, with students showing improved problem-solving abilities and increased learning efficiency. By integrating GenAI into our educational framework, we have created a more equitable, dynamic, and effective learning environment, showcasing the real-world benefits of this technology in education.

Our students communicated to their peers in other courses that GenAI was a compulsory element in our curriculum, contrasting with other faculty members who prohibited its use. Some academics labelled our approach as "radical" due to our commitment to a growth mindset and adaptability, which are fundamental to innovation (Ingle, 2023). Bolstered by institutional support, we contributed to the development of GenAI academic integrity policies for Flinders University (Verhoeven, 2023). 

Our curriculum included a reflective component requiring evidence of GenAI application throughout the semester. Thematic and sentiment analysis of these reflections revealed a predominantly positive attitude towards GenAI post-training, and we noted an improvement in the quality of student outputs compared to previous years.

For students keen on addressing the world's grand challenges as outlined in the UNSDGs, GenAI facilitated more rapid experimentation. This approach allowed students to quickly learn from failures and progress to new ideas, embodying the essence of innovation where failure is not penalised but valued (Pisano, 2019). Figure 3 below is an output from one of the student's reflections on how they used GenAI for prototype development.