2.2 Project example using the Exten(DT)² Digital Design Thinking Model
The Exten(DT)² Digital Design Thinking Model breaks down the process of design thinking into five different stages, as described below. The starting point of the process is for teachers or students to identify a challenge or a problem they would like to engage with and try to solve.
The example challenge in this case is:
How can a city be designed to function sustainably?
Empathise and Understand
Students are asked to survey people who live in their city and ask them questions such as whether they think their city is sustainable, how a city can become more sustainable (empathise). They can use an online application designed to support research activities (you will learn more about nQuire for students in Section 3.1). In addition, they can search online and find more information about this challenge. These sources of data should help students understand the specifics of the problem they are asked to examine.
Define and Ideate
Students in small groups or pairs read survey responses and concluded peoples thoughts about the challenge. Let's assume the issue they found is that people living in cities don’t believe that sustainable cities are important and therefore the ‘solution’ is a game that teaches them the importance of sustainable cities. The students decide to use an online application that creates online games, e.g. ChoiCo to teach others about the importance of sustainable cities − you will learn more about ChoiCo in Section 3.2.
To create the game, students need to define what information they will use in the game – these will be the parameters of the game – and how to come up with different ideas of games they could develop (ideate).
Rapid prototyping and Iteration
Students start creating rapid prototypes of their games using ChoiCo to test their games and improve them (iteration). As students work in groups, some students can create the prototype of the game and others can test it and improve it.
Sharing and Feedback
When game prototypes are ready, students are asked to share their games with other students beyond their group, either other students in their class or students across the school. The aim is to collect feedback from a relatively large number of students that can help them further iterate and improve their games.
To collect feedback, they can use an online application designed to support research activities (nQuire for students). They can ask students to play the game and answer questions based on improving the game, whether they liked it, and whether the game helped them to understand what makes a city more sustainable.
Respond and Deliver
This is the last step of the design thinking process. Students should read the feedback they received and make changes to their game accordingly (respond). When ready, they share the digital version of their game with their teacher for assessment (deliver).
The ending point of the process is the production of an outcome − this can be:
- a digital artefact like a game
- enhanced understanding of the importance of sustainable cities
- skills in developing and iterating games as well as research skills
- possible change of attitudes or behaviour as to what a student can do to contribute to a more sustainable city.
Now you’ve been presented with an example challenge and have covered each stage of the Exten(DT)² Digital Design Thinking Model in more detail, have a go at completing Activity 3.
Activity 3 Exten(DT)² Digital Design Thinking Model
By picking out the key vocabulary at each stage of design thinking, summarise how you would explain each stage of the model to your students in no more that 200 words below.
Comment
You should use and explain words such as:
- empathise
- ideate
- rapid prototyping
- iteration
- survey
- feedback.
An example exercise could be giving students cards that define each key word, and to have these in front of them while they design their projects. You could use examples or analogies such as the cake analogy used in Section 1 to help students understand the meaning of each stage of design thinking.
Next, move onto 3 Digital technologies at each stage of design thinking [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] .
2.1 The Exten(DT)² Digital Design Thinking Model
