Using Design Thinking for Learning Development: problem-solving and authentic student co-creation
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47408/jldhe.vi37.1735Keywords:
design thinking, learning development, service design, student partnership, creativityAbstract
This practical workshop engaged participants in Design Thinking (DT), a creative approach to problem-solving (Liedtka, 2018; Panke, 2019) that can be utilised for authentic student co-creation in Learning Development. In the same way that Henry Ford said his customers would ask for a faster horse, when we engaged with students, they often asked for more appointments, more workshops, and more support topics. Even when we set out to co-create, their ‘ask’ often remained within the frame of what we already did. The workshop explored how we could involve our stakeholders (students, academics, professional services) in a way that genuinely drew upon their varied experiences to help us make things better for everyone.
Creative approaches are already well-established in Learning Development as a tool for inclusive and engaging support (James, 2013; Sheridan, 2020; Abegglen et al., 2023). In this workshop, we supported participants in drawing upon creative approaches in DT to get to the right questions for their design needs. There is great potential to use creative expertise in the design of activities, workshops, appointments, and even the whole institutional Learning Development service(s). The workshop supported participants in using a radically different approach to design, working with stakeholders to use big thinking, creative ideation, and prototyping to deliver workable solutions.
As established in our JLDHE article (Fallin and Turton, 2025), DT poses significant potential to support Learning Developers in their partnership with students and staff. With origins in design and business, DT provides a substantial toolbox of approaches and strategies that decentre existing narratives and open the floor to new ways of thinking (Liedtka, 2018; Quintanilla et al., 2018; Panke, 2019). This workshop gave participants hands-on experience with some of these tools and an opportunity to reflect on how they could be used in inclusive Learning Development practice.
References
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Fallin, L. and Turton, C. (2025) ‘The transformative potential of Design Thinking in Learning Development’, Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education, 34, pp.1-11. Available at: https://doi.org/10.47408/jldhe.vi34.1314
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Liedtka, J. (2018) ‘Why Design Thinking works’, Harvard Business Review, (September-October), pp.72-79.
Panke, S. (2019) ‘Design Thinking in education: perspectives, opportunities and challenges’, Open Education Studies, 1(1), pp.281-306. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1515/edu-2019-0022
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