Abstract:

In 2005 Ireland embraced the idea of the module delivery for Higher Education (HE). The intervening years have brought about a desire for generic programme delivery fully integrating the module catalogues that now exist in the Higher Educations Institutes (HEI). Most Arts facilities have developed a set of modules that have evolved from the communication studies to include ‘critical thinking’ and ‘research methodologies’. These modules offer the undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) degrees i.e. a standard of common learning outcomes with given aims and objectives. As new programme deliveries have been rolling out in the Irish University and Institute of Technology sectors, the use of generic modules has become standard across all Schools and Departments at HEIs.

In an Irish HE cross disciplinary/interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary environment this paper seeks to offer another module ‘Design Thinking’ as a module that can offer all students greater problem solving, creative and collaborative skills.

This is an important learning and teaching approach to take outside of the creative and performing arts departments and schools, as digital technology changes the HE landscape regionally, nationally and globally. Visual Communication (VC) and indeed the broader design disciplines such as product; industrial and interactive design have used design thinking as a learning tool to create applied design solutions i.e. prototypes as being the end goal, since design schools were established. This paper explores by way of a qualitative, single case study methodology how domains outside the Arts can use design thinking to help their ability to write, research, and learn in their own discipline.

Methodology:
Some twenty semi-structured interviews with students across one HEI in the School of Humanities were used as a sample group. All had taken generic ‘critical thinking’ and research methodologies modules’ at stage 1 in their level 8 programmes. During the semester they were introduced to a ‘design thinking’ module, which had a learning outcome that allows for a discipline specific solution. Semi-structured interviews provide the individual feedback and collective responses, as the students not only interact with a different module but work collectively to provide end solutions to individual learning. The use of visual images to show the end solutions is integral to the analysis and presentation.

Keywords:

Design Thinking, Interdisciplinary Research, Teaching and Learning, User Experience, Creative, Higher Education, Visual Communication, Graphic Design.