An investigation into the effectiveness of design thinking techniques to enhance undergraduate student learning

Students have access to an ever-increasing quantity and diversity of information, presented to them in multiple formats. The challenge for them is to identify and use this data effectively in their projects. There is a need to support students to manage this information and knowledge. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the implementation of design thinking tools and techniques had potential to enhance undergraduate student skills in the context of knowledge management.
Design thinking is a collaborative, iterative and reflexive process and as such is closely aligned to action research and action learning. An action research methodology supported the research; an action learning approach was appropriate for the introduction of design thinking tools and techniques to students in design thinking workshops. Data was gathered from all participants, feedback and observations resulting from their reflections evaluated the tools and made recommendations for their development throughout the action cycles.
The study found that students valued the experience and perceived wide-ranging benefits in the development of their skills in the management of information, their confidence, motivation and communication skills. The iterative opportunities to develop their skills in collaboration and the articulation of concepts and ideas were perceived to be valuable to students and observers. The implementation of design thinking can be said to enhance undergraduate student learning.