Design Thinking for Online Learning Project Essay (Critical Writing)

Introduction

Today, students get access to several forms of education, and they are free to demonstrate different attitudes toward their practice. Constantly changing organizational environments promote the examination of current academic needs and resources. Some attempts are successfully made and accepted, and some steps require additional elaboration. In this paper, attention will be paid to the problem of a lack of engagement with online learning and a reflection on design thinking as its solution.

Problem

The design thinking project is a common analytical method to endorse innovation in solving various business and organizational problems. Tutors should create effective working environments for their students and make sure goals are clearly defined, tasks are complete, and achievements are evaluated. Online learning is a trend that many facilities implement, and Western Sydney University also prefers this method of education. At this moment, the problem definition phase is that not many students are properly engaged with online learning. According to Peng (2017) and Pujiani (2020), student engagement is a necessary component of a learning process that includes behavioral, emotional, and cognitive factors. If young people cannot deal with their emotions, choose behaviors, and stay motivated, they fail some tasks. My view of the problem lies in poor engagement with online learning, which results in a lack of explanation, support, and cooperation between students and educators.

Solution

Design thinking is an approach to offering an innovative solution to a lack of engagement among students with online learning. Henriksen, Richardson and Mehta (2017) recommend using this process to solve educational problems of practice and taking all five stages from empathy to testing consistently. During the design thinking project development, it was possible to understand all its elements and how they should be applied to a particular situation.

The possibility to identify tasks is the main benefit of the chosen method. For example, the empathy stage was necessary to clarify and describe the problem of student engagement with online learning. Students demonstrated dissatisfaction with their experiences because they could not participate in a discussion equally. They felt that a teacher did not find it obligatory to motivate but present the material. In other words, design thinking was effective in comprehending the intentions and expectations of students. Another positive aspect of this project was solid work with sources. It was not enough to gather the opinions of students only but find academic approval of the method and its discussion incredible articles. Teachers and decision-makers should understand and maintain the student experience and help them overcome the complexity of a learning environment (Devine, 2020; Wrigley, Mosely and Tomitsch, 2018). This approach enhances such opportunities as the development of trustful relationships between students and the staff, respect for knowledge and cooperation, and a free exchange of information.

At the same time, innovation management together with professional practice on the basis of design thinking is never a simple task. As a part of a group, I had to improve my knowledge about the chosen software and learn the main aspects of “My ClassHub” to incorporate it into the University’s online learning system. The challenge was in the mandatory collaboration with people who have different background knowledge. On the one hand, team members knew the goals and made their contributions. I had to work hard to support them at the required level. On the other hand, students with opinions about online learning could be ignored. My task was to prepare them for change and explain why a new program deserved their recognition. The limitation was a small sample and the inability to gather more students for this project.

Reflection

In a short period, the group obtained feedback from students about the offered innovative technique. I was satisfied with the opinions that young people shared with my team. Students liked the idea of creating their profiles and inviting each other to their talks. They were interested in the possibility to manage and control their online activities in the way Zoom software did it. However, the intention to create a more elaborating environment provided students with the hope that they could work better and exchange their thoughts. Changing delivery modes allow users to undertake different tasks in ways that are more convenient for them, and the sense of isolation may be considerably reduced (Gillett-Swan, 2017; Martin and Bolliger, 2018). Our team relied on students’ opinions to clarify what they want to achieve with online courses, not at the expense of their interests and uniqueness.

To further improve the solution to a lack of engagement by means of incorporating new software, several ideas were developed, including virtual seating arrangements and weekly anonymous questionnaires. After my examination of the project and its acceptance by students, I think that additional improvements could be necessary. For example, the prototype solution that addresses the problem of a lack of engagement is possible to advance by providing brief guides for students. These instructions should help new users to learn how to create profiles, make them interesting, and work with different options on their web pages. Some students admitted that there was no consistency and clarifications about how to complete their tasks. Therefore, a concise but informative booklet could interest students and prepare them for a new distant environment.

The group dynamics in performing the design thinking learning project were relevant and successful. The decision to cooperate directly with students and gather their opinions was correct. My role, as well as the role of every group member, was significant. We delegated our responsibilities, talked to students, and made notes to recognize what help could be offered. Brainstorming and well-defined steps allowed us to see why students were not engaged with online learning and if a change was possible. The application of the design thinking method was characterized by positive emotions and experiences because personal opinions, technological aspects, and academic literature support increased engagement of students, using well-developed software for online learning.

Conclusion

My work on the group project was a necessary practice during which an academic problem and its effective solution were defined and discussed. Many factors predetermine students’ success, and cooperation is one of them. When a student has to be isolated and take courses online, the worth of communication increases. However, not all modern programs are properly developed to consider all students’ needs. Therefore, my team paid attention to the problem of a lack of engagement for students and introduced a solution in the form of “My ClassHub” software with different vital functions. In addition to the already implemented design thinking process, my recommendation is to provide students with guidelines to reduce the number of questions and concerns.

Reference List

Devine, P.T. (2020) ‘Reflections on the use of design thinking and service design tools to improve the student experience of an online learning environment’, Pacific Journal of Technology Enhanced Learning, 2(1), pp. 51-51.

Gillett-Swan, J. (2017) ‘The challenges of online learning: supporting and engaging the isolated learner. Journal of Learning Design, 10(1), pp. 20-30.

Henriksen, D., Richardson, C. and Mehta, R. (2017) ‘Design thinking: a creative approach to educational problems of practice’, Thinking Skills and Creativity, 26(3), pp. 140-153.

Martin, F. and Bolliger, D.U. (2018) ‘Engagement matters student perceptions on the importance of engagement strategies in the online learning environment’, Online Learning, 22(1), pp. 205-222.

Peng, W. (2017) ‘Research on the model of student engagement in online learning’, Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 13(7), pp. 2869-2882.

Pujiani, T. (2020) ‘The importance of building students’ engagement during online learning’, J-LEE-Journal of Law, English, and Economics, 2(01), pp. 15-20.

Wrigley, C., Mosely, G. and Tomitsch, M. (2018) ‘Design thinking education: a comparison of massive open online courses’, She Ji: The Journal of Design, Economics, and Innovation, 4(3), pp. 275-292.