ATM: Design Thinking in Education: Preparing Students for a Complex World

We live in a world where answers are fast and easy to find. Just a few taps on a cell phone give our students instant access not only to information, but also diverse communities and differing opinions. No matter what one’s views on any topic are, it is possible to find information and community that supports those views. Our children spend a lot of time looking at small bits of information from many sources – not all of which are reliable. How do we help our students navigate a reality far more complex than the one we grew up with? When access to information is so fast and easy, how do we help our children think critically, create meaningful work, and become persistent, patient problem solvers?

In Foothills School Division, we strive to provide deep and transferable learning experiences for all learners. This means giving students learning experiences that require them not only learn new information but also encourages them to work through complex problems that build a rich understanding of the curriculum. This understanding gives them the power and patience to find solutions that are meaningful to them, to challenge their thinking, and apply this understanding in new ways. This might look like using design thinking to code a video game app for their peers, practicing persistence and patience when exploring math concepts, or developing a well-argued position on a current issue.

One way we do this is through The Foothills School Division Innovation and Design Framework. From the youngest grades, we give our students the opportunity to be “makers.” This can be as simple as using cardboard cutouts, paper mâché, Lego, or even Minecraft Education Edition to construct models as solutions to design problems. It might include simple robotics - using directional buttons to create a movement sequence to solve a maze. Some students might even explore block coding environments like Scratch, Microsoft MakeCode, or the coding tools in Minecraft Education to create games or animations. As students get older and move into Career and Technology Foundations (grade 5-9) and Career and Technology Studies (grade 10-12), they begin to use more complex tools like woodworking equipment, cooking labs, sewing machines, and advanced digital technologies such as video editing, computer coding, or even 3D animation. The goal, however, remains the same: Give students the opportunity to develop real solutions to real-world problems through a cycle ideating, prototyping, and testing. Most importantly, these problems don’t have “right answers” or quick solutions. They require students to work through a design thinking process to come up with unique solutions together.

Yours in Learning, 

Doug Stevens
Director of Student Learning (7-12) 
& Assurance Data