Design challenges uses the design thinking process to find a solution to a challenge. Design thinking takes on a problem solving mindset. Design challenges create real world opportunities for students be innovative and creative while using their higher order thinking and 21st century learning skills. Design thinking and challenges provides a student centric learning experience to happen in the classroom. Below is the design process that Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools (all rights reserved) uses:
• How might we create ways for younger students to better understand how important digital citizenship is?
• Create an app that would help you solve a problem you encounter daily.
• Knex: Design Challenge
• Design a clothing product that allows for heating and cooling of materials for different sports. (Example of standards based Design Challenge - Science: 5.P.3)
Museum of Science, Boston Design Challenges
Design Challenge Lessons from The Tech Museum: Museum of Innovation
A Design Challenge to Students: Solve a Real-World Problem!
Design Squad - PBS (Great for 3-8th graders)
Real World Design Challenges (HS Level)
Threadless Design Challenge - Real world application
K12 Lab Wiki for Design Challenges
Design Thinking for Educators
IDEO Design Thinking
Great article by Forbes: Design Thinking: A Unified Framework for Innovation
Jill Thompson is the Program Manager for Personalized Learning for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. Jill graduated from Salem State College in Salem, Massachusetts with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and Bachelor of Arts in English. She went on to obtained her Masters in Curriculum and Instruction from Winthrop University and and AIG (Academically or Intellectually Gifted) licensure at UNCC. Follow Jill on Twitter @edu_thompson and learn more about her here: http://about.me/jillthompson.