4. Design-thinking Course
4.1 ACTC 2014
4.1.1 Title: The usage of mobile internet device in the action research of design thinking integrated science course
Authors: Tsun-Hsin Wang,1 Chung-Hsiang Wang,2 Wen-Sung Chou,1 Yi-Hwan Shyr,3 and Chin-Hui Wang4,*
Affiliations: 1Taichung Municipal Chung-Gang Senior High-school, Taiwan
2National United University, Taiwan
3National Taichung University of Education, Taiwan
4Taichung Municipal Koi-Mei Primary School, Taiwan
*Contact information: chwang@nuu.edu.tw
Topic: Action Research, Mobile Learning, Design Thinking.
Abstract
We report the studies to use the mobile internet device in the science course at the CHUNG GANG senior high school in Taichung, Taiwan. The course is designed with the design thinking method and the tablet PC are used. From the previous experience, design thinking will benefit not only the teachers and the students, but also the school authorities. However, some problems and challenges have been discovered during the execution of this program which needs further studies. On the other hand, mobile internet device (MID) becomes more and more common in the daily life with the merits of light in weight, small in size and easy operation. Here, the prospects and the potential benefits of the design thinking course with MID will also be discussed and presented here. The program is supported by Nation Science Council of Taiwan, and executed by high-school teachers and university professors.
4.1.2 Title: Application of the design thinking in the mathematics course with mobile internet device
Authors: Tsung-Yi Weng,1 Chung-Hsiang Wang,2,* Wen-Sung Chou,1 Yi-Hwan Shyr,3 and Tsun-Hsin Wang1
Affiliations: 1Taichung Municipal Chung-Gang Senior High-school, Taiwan
2National United University, Taiwan
3National Taichung University of Education, Taiwan
*Contact information: chwang@nuu.edu.tw
Topic: Action Research, Mobile Learning, Design Thinking.
Abstract
The traditional senior high school Mathematics contents are usually difficult and boring for the students, which result in the low scores. In this study, we tried to increase the student motivation and interests through different teaching styles and contents. E-learning platform and the tablet PC are used on the classroom. The contents and styles are organized and designed by the design thinking. On the class, students can access the math related teaching video shared by other high schools through the web. The video content can be a short show or drama. Teachers and students then discuss what that video will tell you about the math. Finally, they need to make their own video. In this way, a math course is the integration of math with other daily life activities. A very
substantial improvement has been observed in the preliminary studies. The details of the contents and the teaching style will be included here.
substantial improvement has been observed in the preliminary studies. The details of the contents and the teaching style will be included here.
4.2 ACE 2012
The 4th Asian Conference on Education 2012, Osaka, Japan. (ISSN:2186-5692)
4.2.1 Title: An action research of design thinking integration to the high school science and technology education
Authors: Tsun-Hsin Wang,1 Chung-Hsiang Wang,2 Ching-Fong Li,1 Yi-Hwan Shyr,2 and Chin-Hui Wang3,*
Affiliations: 1Taichung Municipal Chung-Gang Senior High-school, Taiwan
2National United University, Taiwan
3Taichung Municipal Koi-Mei Primary School, Taiwan
*Contact information: chwang@nuu.edu.tw
Topic: Action Research, High Scope Program, Design Thinking.
Abstract
An action research of Design Thinking with integration to the science and technology education at a senior high-school has been proposed. The students involving in this research belong to the 12th grade at the senior high-school where the researcher is that school teacher. According to our preliminary studies, there are three major problems when a senior high-school tries to integrate the design thinking into science and technology education. The school authorities, the teachers, and the students have their own problems from the traditional education system, which will be discussed in this paper. The future prospects and the potential benefits of the design thinking education will also be included and discussed here.
I. Introduction
Since 1990, mankind has entered the era of knowledge economy. The United States (U.S.) and the European Union economy, which are highly developed countries alike, realize the importance of secondary education reform; Science education to enable students to take the initiative to identify problems and integration solutions for scientific and technical knowledge to create the core of this study. The core spirit of such process to make the change is “design”.
Based on the foregoing ideas, 1992, the British national curriculum framework stipulated that "Design and Technology" (DT) is a required course. Some design companies in the U.S., the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) pull strings with some of the State Board of Education will co-design into secondary school teaching.
However, traditional education in science and technology is leaded by two major Entrance Examinations of Universities in Taiwan. The General Scholastic Ability Test is held around February in winter recess and the Department Required Test is held around July in summer recess. As a result, the courses are divided as prescribed courses and elective courses respectively. In Taiwan, senior high school students are mostly selected through their scores in the high school entrance examination. The students in Chung-Gang Senior High-school (CGSH) are graded among 70% to 80% with the best students graded 99%.
Our research program attempts to implement British "design and technology" of the national curriculum framework as the core, with the U.S. industrial design and design education into secondary school teaching with the university cooperation. The collaborative members include CGSH, National United University (NUU), and other members such as Koi-Mei Primary School, Washington Senior High-school, and National Yun-Lin University of Science and Technology.
II. What’s design thinking? How to proceed?
The program is composed of three groups with the funding from Taiwan government, National Science Council (NSC). The professors in the universities are the first group which plays the role of advisors in this project. The high school teachers and staff are the second group. The final group is the students who are regarded as study objects. In the very beginning of this research, we have to find some teachers who are willing to learn. As a result, a summer workshop is provided by a design company (Gixia Inc.) in July and August 2011. After the training courses of Design Thinking, the teachers then become the instructors and speakers of the training courses for students. The students then do their projects based on the principle of the design thing.
The study methodology is a portfolio assessment by Delphi Method which can make the research a reflective practitioner (Avrramidou & Zembal-Saul, 2002), (Gibson, Bernhard, Kropf, Ramirez, & Van Strat, 2001), (Swanson, 2000), (Schön, 1983, 1988).
Based on the definitions of Design Thinking (Brown, 2010), we summarize the qualifications of Design Thinking with the following abilities; observation, user analysis, empathy, definition, ideate, prototype, and testing. The activation of humanity and active learning and the skill training of new science and broad abilities are finally toward the ability of problem-solving.
On the other hand, in order to motivate the students in this Design Thinking Project, we need to take care of the students needs, which contain at least three categories. The first is the preparation of the career guidance of the students. Because the Portfolio is asked by the General Scholastic Ability Test for the applied students, the designs of the Portfolio can be guided by the Design Thinking. The second is the feeling experience of traditional prescribed courses. The incorporation of Design Thinking is expected to prevent the boring experience on classes. The last category is to make the project embedded into traditional courses which can improve students’ capabilities.
The first year project is to implement the design thing in the science and technology course and encourage students to do some small projects. One example will be discussed in the following sections.
III. Redesign on flag-raising platform
An example is executed by the redesign on flag-raising platform. Initially, the authors make the students observe the platform and analysis the experience of themselves on the original platform. Followings are their conclusions. The appearance is a traditional building. The usage frequency is below once per year. The location is at bolder area of the campus. The overall evaluation is that it could be better or it should be better. Based on their experience, the first author proposes his redesign platform which is a physics teacher-based proposal. In order to ideate the user-based thinking, the author uses a “Like” button on Facebook in order to ask the students: What’s the platform you like? In this design, the Design Thinking, new science, and feeling experience are embedded experimentally.
The platform is proposed to set a LED display on the front, solar cell panels on the top, a wind power module on the ridge, and rain fall recycling system on the slope. Due to our former study which is joined to the Science Fair, in CGSH people encounter very strong northern wind in winter. As a result, the wind power in new science is introduced. Finally, the author asks students: Is there any other crazy ideas like some reports on the newspaper which is redesigned for the bus stops as a school-bag and a magic cube. What if we design the platform as a very huge concentrated solar energy module?
IV. Related bright-spots and the students feedback
Besides the embedded courses, the students are encouraged to join the invention contests. For International Exhibition for Young Invention (IEYI) 2012 in Taiwan, two teams of the High Scope Program in CGSH win silver medal awards.
As the High Scope Program is a three-year project. The embedded course is executed by three stages recursively. The first stage is a preliminary test as external course after joint examination. The second stage is an elective course. These two stages had been finished in last year which is the first year of our project. The final stage is being executed and embedded into prescribed course in this year. It is observed that the student designs are limited by traditional shape design and are not sufficiently satisfied due to the lack of training courses in stage 1. Contrarily, in stage 2, the student designs are colorful and emerged with environments around CGSH. For example, the location of CGSH is near the Taichung-Port, it is observed that many designs are ship-shaped accordingly. More fruitful designs can be observed such as the usage of mind-map and specialized CG-ark. It is also noteworthy that a student introduces the idea provided in the class. He claims that the best design is no design. As a result, keep the platform as it is. More interesting designs not related to the platform can be seen in their design notes.
V. Conclusions and future challenges
In summary, on the good side, High Scope Program is beneficial for the integration of university, high school faulty, teachers, and students to develop their own professional enhancement. An embedded course with Design Thinking is beneficial for the promotion of feeling experience in Science and Technology curriculum. We are not intended to find the best solution, but, instead, the better solution.
Contrarily, on the down side, additional burden and loading are not avoidable for the integration of university, high school faculties, teachers, and students. For example, the ability of program execution for high school faculties is desired. The peer-relationship of teachers should be handled with care. The motivation of students should be activated by various approaches in the beginning of this project. As a result, more skills and experience are needed for some other innovative curriculums. Survey and investigation of curriculum, student feedback, and activity design could be helpful for the improvement of this project.
As a result, more investigations are needed. For example, because Design Thinking is not so easy to be qualified, evaluations are still under construction in this project. In our future works, the evaluations can be at least three dimensions.
Acknowledge
This work was supported in part by the National Science Council (NSC) of Taiwan under grant NSC 100-2514-S-791-011.
Reference
Avrramidou, L., & Zembal-Saul, C. (2002). Exploring the influence of web-based portfolio development on learning to teach elementary science. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
Brown, T. (2010). Change by design: How design thinking transforms organizations and inspires innovation, Linking Books, Taipei, Taiwan.
Gibson, H. L., Bernhard, J., Kropf, A., Ramirez, M. A., & Van Strat, G. (2001). Enhancing the science literacy of preservice teachers through the use of reflective journals. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching, St. Louis, Michigan, USA.
Schön, D. A. (1983). The reflective practitioner: How professionals think in action. New York : Basic Books; Schön, D.A. (1988). Educating the reflective practitioner. London: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
Swanson, G. (2000). Is design important? [Online]. Reinventing design education in the university. International design education conference. Available at:http://www.humanities.curtin.edu.au/html/des/DesEd2000/preconference04.htm
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