In just a few days, on June 10, 2024, the University of Navarra in Pamplona will kick off the first of a series of workshops focused on using Design Thinking in higher education. This workshop will launch a series of training sessions at partner universities aimed at familiarizing higher education educators with strategies for solving complex problems using this innovative method.
The intensive two-day workshop, taking place on June 10-11, 2024, will offer participants the opportunity to explore the fundamental principles and practical applications of the Design Thinking methodology. During the course, participants will dive into the four key phases of this methodology: empathy, definition, ideation, and prototyping.
Participants will learn how to strategically frame innovation challenges, better understand the needs of their students or clients, identify problems, and create prototypes of solutions. Practical exercises, case studies, and team tasks will help them acquire real skills that they can immediately apply in their teaching. The course is designed to equip educators with tools to support creativity, innovation, and problem-solving in their academic environments.
The workshop will be led by Adam Brocka, an experienced service designer and facilitator with extensive expertise in using Design Thinking. His guidance promises that participants will gain not only theoretical knowledge but also valuable practical advice and recommendations that they can use in their teaching practice.
Additional Design Thinking courses within the project will take place:
- September 4-5, 2024, in Trnava at the University of St. Cyril and Methodius
- September 9-10, 2024, in Prague at the University of Finance and Administration
- June 2025 in Tbilisi at the University of Business and Technology
All of these courses are key outputs of the Erasmus+ 2022-1-SK01-KA220-HED-000089101 project – Design Thinking as a Method of Soft Skills and Digital Skills Development in Higher Education to Increase Employability. Following these courses, a handbook will be published that summarizes the most important information about Design Thinking and places it in the context of higher education.