Embracing the Design Thinking Mindset: A Teacher’s Guide to Design Thinking with PAST PILs
- Jeff Schneider
- Jul 7
- 8 min read
Have you ever wished your students were more engaged in the classroom? The Design Thinking mindset, combined with the PAST Foundation’s Portable Innovation Labs (PILs) and Design Cycle, offers a transformative way to empower students to take charge of their learning!
"PBL gives students a voice in their learning. Instead of merely memorizing and regurgitating information, students gain a deeper understanding and a broader set of skills, including collaboration, teamwork, and research."
What Is Design Thinking?
At its core, Design Thinking is a human-centered, creative, and iterative approach to problem-solving.
Design Thinking emphasizes:
Empathy: Understanding the needs and perspectives of others.
Experimentation: Embracing trial and error as a path to innovation.
Collaboration: Leveraging diverse ideas and teamwork.
Iteration: Continuously refining solutions based on feedback.
Why Adopt a Design Thinking Mindset?
Adopting a Design Thinking mindset transforms the way students learn and teachers teach. Here’s why it works:
For Students:
Design Thinking fosters ownership of their learning by encouraging them to research, experiment, collaborate, and learn from failure. Research shows that hands-on, inquiry-driven learning increases retention by up to 30% compared to passive instruction.
As Catlin Tucker notes, students thrive when they are given opportunities to make decisions and take ownership of their learning. Offering students choice and voice fosters engagement and motivation while preparing them for future challenges.
"They want to be the answer. They want to. But they need to know, one, that they can, and, two, that when they are, they'll be listened to."
Jim Bruner captures a truth every teacher should embrace: students want to take ownership of their learning—they just need the opportunity and support to do so. When students feel empowered and know their ideas will be taken seriously, they become more engaged and motivated.
For Teachers:
Design Thinking shifts your role from lecturer to facilitator, empowering you to guide students as they explore solutions rather than providing all the answers.
"Incorporating the Design Thinking mindset into your teaching means creating opportunities where students can take charge of solving problems and exploring solutions. For example, instead of giving step-by-step instructions, ask open-ended questions like, 'What do you think we should try first?' or 'How would you approach this challenge?' This not only builds confidence but also helps students develop critical thinking skills."
"PBL shifts the classroom’s responsibility from the teacher to the student. Traditional teaching often centers on lesson plans and the teacher’s knowledge, but PBL requires students to take charge of their learning. By reflecting on their actions and outcomes, students learn to modify their thinking, which is the essence of learning."
Like Carol Dweck’s concept of a growth mindset, Bruner’s perspective reminds us that learning happens when students are allowed—and encouraged—to take risks and learn from their mistakes.
Example: Imagine asking students to design a sustainable water filtration system. Instead of following a recipe, they brainstorm ideas, prototype solutions, test their designs, and refine them—all while developing deeper understanding through action.
Why the Design Cycle Works
For Students:
Cognitive science shows that students learn faster and retain knowledge longer when they take ownership of their learning. The Design Cycle empowers students to experiment with ideas, collaborate with peers, and learn from failure—all crucial elements for deep understanding. As Jim Bruner explained in Learning Unboxed, "Stop believing that you have to know everything. Failure is hypercritical in farming. You don't want to do that again. But you need to know." This perspective applies directly to the classroom: failure is not a setback but a stepping stone toward improvement.
Hands-on design challenges encourage trial and error as a vital part of learning (Dweck, 2006), foster grit and resilience (Duckworth, 2016), and provide opportunities to practice giving and receiving constructive feedback. By iterating on their work, students develop the skills needed to produce innovative solutions and grow into adaptable individuals who will thrive in the ever-changing workplace of tomorrow (Pink, 2009).
Furthermore, fostering student agency is key to making this process successful. As Annalies Corbin notes in Hacking School: Five Strategies to Link Learning to Life, "PBL not only shifts the classroom’s responsibility from the teacher to the student, but we also know that reflection is a cornerstone of learning. By reflecting on their actions and outcomes, students learn to modify their thinking—a process essential for mastering the Design Cycle." Creating an environment where students feel heard and valued helps cultivate confidence, motivation, and agency in learners.
For Teachers:
The Design Cycle transforms the teacher’s role from lecturer to facilitator. Instead of delivering information directly, teachers guide students through real-world challenges by encouraging exploration and collaboration. This shift can feel challenging but is essential for fostering deeper learning.
As Annalies Corbin explains in Hacking School: Five Strategies to Link Learning to Life, "PBL shifts the classroom’s responsibility from the teacher to the student...By reflecting on their actions and outcomes, students learn to modify their thinking, which is the essence of learning." Teachers can model this mindset by celebrating failed attempts as opportunities for growth and asking reflective questions like, "What did we learn from this?" or "How can we improve next time?"
Facilitating problem-based learning scenarios involves crafting open-ended challenges that resonate with students’ interests and experiences. Corbin emphasizes that these scenarios should be culturally relevant and rooted in real-world problems: "Effective problem-based scenarios are rooted in real-world problems that matter to students." By presenting meaningful challenges tied to students' lives, educators can ignite curiosity and engagement while preparing them for future challenges.
This iterative process mirrors real-world problem-solving while helping students build resilience, adaptability, and critical thinking skills—qualities essential for success both in school and beyond.
How to Bring Design Thinking into Your Classroom
Bring Design Thinking to life in your classroom with the Design Cycle. This powerful framework translates Design Thinking into structured, actionable phases, empowering students to tackle real-world problems. The PAST Foundation, a proven innovator in education, has developed this clear and effective Design Cycle.
"Facilitating problem-based learning scenarios involves creating an environment where students are encouraged to explore and find solutions independently."
How to Bring Design Thinking into Your Classroom
Bring Design Thinking to life in your classroom with the Design Cycle. This powerful framework translates Design Thinking into structured, actionable phases, empowering students to tackle real-world problems. The PAST Foundation, a proven innovator in education, has developed this clear and effective Design Cycle.
"Facilitating problem-based learning scenarios involves creating an environment where students are encouraged to explore and find solutions independently."
1. Identify & Brainstorm
What do these mean?
Identify – Recognize and clearly define the problem or challenge to be addressed. (Empathy)
Brainstorm –Access prior knowledge and explore possible solutions.
Research (at all times, but only AFTER the Brainstorm)
How can you facilitate this?
Present a Challenge: Pose an open-ended question or real-world problem relevant to your subject area. For example: "How can we reduce food waste in our school cafeteria?"
Encourage Empathy: Ask students to consider who is impacted by the problem and why it matters.
Facilitate Brainstorming: Use sticky notes or whiteboards to capture ideas. Set clear guidelines for participation to keep sessions focused.
(Mindset Tip: Encourage wild ideas! Let students know there are no “wrong” answers at this stage.)
2. Design & Build
What do these mean?
Design – Develop detailed plans and strategies for addressing the problem.
Build – Create prototypes and test ideas. (Follow the Design)
How can you facilitate this?
Prototype Solutions: Let students sketch their ideas and build prototypes using materials from your PIL. Avoid giving step-by-step instructions—this is their time to explore!
Embrace Experimentation: Remind students that failure is part of learning. A “failed” prototype is an opportunity for growth.
(Mindset Tip: Celebrate failure as progress by asking, “What did we learn from this?”)
3. Evaluate & Iterate
What do these mean?
Evaluate – Reflect on results and gather feedback.
Iterate – Refine solutions based on evaluation and feedback.'
How can you facilitate this?
Analyze Results: Guide students in testing their prototypes and reflecting on what worked, what didn’t, and how they can improve.
Model Constructive Feedback: Show students how to critique ideas respectfully by focusing on solutions rather than problems.
(Mindset Tip: Reinforce that iteration is key—there’s always room for improvement.)
4. Share & Improve
What does this mean?
Share – Communicate findings and discuss potential improvements (Present)
How can you facilitate this?
Present Findings: Have students share their results with peers, or better yet, a broader audience (e.g., parents or community members).
Revisit Challenges: Encourage students to reflect on unresolved issues and iterate further based on feedback.
Reflect - Students should reflect on their work and their thinking at every opportunity throughout the whole design cycle (What worked, what didn’t, and what they would do differently next time, what did I learn, how did I learn, etc.)
What is the Benefit of Using the Design Cycle?
Utilizing Design Thinking and the Design Cycle shifts the focus from rote memorization to hands-on, student-driven learning—helping students develop critical thinking, creativity, and resilience.
"By addressing real-world challenges, such as improving prosthetics for individuals with disabilities, students gained a deeper understanding of the impact of their work and developed empathy and social awareness."
(Classroom Management Tip: Use structured presentation formats like Design Challenges, rubrics, or timed sessions to help keep students organized.)
Addressing Common Misconceptions
It's often thought that activity-based learning follows instruction, but it's the reverse. The activity itself fosters understanding. Students learn by doing. This active engagement helps students create direct knowledge.
Explore research-based articles on the effectiveness of activity-based learning for further detail. Additionally, see examples of activity-based learning in practice to witness its impact firsthand or check out this article on experiential learning principles.
How Does This Align with Standards?
The Design Cycle naturally aligns with educational standards like NGSS (Next Generation Science Standards) and Common Core by emphasizing critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and creativity—key 21st-century skills.
For example:
NGSS encourages defining problems and designing solutions as part of engineering practices.
Common Core promotes reasoning and problem-solving across disciplines.
By using the Design Cycle, you’re not just meeting standards—you’re exceeding them by preparing students for real-world challenges.
Your Next Step
Ready to transform your classroom? Start small by integrating one phase of the Design Cycle into your next project, lesson, or unit, or explore our Portable Innovation Labs for ready-made resources. You can also join one of our online courses to see how this approach works in action.
Let go of control—trust your students’ ability to lead their own learning journey.
Want to bring inquiry-based learning or Design Thinking to life in your classroom but not sure where to start? Let’s connect! Share your questions or challenges with me at jschneider@PASTfoundation.org.
Explore resources, workshops, and all 43 Portable Innovation Labs at PASTfoundation.org for ready-made resources designed to help you overcome roadblocks and make real-world learning a reality.
Curious about connecting with fellow educators? Join our STEMthusiasts meetups, where educators share strategies, tackle challenges, and turn big ideas into actionable solutions—all in a relaxed, supportive space.
Together, we can reimagine learning!
Comments