Unit Plan

Learning Activities

• Step 1: Empathy: Generate interest among learners for self-directed projects, problems to solve, opportunities, and building a passion about personal interest. Here, the mentors work hard with many learners who claim no interest in anything or have little experience with self-directed learning opportunities

Empathize

Teachers will divide students up into groups of four and task them with locating and identifying specific problems relating to the class and/or the school, specifically something that means something to the group members, something current and on their mind. The problem has to be relevant to them in order for it to be meaningful and sustain them, thus avoiding a feeling of just jumping through hoops and provide a meaningful experience of being change makers and problem solvers. (Ex. A problem relating to students with disabilities, school supplies, technical/computer training, etc.) Choosing a specific problem is an important part in learning.

After locating a specific problem, students will get together in their group and discuss how it relates to them and generate possible solutions. Students will define specific parameters in which they can work in and have an outcome. Problems must be solvable and manageable (like world peace or world hunger) it has to be specific and doable within the established parameters and timeframe.

Students will then break off and do research (online, the library, etc.) and consult with experts related to their issues to form and refine their plan of action. Afterword, students will compile their gathered information and share with their group members. Group members will then be given specific assignments and they will begin to Ideate and formulating possible solutions.

• Step 2: Introduce or remind students about tools they might use to re-invent, re-create, or solve problems. This might be an intro or reminder session about the design thinking model.

Ideate

Here, students will return and report on their research and brainstorming of possible solutions. They will develop a consensus of a plan. After coming to a consensus, students will begin drafting prototypes of their solution and then test it out.

• • Step 3: Continue the Engagement stage: Guide individuals/groups through the formulation of a problem, question, project, or invention they are passionate about and title these the essential questions.

1. Students first individually narrow down possibilities to select a problem they have a significant passion and interest in solving. Students should consider the following:

• Does the problem affect someone or more than one person in your school or area?

• Is the problem solvable in the time frame available?

• Will solving the problem require expensive or dangerous materials or equipment? If so, you should try solving a different problem.

• Is the problem something that really interests you?

2. If the problem they choose coincides with the choice of another student, they may choose to collaborate to solve this issue. If a student chooses a problem that no one else chooses, they may choose to solve the problem individually. If more than 4 students choose the same problem, they may create more than one group. Student choice in this is paramount to allow for interest and choice.

3. Once students decide on their problem, students will need to write their problem and the essential questions they will need to answer. This will be the first entry in their choice of written, video, or audio logs. This log will need to be posted on an accessible blog site, or if a blog site is not able to be accessed by the student, creating a log in a physical notebook.

4. Throughout this process, both mentors will be available to provide feedback on selecting a problem. One mentor will record problem selection and recommend collaborations to students.

• • Step 4: Define and Ideate the Problem: Help learners discover the knowledge and skills they will need in order to accomplish their task.

1. Students will need to research their problem. They will need to determine answers to questions like the following:

• What exactly is the problem?

• What affects the problem?

• How does the problem keep happening?

• Who is affected by the problem, and who can create changes to help solve the problem?

• Where and when does the problem happen?

• What are the parts that make up this problem?

2. Students will likely need to read background information, conduct surveys, or interviews to gather information. Students will be required to record their information in their logs.

3. Following their research, students should record their answers to the questions that define the problem in their logs as well.

4. Throughout this step, both mentors will be available to provide research suggestions.

• • Step 5: Continue Ideate and Prototype: Have regular meetings/conferences to note progress, problems and to teach process skills.

1. Students will then try various ideate strategies in group Zoom breakout sessions to create several possible solutions.

2. Students will be required to note down in their logs at least 4 different ideas to encourage creativity, and a growth mindset as not all ideas may work out.

3. Students will learn about and try out the following strategies:

• Worst Possible Idea: Similar to reverse thinking, the worst possible idea technique is great for putting the group at ease and removing creative blocks. Even if the ideation session has been declared a judgement-free zone, there is inevitably a certain amount of pressure to find a viable solution that your peers will like. Going in search of the worst possible idea takes away this pressure. Not only that: Reflecting on what’s so terrible about these ideas can reveal valuable insights into what a good idea might look like (Stevens 2019).

• Mindmapping: Developed by Tony Buzan in 1972, mindmapping is a visual ideation technique that encourages you to draw connections between different sets of ideas or information. You’ll start by writing a keyword in the middle of the page (normally related to your problem statement). On the same piece of paper, you then surround this word with any and all ideas that come to mind. Finally, you’ll think about how these ideas are connected, depicting said connections with lines and curves—resulting in a visual map (Stevens 2019).

• One strategy assigned by teacher mentor that is specifically chosen for their problem.

4. Throughout this step, both mentors will circulate through breakout sessions and assign a customized ideate strategy depending on the problem and group of students.

5. Strategies from: Stevens, E. (2019, May 28). What is ideation in design thinking? A guide to the most important ideation techniques. Career Foundry. https://careerfoundry.com/en/blog/ux-design/what-is-ideation-in-design-thinking/

• • Step 6: Prototype and test: Clear the path/be an ombudsman for the difficulties learners might encounter.

1. Students will determine what kind of prototype would be more applicable to their problem: low fidelity or high fidelity.

2. Students create their prototype.

3. Students reflect on the prototype creation process in their log and determine if they wish to test the current prototype or recreate a prototype if necessary which will then repeat steps 2 and 3.

4. Students will then put their design to the test with actual users. Students will need to record the results with user feedback in their logs. For example, they may take video, record observations, or paste into their logs surveys filled out by users.

5. Students will then meet and reflect on the test, determining if the solution is successful, and what can improve the solution. Students at this point may go back to any step to improve their solution by creating a new prototype, creating a new solution, or redefining the problem.

6. Throughout this step, both mentors will circulate among groups. They will be looking to help solve creation issues, providing feedback, and encourage reflective practices.

• • Step 7: Implement the new system if possible. Celebrate success and challenges overcome.

1. Once students have determined the solution is successful, students plan how to implement the new design. Students will need the approval of all those affected by the implementation. Students record their plan in their logs.

2. Students will put their plan into action.

3. Once implementation is successful, students will need to document the implementation by providing visual or written evidence.

4. Throughout this step, both mentors will be available to provide feedback and ensure approvals have been submitted.

• Step 8: Culmination of the implementation: Develop a culminating experience. This could include some sort of exhibition of the projects, but if students have kept logs, it should be a compare/contrast about the process of design thinking.

1. The culmination of the implementation will be to compare/contrast the process of design thinking. Students will be asked to share their blogs. Students will then prepare for a discussion by viewing other groups’ blogs and thinking about the following questions:

a. What was the same in how each group went through the design process? What was different?

b. How was the design process beneficial? How was the design process a detriment?

c. How do you feel about the design process?

d. What do you think you learned from the experience?

2. Once students have viewed other students’ blogs, students will gather in a group online session and discuss the design process using the above questions as jumping off points.

• Step 9: Evaluate (Big Think): After students have tested their prototype, they will gather in their groups and discussed what worked and what didn't. They will then research further and discuss their problem with students not from their group to gain further insight and ideas that they may not have gotten in their original groups, while also helping other students with their problems. Students will then make the necessary adjustments, corrections and changes and test their prototype again. Afterword, teachers will ask students how they would use design thinking in the future.

Archive: Please see the Virtual Learning Commons for archived information.

Defense: Through this unit, adults can act as mentors. They can observe and gauge student progress as they go through the Design Thinking Process and nudge them in the right direction without taking over. What the mentors get out of this is seeing students learning problem solving in a structured manner.