UBCO Design Thinking Hub

Project Team

  • Ray Taheri-Ardebili, Associate Professor of Teaching, School of Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science (Lead Applicant)
  • Susan Crichton, Associate Professor, Faculty of Education
  • Sabine Weyand, Assistant Professor of Teaching, School of Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science
  • Nancy Darling, Director, Women In Trades, Okanagan College

Themes

  • Experiential Learning
  • Flexible Learning
  • Interdisciplinary

Year

2018

About the Project

This project will provide students from a variety of disciplines with experiential learning in design thinking, design manufacturing, and group design work. Students will be introduced to design and manufacturing as a process that is human-centered and relies on empathy, ideation, iteration, prototyping, and testing.

This project will develop blended learning modules that will provide students with the opportunity to obtain certificates (badges) that showcase their knowledge in the following areas:

  1. Design thinking (e.g. need finding, need scoping, ideation, and virtual design);
  2. Design prototyping and manufacturing (e.g. techniques for building and testing designs);
  3. Implementing design thinking and design prototyping in small groups inside or outside the classroom.

This certificate program will be available to all interested UBC Okanagan students beyond core curriculum requirements and badge 3 will also be integrated into several courses including APSC 171, APSC 169, APSC 258 and STEM education. In the future, the program could also be offered regionally as community outreach. The program will leverage existing maker spaces at the University of British Columbia, including: School of Engineering Maker Zone in EME 2220 and the Innovative Learning Classroom (EME 1123). Through these spaces, the program will have access to emerging technologies such as 3D printers, CNC hotwire cutter, CNC rotor, laser cutter, 3D scanner as well as hands tools for 3D modelling/simulation.

Students who complete this program will be well prepared for design thinking and maker activities in their classes and beyond. The program will also serve as a feeder to students who need to use higher fidelity prototyping facilities, such as the existing STAR facilit

Additional Information