Fourteenth International Conference on Design Principles & Practices

Abstract

The purpose of research is to determine whether design thinking in the context of English Language Arts has an effect middle school student empathy. For comparison, students participate in combinations of the school’s adopted curriculum, Reader’s Workshop utilizing the book Wonder, and/ or design thinking. Design thinking is hypothesized to increase empathic tendencies, as measured by a survey, writing prompt, and participant interviews, most due to its focus on human-centered creation and investigations into problems which students in their grade may face. The researcher expands on tools gathered from Maureen Carroll’s work at the school to elucidate how one might utilize design thinking in any classroom as a tool to increase student empathy while students participate in rigorous, relevant, and engaging curricular material.