Abstract:

Design Thinking is often referred to as a creative problem-solving method used in the industry and by IT professionals. In Education it is also seen as a Pedagogical Method. This paper explores Design Thinking as a tool to conduct participatory action research with educators from a Romanian University. Using two case studies of qualitative research, this paper shows results on how perceived culture inside Higher Education can be determined using a participatory qualitative study developed during a design thinking workshop conducted with educators during the pandemic. Findings from this study also show an impact on teaching practices and question the presence of facets of the transformative paradigm. The novelty of the study also refers to the availability of educators from the same institution, but different fields of study, to take part in a ten-week project that included the introduction into the Design Thinking Methodology. As an eclectic, multidisciplinary team is one of the main pillars in Design Thinking, respecting this requirement enhanced the results of the project and led to the development of the best practices platform for educators, used inside the university.

Keywords:

Design thinking, participatory research, higher education.