Location, context, time, and duration
An on-line instructor training event took place at the Software Engineering and Automation Lab, Department of Software Engineering of the National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences on October 19, 2023
Participants
The event was attended by 27 higher education instructors from the Department of Computer Science and Software engineering of the National University computer and emerging sciences.
Description of activities
Participants were introduced to design thinking and gamification ideas, which form the foundation of the proposed ICT-INOV methodological learning approach for building innovation abilities in higher education.
Participants were also given examples of exercises that could be used in the stages of the design thinking process, such as team formation, creativity encouragement, problem identification, empathetic problem-solving, problem redefining, ideation, idea selection, prototyping, and evaluation. They used tools in every level of the design thinking process. During the team building phase, for example, participants worked on a team canvas outlining collaboration standards, wrote team logs and presented their teams, and took part in creative activities. They specified the problem space at the problem specification stage. During the exploration stage, they used exercises such as a neighbourhood stroll to get a diversity of opinions on a certain subject. They prepared and conducted further interviews to better understand consumer wants. They developed a user persona by mapping the results.
Finally, the ICT-INOV learning platform was demonstrated to the attendees. Specifically, participants were shown the instructor and student interfaces. Participants learned how to create an activity, post instructions for students to follow each step in the design thinking process, and access the reference manual, activity calendar, platform analytics, and gamification components that encourage participation through prizes. Participants also looked at the platform’s resource library, which has exercises intended for each stage of the design thinking process. Teachers can select which exercises to include in the activities they design for their pupils. Participants witnessed how students sign up for classes, establish groups, and participate in design. They were also exposed to genuine ICT-INOV learning activities created for the Software Engineering and Technologies in Education courses. These activities have already been used in classes. Participants were able to observe student canvas examples of good practice.
Feedback and web presence
It was promoted via email to the faculty members across departments. The participants enjoyed the opportunity to learn about design thinking.