Abstract
Digital literacy is vital for business students, but cultivating it is difficult when technical tasks such as computer programming are viewed as insurmountable challenges. In this chapter, we argue that teaching technical skills to students should begin with teaching them how to think. We outline an approach to design thinking, which entails framing problems from the perspective of users (or customers), envisioning possible solutions by creatively developing, then iteratively testing, ideas, before finally implementing. This process encourages students to view problems systematically, to view their designs as models or simulations of reality and to overcome a natural fear of failure in order to solve problems. Subsequently, students are more prepared for learning the technical skills they require to put the solutions they develop into practice. We outline a set of activities and some teaching tips to support design thinking for business students.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Learning and Teaching in Higher Education |
| Subtitle of host publication | Perspectives from a Business School |
| Publisher | Edward Elgar |
| Chapter | 19 |
| Pages | 186-196 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9781788975087 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9781788975070 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 15 Oct 2019 |