In the Learning Technologies (LT) masters course at UPF (CSIM Master program, Cognitive Systems and Interactive Media), groups of students, with interdisciplinary bhttps://www.upf.edu/web/tide/home/-/asset_publisher/Ld8TYlfVJaAm/content/id/229097551/maximized#.XZSvwq0ryHoackgrounds, develop projects that address educational problems. The project work spans the trimester and culminates in a final report and presentation. In past years, students have identified meaningful, real world problems and have excelled at applying aspects of design thinking (DT) to develop their projects and prototypes. However, once the course ends, so do the projects. Invested efforts and creative ideas fall by the wayside. 

During the 2022-23 academic year, TIDE led a teaching innovation project (funded by PlaCliK: E2022014299) to initiate the development of a “generational project” approach in which students could either start a new idea or continue to develop projects of past students. Framed within developing student global citizenship competences, this approach aims to encourage students to think beyond themselves (work for and with a greater purpose) and bring projects closer to fulfilling their potential for real world impact. 

To develop this approach the course instructors (Marc Beardsley, Patricia Santos, Davinia Hernández-Leo) worked to (1) create a standardised way to execute and document projects (i.e., aligned with the design thinking 5-phase model); (2) evaluate the impact of the changes using pre/post-course surveys; (3) gather student perspectives on the pros and cons of the approach, input on how a flexible grading scale could be developed, and concerns related to intellectual property via a post-course focus group; and (4) produce a case study report.

The case study report is publicly available here. 

Results from this initial attempt to implement a generational approach for group projects in the Learning Technologies course were positive (i.e. positive impact on student sense of purpose, student support for the approach). However, improvement is needed before the approach and supporting materials are ready for use in other courses. The course instructors plan to continue revising the approach for the 2023-24 academic year. 

Image source, Pixabay: https://www.pexels.com/photo/clear-light-bulb-355948/

Related project: DTIPS

Related publications:

Santos, P., Aadmi-Laamech, K. E., Gutierrez, N., & Mebrahtu, S. (2022). ILDE+ D-Tips: An Integrated Learning Design Environment to Support Design Thinking in Primary Schools. In Proceedings of the 15th International Conference on Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning-CSCL 2022, pp. 553-554. International Society of the Learning Sciences.

Hernández-Leo, D., Asensio-Pérez, J. I., Derntl, M., Pozzi, F., Chacón, J., Prieto, L. P., & Persico, D. (2018). An integrated environment for learning design. Frontiers in ICT, 5, 9.