Approaching design thinking online: Critical reflections in higher education

Sandris Zeivots, Carmen Vallis
The University of Sydney, Australia
Catherine Raffaele
University of Technology Sydney,, Australia
Edward J. Luca
The University of Sydney, Australia

Design thinking is becoming more commonly used as a collaborative, problem-solving approach in higher education outside design disciplines. With the pivot to remote and online learning in response to Covid-19 and lockdown measures, many educators have had to rethink their practice and collaboration in design thinking, without the usual recourse to shared physical space and material resources. This reflective study brings together four educators who take their human-centred design thinking approaches to higher education online. Through a process of collaborative reflective professional inquiry, the authors offer practice-oriented insights into learning design, educational development and facilitation in design thinking online. Findings challenge commonly held assumptions about teaching online, the role of technology, and the importance of 'best practice' in education. The paper concludes with suggestions for future research to explore design thinking online as a practice and mindset outside the confines of the design studio.
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Authors: Sandris Zeivots PhD is a Lecturer in Educational Development with Business Co-Design unit at the University of Sydney Business School. He investigates how to design innovative learning experiences that are engaging, meaningful and purposeful. With a professional background in experiential learning, Sandris explores impactful educational events through learning spaces, experiential education and emotional engagement. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5450-2530 Email: sandris.zeivots@sydney.edu.au, sandris.zeivots@gmail.com Carmen Vallis is a Lecturer in Educational Development with Business Co-Design unit at the University of Sydney, Australia. She is a PhD candidate studying creative writing and practice who is passionate about the intersection of creativity, design and all things digital in higher education. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0143-4145 Email: carmen.vallis@sydney.edu.au Catherine Raffaele has spent the past decade as a researcher of emerging work and learning practices. Over the last five years, she has designed and taught design thinking and entrepreneurial programs across multiple disciplines at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Email: catherine.raffaele@uts.edu.au Edward J. Luca is a library practitioner and researcher. He is currently Associate Director, Academic Services at the University of Sydney Library. Edward writes and speaks on topics including design thinking, academic librarianship and scholarly publishing. He is also undertaking his PhD in the discipline of Business Information Systems at the University of Sydney Business School. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6604-2463 Email: edward.luca@sydney.edu.au Please cite as: Zeivots, S., Vallis, C., Raffaele, C. & Luca, E. (2021). Approaching design thinking online: Critical reflections in higher education. Issues in Educational Research, 31(4), 1351-1366. http://www.iier.org.au/iier31/zeivots.pdf