Digital Platforms: Demystifying and Democratizing the Design Thinking & Systems Approach for Learning

We are hearing quite a bit about Design Thinking and, to some extent, Systems Approach across boardrooms and classrooms. But what do these approaches really have to do with learning and teaching?

Design has evolved far beyond the studios of a few mavericks focused on creating “cool products.” Today, Design Thinking represents the human-centered improvement of experiences, encompassing both products and services. Systems Approach (SA) complements Design Thinking (DT) by encouraging problem solvers to broaden their horizons, recognize interrelationships between moving parts, and focus on synthesis rather than just analysis. For the purpose of this discussion, DT refers to both Design Thinking and Systems Approach.

Why is it important to include DT in classroom experiences? The five-step design thinking cycle — empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test — provides learners with a structured framework to solve problems and make the world better, which is the ultimate goal of learning.

Incorporating DT also expands learning beyond basic literacies to include the development of essential 21st-century skills such as creative thinking, critical thinking, collaboration, and communication. DT significantly enhances the learning process, but widespread adoption remains limited due to challenges related to cost, capability, and mindset.

This raises an important question: how can we demystify and democratize the adoption of Design Thinking in classrooms? Advances in digital platforms and technologies hold the key.

Simulated Environments give students the opportunity to be experientially “in the moment” without physically being present, helping build empathy. Imagine students virtually experiencing the horrors of war — an experience no traditional history class could replicate. Beyond educational games like “World Rescue” or the “Journey North” project, Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) tools promise truly immersive classroom experiences.

Adoption of these tools is accelerating as organizations such as Facebook (Oculus), Microsoft (HoloLens), HTC (Vive), and Google (Cardboard) continue to reduce costs and develop new applications for both learning and entertainment.

Defining and ideating — or brainstorming — are most effective when done collaboratively. Digital visualization and collaboration tools extend beyond physical post-it notes and whiteboards, which are limited to a single room. Platforms like Google Keep and “Paper by FiftyThree” are suitable for K–12 learning, while enterprise-level tools such as Mural, Batterii, and Trello are increasingly finding relevance in schools and colleges.

Prototyping, the transformation of ideas into reality, is often the most engaging phase for learners but also the hardest to scale due to constraints related to time, materials, expertise, and cost. Digital design tools like Tinkercad and 3D printers such as MakerBot have made progress in this area. The intersection of VR/AR with CAD/CAM technologies has the potential to make digital prototyping truly comprehensive and widely adoptable.

Testing and reflection enable learners to evaluate whether they are on the right path and improve based on feedback — a critical component of meaningful learning. Digital platforms supporting this phase include shared drives and digital portfolio systems like Seesaw.

While this discussion only scratches the surface of how digital platforms can support learners and teachers in adopting Design Thinking and Systems Approach, their use by policymakers to drive systemic and strategic change could truly transform classroom experiences — a topic for another day.