A Design Thinking Approach to Higher Education
In this lesson, I tried to lay the foundation to help students connect their ideas about the meaning and purpose of college ("Collegeview") with a set of values that shape their understanding about the larger world ("Worldview"). Even with the Worldview activity and the various analog and digital values sort activities out there (I used... Continue Reading →
For my second class, I wanted to get students to reflect on the "why" of their college experience. Not just why go to college, but why choose the very specific experience of a four-year liberal arts education at Johns Hopkins. When I asked them whether they viewed college as career preparation, an venue for self-discovery... Continue Reading →
Over the past year, I've led a number of Life Design workshops for doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers at Johns Hopkins University. In that time, I've found that while Design Thinking works well for this group, many of them have trouble moving past their focus on a tenure track position in order to embrace the... Continue Reading →
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com The first several weeks of the fall semester is absolutely critical for first-year students, as it is during this period that they develop the relationships with faculty, staff, and peers that will connect them to campus and (hopefully) lay the foundation for a life-long affinity for the institution. At a... Continue Reading →
Last week I had pleasure of facilitating a conversation with two Hopkins alumni, Sadaf Khan and Sharad Baliyan, on the topics of Defining Your Goals, Generating Ideas, and Radical Collaboration. My guests shared some fantastic ideas and words of wisdom in the short hour we had together. Throughout our conversation I was struck by the... Continue Reading →
Photo by Sindre Stru00f8m on Pexels.com In his 2019 book Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World, journalist David Epstein turns our perceived wisdom about careers on its head. Despite the common belief that to be successful one must commit to a path early and devote as much time and energy as possible to... Continue Reading →
Photo by ArtHouse Studio on Pexels.com If you've ever worked your way through Designing Your Life or attended a day-long or multi-day "Designing Your Life" workshop you will know that Odyssey Plans are the central part of the DYL process. The early steps in the process lay the foundation for building out your Odyssey Plans... Continue Reading →
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KT0Mv1JXWo0 It's interesting to watch experienced designers and educators like Bill Burnett and Dave Evans grapple with the Life Design process in real time. When the COVID-19 lockdowns first started many of us (myself included), attempted to reframe the situation to emphasize the potential of the moment. "Take up a hobby! Connect with old friends... Continue Reading →
Another excellent video from the authors of Designing Your Life, Dave Evans and Bill Burnett. While COVID-19 will prevent many of our students from getting hands-on experience in a potential career field, Burnett and Evans note that there is no better time to conduct informational interviews. Furthermore, they cite Harvard psychologist Dan Gilbert to argue... Continue Reading →
Photo by fauxels on Pexels.com In my last activity post, Re(Design) Your Summer Internship, I shared ways that students could employ design thinking to reimagine their summer so that they can continue to build their way forward and advance their career goals in spite of the COVID-19 restrictions. But what if you have no idea... Continue Reading →
Education * Designed 