KUA Offers New Design Thinking Course
Billy Ayotte, director of innovation and design, launched a new Design Thinking course this fall that explores the human factor of STEM fields through a hands-on project-based approach.
The recent development of Scholar Programs has signaled new opportunities for course offerings. As we began to plan the STEM Scholar Program three years ago, a ‘design thinking’ course became a vital component. Each STEM scholar, regardless of their area of concentration – science, technology, engineering, or math – is required to take the course. Understanding the fundamental principles of design is necessary for success in these fields in college and the working world.
Mr. Ayotte’s course is informed by the “Insights for Innovation” course offered by IDEO U. As described by Tim Brown, the Chair of IDEO, “Design thinking is a human-centered approach to innovation that draws from the designer’s toolkit to integrate the needs of people, the possibilities of technology, and the requirements for business success.”
This fall, the students worked on projects related to accessibility for the visually impaired, investigated civil engineering issues through the design of a park, and designed posters and t-shirts representing a social cause. During winter term, Mr. Ayotte hopes to give students a real-world challenge that will impact KUA directly. Design Thinking joins several other new courses, such as Humanities and Sustainability & Social Entrepreneurship that take a multi-disciplinary approach to teaching and learning.
