Design Thinking, Inquiry, and the Launch Cycle - Learner Centered Engagement


Have you ever explored the Design Thinking Process connected to Teaching and Learning?
"Design thinking is a human-centered approach to problem solving that begins with developing empathy for those facing a particular challenge. It serves as a framework that helps to define problems, empathize with others, develop prototypes of possible solutions, and hone those prototypes through multiple iterations until they have generated a viable solution to the challenge at hand. Design thinking encourages a bias toward action and, because of its reliance on rapid prototyping, frees practitioners to embrace the notion of failing forward because it's OK to make mistakes -- that's where breakthrough ideas are born." Edutopia
If you are a regular reader of my blog or follow me on social media you probably already know that I have been on a journey to create learning activities that are more learner-centered and less teacher-centric. HyperDocs have become a big part of what I do with my Environmental Science students. Some of my students really love the activities that provide opportunities for student choice and student voice, others not so much. Some of my students struggle with not being directed what do learn and would prefer more of a teacher-centric class. My challenge has become to create activities that support all of my students, while still challenging them to take ownership of their learning own experiences.


 Over the last several years, my educational philosophies connected to student-centered learning experiences have been heavily influenced by ideas, books, and web resources connected to inquiry and design thinking. If you are new to these ideas or curious to learn more here are a few books that I would recommend exploring.

Our Energy Unit has become one of my main testing grounds to explore inquiry learning. Two years ago I decided to redesign our entire Energy Unit as an almost completely self-paced, inquiry-driven experience. The plan was to work together as a class for a few days to set the foundations and then the students took control of the learning experience to create a plan for a Sustainable Energy Future. I don't know that I would classify this unit as the pure design thinking activity, it is more of a hodgepodge of ideas connected to student-centered inquiry and the design process. The design has been heavily influenced by the concepts connected to the books I shared above. Here is a brief overview of the evolution of this unit over the past 3 years. 
  • The first year was what Trevor Mackenzie might describe as being close to "Free Inquiry". I wanted students to ask questions about the future of energy and then research the answers to their questions connected to the past, present, and future of energy. They had just over 3 weeks to research and design a proposal and presentation for a fictional government body that outlined their vision for a sustainable future. While some of the projects were solid, it was not what I hoped for. Upon reflection, it was too much unstructured time and procrastination became a real concern. I also did a poor job supporting the learning experience before and during the unit. I was a little too hands-off even when I know some of the groups were floundering. 
  • I decided to add a bit more structure the 2nd year with the introduction of "focus questions". I also started with a more "guided inquiry" introduction to the past, present, and future of energy. We also shifted the final product from a presentation to a recorded TED Talk. I think the process was a little smoother, but there were still too many groups that missed out on many of the essential connections we were looking for. If you are curious about how I set this up, please visit this Google Site that served as our framework for the learning experience in 2018.
  • We are currently getting close to the end of our Energy Unit this year and so far I am pretty happy with the adjustments I've made this year. This year I introduced the students to the "Launch Cycle" from John Spencer's and A.J. Juliani's book. The cycle has been a great framework to structure the inquiry activities. We spent the majority of the unit on the first 3 phases of the cycle and are now moving into the "Navigation of Ideas" and the "Design of a Prototype". I think the revised startup activities and the introduction of the launch cycle have really helped the students develop a good foundation before I set them loose on the problem and the search for solutions. The students are now working through "Navigating Ideas", "Creating Prototypes", and the "Highlight and Fix" pieces of the launch cycle. I think the conversations have been richer and more focused than they have been in the past. I am looking forward to seeing what solutions are proposed as we get closer to "Launch". If you are curious about the changes I've made in 2019, please visit this Google Site that has been serving as our framework this year. 


Here are a few other recommended resources connected to inquiry and design thinking that you might explore.
Here are a few twitter hashtags that are also worth exploring.


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