On the 4th and 5th of September 2024, a two-day intensive Design Thinking course took place at the Faculty of Mass Media Communication of the University of St. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava facilitated by service designer and workshop facilitator Adam Brocka. Twenty-eight teachers were introduced to the design thinking methodology and its application in education, but not only there.
What does a better classroom look like?
The first day was dedicated to the basic principles of Design Thinking. Participants explored how to create a better classroom, learning to understand the needs not only from their own perspective but also from the perspectives of other colleagues. Many were surprised to discover that everyone had a different idea of the perfect classroom. Natália Nagyová from the Department of Marketing Communication admitted: “When we tried to formulate a sentence that would capture the needs of our colleagues, I realized that we had been focusing on the wrong problem the whole time. We discussed, changed words, and only then did we understand that what initially seemed like a clear solution was not simple at all.”
Searching for Work-Life Balance
On the second day, the participants began by analyzing the theoretical principles they had applied on the first day. Gradually, they moved from designing classrooms to tackling larger issues, focusing on solving problems that affect their daily lives. They primarily concentrated on the challenge of achieving a balance between work and personal life. “I had some knowledge of Design Thinking, but only the basics. What I learned here really excited me,” explained Tomáš Farkaš from the Department of Digital Games. “I like that we focus on the core of the problem, not on superficial solutions. I already have several ideas on how to apply these principles in teaching. And I see that this approach can be used in everyday life as well, which motivates me to try it in different projects.”
It Engaged Even Non-Creatives
The workshop brought a wealth of inspiration, which the educators plan to apply in their practice. Participants with various team role, whether creatives, implementers, managers, etc., found something useful in the process. Even those who initially hesitated about whether the workshop would be beneficial for them ultimately left with new perspectives and methods. Bianka Francistyová reflected on her experience: “I came to the workshop because I heard from colleagues that it was very interesting. To be honest, on the first day I had serious doubts: I kept asking myself, what am I doing here – I’m not creative. But on the second day, everything fell into place, things started making sense, and now I see that even people like me have a place in Design Thinking.” By the end, she realized that DT is not just about creativity, but also about empathy and implementing devised solutions, so it makes sense for everyone to get acquainted with it.
The course was part of the Erasmus+ KA220 project “Design Thinking as a method of soft skills and digital skills,” which supports the development of soft and digital skills in higher education. Next week, on September 10th and 11th, a similar course will take place at a partner university in Prague. Both the organizers and participants are already looking forward to it.
The Design Thinking course was carried out as one of the outputs of the international project 2022-1-SK01-KA220-HED-000089101: Design Thinking as a method of soft skills and digital skills development in higher education to increase employability, which supports the development of soft and digital skills in higher education. “Next week, on September 09th and 10th, a similar course will take place at a partner university in Prague. Both the organizers and participants are already looking forward to it,” said Vladimíra Jurišová.
