This phase is optional, but after defining a problem and choosing a target group, students can do research.
- Who are the stakeholders in this problem?
- Which solutions exist all ready?
- Are the persona realistic? How many of them are there?
...and more
They can use the Internet, books, statistics and more.
- Let the students research for a limited amount of time, say 1 hour about the questions above and present their research to another group.