Design thinking with constructivist learning increases the learning motivation and wicked problem-solving capability—An empirical research in Taiwan

Aim/Purpose: To explore the effectiveness of utilizing the design thinking approach in developing digital self-directed learning environment to enhance digital literacy skills in Thai higher education. Background: To foster digital literacy skills in higher education, Thai students require more than access to technology. Emphasizing digital self-directed learning and incorporating Design Thinking approach, can empower students to learn and develop their digital skills effectively. This study explores the impact of digital self-directed learning environment, developed using a design thinking approach, on enhancing digital literacy skills among higher education students in Thailand. Methodology: The research methodology involves developing a digital self-directed learning environment, collecting and analyzing data, and using statistical analysis to compare the outcomes between different groups. The sample includes 60 undergraduate students from the School of Industrial Education and Technology at King Mongkut Institute of Technology, divided into a control group (n=30) and an experimental group (n=30). Data analysis involves mean, standard deviation, and one-way MANOVA. Contribution: This research contributes to the evidence supporting the use of Design Thinking in developing digital self-directed learning environment, demonstrating its effectiveness in meeting learners’ needs and improving learning outcomes in higher education. Findings: Key findings include: 1) the digital media and self-directed learning activities plan developed through the design thinking approach received high-quality ratings from experts, with mean scores of 4.87 and 4.93, respectively; and 2) post-lesson comparisons of learning outcome and digital literacy assessment scores revealed that the group utilizing digital media with self-directed learning activities had significantly higher mean scores than the traditional learning group, with a significance level of 0.001. Recommendations for Practitioners: Practitioners in higher education should use design thinking to develop digital self-directed learning environments that enhance digital literacy skills. This approach involves creating high-quality digital media and activities, promoting engagement and improved outcomes. Collaboration and stakeholder involvement are essential for effective implementation. Recommendation for Researchers: Researchers should continue to explore the effectiveness of design thinking approaches in the development of learning environments, as well as their influence on different educational aspects such as student engagement, satisfaction, and overall learning outcomes. Impact on Society: By enhancing digital literacy skills among higher education students, this study contributes to the development of a digitally skilled workforce, encourages lifelong learning, and aids individuals in effectively navigating the challenges of the digital era. Future Research: Future research could explore a broader range of student demographics and educational settings to validate the effectiveness of the Design Thinking approach in enhancing digital literacy. This could include integrating design thinking with alternative digital learning and teaching methods to further improve digital literacy.

ContextThere is growing interest and importance for responsible research and innovation (RRI) among academic scholars and policy makers, especially, in relation to emerging technologies in the agricultural context. While the evolution of smart technologies in agriculture has led to an increase of available solutions that can be used by farmers, the RRI process of new farming technology has been minimally detailed in research contributions to date. ObjectiveThis paper thus aims to describe the first 3 phases of a design thinking process to aid with the development of an agricultural innovation, namely, a geotag photo application for use on smart devices. MethodsThe design thinking approach involved engaging with target users, such as farmers, farm advisors and inspectors, alongside research scientists, app developers and the national agricultural governing body in Ireland to commence the app development process. This paper describes methodology used to elicit the first three major phases of the design thinking approach: empathise, define and ideation. In the first phase a stakeholder mapping activity was conducted, as well as 7 focus groups and 10 interviews with users and other key actors regarding the challenges and needs related to using the app. The define phase included a reflection of results from the first phase and subsequent development of user-personas and problem statements to inform the third phase. The third phase, ideation, consisted of four interactive user-centred workshops, focusing on app needs, in which ideas and solutions were developed and prioritised. Results and conclusionsThe design thinking approach supported multiple stakeholders to express and evaluate the benefits and challenges they associated with the initial development phases involved in designing a new geotag photo app. It also revealed that, by including farmers and additional actors in developing new farming technology enables technology developers to harness the full value of multiples types of knowledge and expertise. In conclusion, future research on innovation development should consider that by enabling engagement among a wide variety of actors, such as that offered by the initial stages of design thinking, and attending to a greater diversity of values is essential to the development of a responsible, and responsive, digital tool. SignificanceThis study is the first to methodically document the early stages of developing a geotag smartphone app using a design thinking approach. This paper will therefore benefit other scholars aiming to include farmers, and other agricultural stakeholders to have an input on the agri-tech development decisions that will ultimately impact their farming lives.

Reflection on current practices is key to the transformation of teachers into reflexive practitioners. This study describes how design thinking was integrated in Schön's ‘reflection in and on’ model, to transform traditional teaching of Biology into constructivist learning. As a first step, the reflection model was used to identify limitations in the current practices of a teacher educator by analysing (i) a critical incidence which took place during a practical biology lesson at undergraduate level, (ii) students’ voices through a focus group discussion, and (iii) feedback of an assigned external observer. Analysis revealed that the teaching strategies, resources, and assessment strategies were mostly teacher-centred and do not provide enough opportunities for students’ engagement and development of key scientific inquiry skills. To address the identified pedagogical limitations, this research work employed a case study methodology to showcase the efficiency of using the ‘design thinking approach’ as an underlying and alternative process to transform constructivist learning into action.The findings showed that the use of design thinking as a meta-disciplinary methodology allows the transformation of the constructivism theory into action and thus offers teacher educators the needed support through a formalised process to engage students in the learning of biology.

The user interface is an influential element in software applications. A well-designed user interface will potentially increase the usability of software applications. Therefore, user interface designers should deliberate when considering which approach and method to implement for designing user interfaces. Design thinking is currently a widely followed approach in user interface design practices. Hence, this study aimed to explore research trends and current practices of design thinking approach for user interface design. This study employed a systematic literature review following the Kitchenham method. This study found 39 articles deemed relevant to the design thinking approach. In general, our study found five common stages broadly mentioned in the articles, i.e., empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test. The most widely practiced method during those five stages is interview, user persona, brainstorming, user interface, and usability testing. However, there is no consensus on what kind of stage(s) and which method(s) should be employed when following the design thinking approach for user interface design. Therefore, it will depend on the designer's decision in choosing which stage(s) and their related method(s) will be employed.

Innovation is fuel for the sustainability and competitive advantage of an organization. Practitioners have proposed several tools to promote innovation in an organization. The design thinking framework is one approach for problem-solving that can lead to innovations. Some industries have already matured in practicing the design thinking approach, while others are in the nascent stage and still exploring the benefits of creating more innovations. This article puts forwards a systematic literature review followed by a bibliometric analysis on adoption of a design thinking approach for fueling innovation and solving complex problems in different domains. The present study also gives an overview of the penetration of the design thinking approach in various industries and domains. The literature review reveals that design thinking is practiced in almost all industry segments, with more evidence in education and healthcare and an upward trend in user-centered design and complex problem-solving.

Purpose of this conceptual study is the identification of design thinking approaches and underlying logic for increasing the value proposition to improve customer experience in today´s dynamic and fast-changing business environment. Method of research based on content analysis of distinctive streams in the literature on design thinking for delivering the increased value proposition. Core elements of design thinking were identified and combined with service-oriented thinking logics aiming at providing superior value proposition and thus to improve customer experience. Furthermore, the article elaborates on the delimitation of Design thinking from Designerly thinking, and a new model for enhancing customer value propositions, the wheel of Design thinking, was developed based on core elements of Design thinking approaches. This approach has a potential to shape and redefine existing markets and to improve adjustment of products and services to dynamic customers´ needs and demands.DOI: 10.15408/etk.v17i2.7311

Purpose The double threat of unequal job opportunities for persons with disabilities (PWDs) and the lack of professional training to use innovative technologies at work have led to multiple calls to promote inclusivity at work. PWDs are underrepresented in the workforce and often face discrimination by employers. One way PWDs have responded to their limited employment within organisations is by pursuing self-employment or business creation. Higher education institutions (HEIs) and technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions are expected to embrace new pedagogies facilitated by digital technologies to promote creativity in business among PWDs. While many studies have explored the potential of entrepreneurship education in equipping PWDs with the requisite skills and knowledge to become successful entrepreneurs, the aspect of technology has been largely overlooked. In this study, we employ a design thinking (DT) approach to propose a metaverse-based entrepreneurship education for disabilities (MEED) framework aimed at fostering inclusive innovation and entrepreneurship for vulnerable populations such as those with disabilities. Results: By leveraging metaverse technology based on the DT principle of empathy, entrepreneurship education for PWDs can be transformed to create lifelong learning opportunities. This approach enables seamless interactions and immersive learning experiences that support the educational needs of all learners. Implications Different entrepreneurship learning opportunities and scenarios for different disabilities are presented. Future research areas and possible implications are also discussed.

The implementation of hospital information systems in the digitalization-based era, including medical records, currently shows that there is a need for nursing education to focus on information education, including developing electronic-based practical student nursing care applications. This research aimed to design the user interface and user experience of electronic nursing documentation, named "The ENC". The ENC (electronic nursing care) with a design thinking approach. Designing the user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) used a design thinking approach consisting of empathize, define, ideate, prototype and test. Data collection was carried out at the empathize stage using content questionnaires and interviews. UI/UX design using the Figma application. Application testing with nursing student users based on predetermined scenarios. The ENC (electronic nursing care) application design uses the design thinking method to produce an application prototype that adapts to the needs of nursing students. To validate the efficacy of The ENC application, testing was conducted with nursing student users through predetermined scenarios. The design thinking approach facilitated the creation of an application prototype attuned to the specific requirements of nursing students. Following this, a comprehensive survey involving 30 nursing students was conducted to assess usability, quality, and satisfaction with the application's UI/UX, thereby capturing both positive and negative feedback. The ENC application adapts to the needs of nursing students to ease the transition from paper-based to electronic-based documentation, increase acceptance of the application, and increase its use in the clinical environment.

Reducing Time to Chemotherapy Administration in the Outpatient Setting of a Tertiary Cancer Centre Using a Design Thinking Approach

This research raises the issue of high sugar consumption which has a negative impact on public health. Data shows that sugar consumption in Indonesia is very high, making it one of the countries with the largest sugar consumption in the world. To overcome this problem, establishing a low-sugar dessert business is a very relevant solution. In this research, researchers used a qualitative descriptive method by adopting the Design Thinking approach as the main approach. Design Thinking is used to understand consumer needs and preferences and develop dessert products that are low in sugar but still delicious and satisfying. This method involves five stages, namely, empathy, defining the problem, ideation, prototyping, and testing. The research results show that the Design Thinking approach is successful in creating low-sugar dessert products that are well received by the market. The products resulting from this process not only meet health criteria but also satisfy consumer tastes, making them an attractive alternative to healthier desserts. This research also provides valuable insight into the market potential for low-sugar desserts and supports efforts to increase awareness of healthy eating among the public.

Design thinking is a process based on a set of tools that encourage innovation and is advocated to be used to solve abstract and complex problems (Brown, 2019). It is a human-centered approach to innovation, the concept is based on understanding customer’s needs (IDEO, 2022). This interactive, creative, experimental, collaborative, and explorative can play very important role in designing assistive technologies. In this article, we present case study research where design thinking methodology is used to develop accessible technology- Morphic auto personalization. Morphic is a tool that helps to discover features in computers that make them easier to use, allows anyone to make frequently used features and functions easily available and allows accessibility settings to follow users to other computers (Morphic, 2022). Through this case study, we identify how the use of design thinking methodology supports the development IT accessible technology. This work implemented a protocol of guidelines developed by a group of experts in disability research, information technologies, design, and management. The team conducted 5 phases of design thinking: 1. Empathize—research users’ needs, 2. Define—state users' needs and the problems, 3. Ideate—challenge assumptions and create ideas, 4. Prototype—start to create solutions, 5. Test—try solutions (Kelley, Kelley, 2013).Design thinking approach helped to develop a holistic understanding of the problems that users deal with when they use computers. Thanks to this project research participants were provided a grounded basis on assistive technologies built into the computers. The research revealed knowledge gap that the development of assistive technology should enhance the voice of participants and consider their ideas, desires and needs. Design thinking approach can develop a holistic understanding of the problems that users deal with when they use computers. Thanks to this project research participants were provided a grounded basis on assistive technologies built into the computers.

This article describes the development of recommendations for using the project thinking approach in training and university education of future digital economy specialists. An overview of the key design thinking methodologies is presented. Recommendations for implementing the design thinking approach in academic disciplines are given through an example of a step-by-step description of a specific case. The design thinking approach aims to develop a person’s creative abilities through empirical rules and experience, emotional intelligence and recognizing the value of other people’s opinions. The article describes the methods used in design thinking: visualization tools (empathy, customer journey, and stakeholder maps), Customer Development tools, guerrilla ethnography, POV articulating, and rapid prototyping. The article also presents the primary tools used in design workshops for developing innovative ideas and adaptive problem solving. A case in formulating design thinking, titled “How can one improve the impression left on the students of professional refresher courses?” is detailed and accompanied by comments on the solutions the participants of presented design workshops.

Design thinking works well in user experience (UX) design, but there are few empirical studies on it. Thus, a systematic literature review is needed to understand the research topic better and recommend future research. The review followed the PRISMA 2020 Statement. The selected database is Scopus as it covers reputable publications. The search terminology is “design thinking” AND “experience” OR UX AND app OR application. The final set consisted of 10 publications. According to the Scopus Database, there was a significant increase in research studies on this topic from 2012 to 2022. The trend has continued to increase, indicating that research on design thinking approaches in UX design has become a hot topic for research and discussion. This paper found that Design Thinking is an essential component of user experience design and is used across various topics and industries. However, graphic design remains an unexplored area for research, presenting opportunities for further study. Keywords: design thinking, user experience, systematic literature review

<em>The Design Thinking approach as a method of problem solving and product innovation is well known in business, management and entrepreneurship. However, various design thinking models created by individual researcher and corporations often confuse users about which model to use. This research was conducted with the aim of observing the suitability of five selected design thinking models to support the development of startups in a business incubator. The research applies qualitative descriptive method using a case study of PT. Jiwa Gelora Juara (PT-JGJ) startup development at the Bakrie University’s UBpreneur business incubator. It observes the design thinking process in the pre-incubation, incubation and post incubation stages. The research findings show that each design thinking model has its own strengths and weaknesses in a certain situation, but most of the models are more suitable implemented in the new product/process development phase. To support the startup’s growth stage, other management tools are needed.</em>

As the prevalence of eating disorders continues to increase, there is an urgent need to equip the emerging dietetics workforce to provide care to this growing population. The present study aimed to describe a five-step design thinking process that was applied to brainstorm ideas and develop and test solutions for consideration in the future. A pragmatic, five-step design thinking approach was used during a 1-day, in-person design thinking retreat. Purposive sampling was used to identify key stakeholders, including subject matter, learning and teaching, as well as lived experience experts, dietetics students and recent graduates. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyse brainstormed and design solution ideas. Seventeen participants attended the design thinking retreat in April 2023. Four education prototypes were developed and tested by stakeholders including: (1) a change to accreditation requirements for dietetics curricula; (2) a multimodal learning package for penultimate year students; (3) embedding disordered eating and eating disorder content into existing curriculum and upskilling educators; and (4) codesigning an eating disorder module. The design thinking retreat engaged a variety of stakeholders in curriculum design resulting in an array of prototype approaches that aimed to embed eating disorder content into university curricula. Further research is needed to test the prototypes and understand what impact this has on dietetics students' feelings of preparedness to provide care to people seeking this support.