Creativity and innovation--innovative design process. The student takes an active role in learning by using a design process to solve authentic problems for a local or global audience, using a variety of technologies.
Knowledge and Skills Statement
Further Explanation
The further explanation is designed to be a resource for educators that helps them better understand the topic their students are learning. Further explanations may be written at a more complex level than would be expected for students at the grade level.
Design Thinking Process:
Design Thinking is a creative and user-centered design methodology that provides a solution-based approach to solving problems. In the provided design thinking process—a simplified five-stage process, the steps can follow any specific order, can occur in parallel, and can be repeated iteratively.
1) The first stage of the design thinking process is to empathize with the motivations and the needs of the users or individuals impacted by the product or solution.
2) The goal of the define stage, the second stage, is to identify the problem and interpret the research results.
3) Ideation, the third stage of the process, is a creative process where designers generate ideas to address the problem identified in the define stage.
4) In the fourth stage, designers turn ideas into prototypes or simplified versions of potential solutions or products.
5) In the final stage, designers or evaluators test the complete product or solution using the best solutions identified during the prototyping phase. Designers may return to previous stages to make further iterations, alterations, and refinements.
The stages can be understood as different modes that contribute to a project rather than sequential steps. This process is often used in conjunction with the engineering design and computational thinking process within STEM careers.
Solution-Based Approach to Problem-Solving:
A solutions-based approach focuses on identifying and implementing specific solutions to address a problem. The solutions-based approach encourages students to consider multiple solutions to problems. Starting in grade 2, students will consider multiple solutions when solving a problem. Other methodological approaches used in industry to solve a problem include analytical, creative, systems thinking, agile problem-solving, trial and error, root cause analysis, and heuristic approach.
Demonstrated Proficiency
Assign students a task to apply the design thinking process. Ask students to build a prototype using provided supplies. Upon completion of the task, ask students to explain how they applied each design step to create the prototype. Ask students to explain how the prototype solves the problem or meets the design goal assigned in the task.
Examples:
- Design a birdhouse that provides safety and a food station.
- Design a new type of school bus that includes a way to store backpacks so they do not slide or interfere with other students.
- Design a new robot that will help someone get ready for school each day.
Notes:
- Provide students with a worksheet partitioned into sections listing the design process steps to guide students through the steps (e.g., Ask [Empathize], Define, List ideas [Ideate], Create [Prototype], and Test.
- Use a symbol or visual to represent the steps (e.g., a question mark for Ask [Empathize]).
- Products could be created from existing classroom supplies, new or recycled supplies, or a combination of existing and new supplies.
- Provide assistance as needed.