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Evaluation of an interdisciplinary design thinking course.

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Title: Evaluation of an interdisciplinary design thinking course.
Authors: Kumarappan, Manjari1 (AUTHOR), Skywark Connor, Emily1 (AUTHOR), Chen, Elizabeth1 (AUTHOR) lizcchen@unc.edu
Source: Innovations in Education & Teaching International. Jun2026, Vol. 63 Issue 3, p781-796. 16p.
Subject Terms: *Educational evaluation, *Graduate education, *Outcome-based education, *College curriculum, *Health occupations schools, *Mixed methods research, Design thinking, Group problem solving
Company/Entity: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Abstract: As health professions integrate more collaborative problem-solving approaches like design thinking, assessing students in cross-disciplinary, innovation-focused competencies is essential. This mixed-methods study evaluates an interdisciplinary graduate design thinking course at The University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, examining students' progression in key competencies. Surveys administered at the beginning, middle, and end of the semester captured self-reported design thinking expertise from 53 students. Results were analysed using repeated measures ANOVA and mixed-effects ordered logistics regression. Student reflections were coded for design thinking methods, mindsets, and competencies. Students demonstrated significant advancement in design thinking expertise, with no demographic subgroup (e.g. by race and ethnicity, degree, school) outperforming another. While competencies like "empathetic" and "inspired" were more easily adopted, those like "confident" and "collaborative" were more challenging. The course effectively advances students' design thinking expertise overall, but refining its structure and classroom experiences can better support key competencies needed for future health professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Innovations in Education & Teaching International is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Education Research Complete
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  Data: Evaluation of an interdisciplinary design thinking course.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Innovations+in+Education+%26+Teaching+International%22">Innovations in Education & Teaching International</searchLink>. Jun2026, Vol. 63 Issue 3, p781-796. 16p.
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  Data: *<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+evaluation%22">Educational evaluation</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Graduate+education%22">Graduate education</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Outcome-based+education%22">Outcome-based education</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22College+curriculum%22">College curriculum</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Health+occupations+schools%22">Health occupations schools</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mixed+methods+research%22">Mixed methods research</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Design+thinking%22">Design thinking</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Group+problem+solving%22">Group problem solving</searchLink>
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  Data: As health professions integrate more collaborative problem-solving approaches like design thinking, assessing students in cross-disciplinary, innovation-focused competencies is essential. This mixed-methods study evaluates an interdisciplinary graduate design thinking course at The University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, examining students' progression in key competencies. Surveys administered at the beginning, middle, and end of the semester captured self-reported design thinking expertise from 53 students. Results were analysed using repeated measures ANOVA and mixed-effects ordered logistics regression. Student reflections were coded for design thinking methods, mindsets, and competencies. Students demonstrated significant advancement in design thinking expertise, with no demographic subgroup (e.g. by race and ethnicity, degree, school) outperforming another. While competencies like "empathetic" and "inspired" were more easily adopted, those like "confident" and "collaborative" were more challenging. The course effectively advances students' design thinking expertise overall, but refining its structure and classroom experiences can better support key competencies needed for future health professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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  Data: <i>Copyright of Innovations in Education & Teaching International is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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        Value: 10.1080/14703297.2025.2514247
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        Text: English
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      – SubjectFull: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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      – TitleFull: Evaluation of an interdisciplinary design thinking course.
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              M: 06
              Text: Jun2026
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              Y: 2026
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