Design thinking Cont

Design Thinking 101

Leslie McBeth explains design thinking in 5 steps as well but uses different terminology.

Discovery

Becoming human centred.  Learning as much as possible about the problem as well as the context (or from the perspective of the 'user'.

Interpretation

Collaborating with others (including experts from different disciplines to come up with a "how might we?"  question.  (the word Might is used instead of can, should and could we as it infers that there is more than one answer, and that no answer is right or wrong in this stage.

Ideation

At this stage it is important to keep an open mind as the main focus at this stage is to come up with multiple solutions (where there is no right or wrong answer).  It is also important to keep the user in mind as well as focusing on their needs.  Crazy, out there ideas are also encouraged at this stage, as this might encourage other ideas.

Experimentation

This is were you experiment with some of the many solutions you came up with in Ideation.  Mkae prototypes or models and use them to gather feedback from their users.  Focus is not on creating the perfect finalized version but as a spring board to gather more and then build on ideas 

Evolution

This stage blends with the Experimentation phase as through the experimentation process solutions evolve and become more refined products.

This is a repeatable process as it is Cyclical and continuous.  

Design Thinking in 5 Steps

Step 1:  Empathize

Interviews so you can find out what do people really care about.

Redo this with many people so you can really understand the problem.

Step 2:  Define the Problem

Look at interviews, underline verbs can help.  

Formulate a problem statement.

Step 3 :  Ideate

Problem on problem statement.  Come up with ideas that solve problem.  Come up with LOTS of ideas, Sketch up best ideas and show to people you are trying to help.

Step 4:  Prototype

How does your prototype fit into peoples real life, it might be a combinations of what is alreay used and things you have come up with.

Step 5:  Test

Test with actual users - don't defend your idea/prototype, learn what works and what doesn't.

Then go back to Steps 3-5 until you 

Now you are ready to change the world!

Short video that explains each step in a little more detail.

Focusing on the WHY! - DESIGN THINKING

Here is a quick video I have found that very quickly explains Design Thinking in Education.  It briefly explains inquiry through 'Design Thinking' and one of the points that Tom Barrett makes is the importance of keeping the inquiry process in the questioning stage.  This links to the WHY of this posts Title, as this process makes you question the problem more, which in turn helps you to develop a better understanding of the problem and the implications that both the problem and solution has.

This year as part of the MIT process we have been working on the 5 Why's.  Here is a link to a reading we have done on the origins of this process.

Below is a brief video that explains the 5 why's if you are short of time.  Although this is a business focused example it does illustrate the process and benefits of using this process.

One thing I can quite honestly tell you is that although it is very challenging answering some of the Why questions that get thrown as you in this process it definitely challenges your thinking and makes you look into the problem deeply and helps you to narrow down what the problem actually is, and who it affects.  

Another thing I can quite honestly tell you is asking these 5 Why's can also be just as challenging.

Whangarei EDTech 2018 Summit

As a School group we attended this event last week.  I have to say one thing about these events is that you ALWAYS come away feeling inspired.  Inspired not only by what is said but by the sharing of resources and ideas from others as well as through the connections that you make with each other.

So as a result there are some things I have taken away to hold onto (you can't do everything!!!).  So this years take away ideas are... (and why)



Idea to hold onto No1:  GROWTH MINDSET.

While in our class we have already been focusing on changing mindsets from "I can't do something" to ... "I can try".

Change to implement (or add).  :  Instead of  "I can't do ...", to "I can't do ...YET".



Idea to hold onto No2:  BREAKOUT edu

In our class/school/cluster we already know and use Breakout EDU's and we have already been experimenting with ideas on how to make these more digital.

Change to impelement  :  Use Sites/Google Forms to help make Digital elements to BREAKOUT EDU's. - So watch this space.



Idea to hold onto No3:  Sharing

This is probably the biggest and hardest one for me.  Often we do things in our class, school and even cluster that are worthy of sharing. - and within this context I do share.  Often I am presenting at toolkits, PLG's ... but I am always reluctant to share outside of this circle.  SO ...

Change to implement : Make sure I am keeping this blog up to date, Share at Edtech Sydney, Submit at least 1 Breakout I create with the Breakout EDU site before the end of the year, and share 1 thing to Twitter at least every month.



Idea to hold onto No4: - DESIGN THINKING

I kept the best for last!  Michael Davidson ran us through a Design thinking presentation.  This was like CONNECTING THE DOTs for me.  This is the approach we are using with MIT this year, but at a classroom, student level.  It will build on what we have already been implementing but it should take our kids to the next level.

LOVING OUR LEARNING CONTEXT THIS YEAR! 

LEARN FROM YESTERDAY, CHANGE TOMORROW.

Ki akoranga i mua, kia whakahuri apopo

Student Voice

Recently I have been questioning children around their use of digital technology to support their learning.  Obtaining student voice and perspective is hugely important in this inquiry as they are the intended audience of this inquiry.  If they are not engaged and buying into this approach to raising achievement then its not the right direction to take.

• It’s very useful.
• It helps us remember.
• Because its fun.
• Because I get better at learning, and it helps be get better at remembering.
• I go on the blog and share what we are up to.
• Sharing our learning with them (mum and dad) by showing them things we have made at school.
• I can use it in the holidays and when I am sick to keep learning
• Everything on there is about our learning.
• The best thing is when Mrs G puts my work on the blog.
• I share my work by someone putting my work on the blog so the whole world can see it, then other people can see my work and what it is about.
• When people ask questions on our blog it helps my learning.

Students perception on what would make it better is to have more blog posts.

Already this year we have been trialing lots of things with improving this last perception and this is paying off from the comments we received above.

One strategy for increasing blog posts is to make it easier for students (and teachers) to access devices.  As we are not a 1:1 device classroom this presents us with many challenges as we complete our work digitally.

Additional challenges relating to access

1. Remembering which device they were using.
2. Charging of device
3. When work is in progress quick saving is a better option as you don't end up with multiple copies of the same Explain Everything but at different finishing points in G-Drive.
4. Not enough for 1 device per child

Our action to minimise as many of these issues as possible.

Knowing that something needed to change to reduce these issues and make it easier for children to access their learning on the devices I labeled iPads with students names.  These students were the ones in my morning 'Accelerated Writing Group', and also our top reading groups as they are capable of completing work more independently on them and can then support others to complete their tasks.  

This was a huge step for me as I was really worried that this would make these students who had name labels on iPads become very possessive of  'their iPad', and those students who didn't switch off from using iPads as they might feel that they weren't able to use named devices.

I guess as this was a massive concern for me I made sure that this was not the perception that either group of students took on.  As a result of introducing it to students in the way we have, the students whose name is on the iPad almost is the person that others go to for support when they are working on it.  This adds Mana (Value) in the work that they all complete together.  This is also helping the students in the accelerated writing group feel more of a leader and adding more Mana again to the work they complete within our morning group time.

Also students that use them remember which iPad they are using better than the number system we used last year (this is still on each iPad - but they DO NOT use it), weather it be a device with their name on or another students name.  It is also much easier for Teachers to support children with getting their posted onto the blog as the labels make it easier to find devices that work is on.

This has been a good change!