Design Thinking Assignment

Teaching Young Children To Read

Challenge

Children tend to begin to read, in earnest, when they begin school around the age of 5.  Different  children develop their reading skills at different rates.  Many will develop a love a reading, whereas  others will struggle and hate it.  Several reading methods and tools have been developed over the  years with various success.  New digital technologies may offer new tools and methods to help find  new ways to engage young readers; particularly those children who traditionally struggle with  learning to read.

I have chosen as my challenge identifying some new tools and/or methods for teaching young  children to read.  The focus for this assignment is the end of the “What Is” and “What If” stages of  Design Thinking.

Selection

I have selected the Mind Mapping Tool for this assignment.  The Mind Mapping Tool would be used  to make sense of all the data gathered in the research phase.  It helps key stakeholders look for  patterns and insights into that data, which would help give me an idea of where some of the  problems and successes are with tools for teaching kids to read. This can then feed into the “What  If” stage.

Application

Firstly, I would conduct desk based background research to gather as many examples as possible to  identify all the current and past methods and aids for teaching beginner readers how to read.  I  would also conduct research on new methods and aids being proposed, and conduct some teacher  interviews to help put some of the research into context.  I would compile all this information  visually.  That is, construct flow diagrams, where appropriate, gather actual examples of teaching  and learning aids, get photos of some in use, etc.

Once all this data is compiled, I would conduct a Mind Mapping exercise.  All this data and learning  will then be collated and the mind mapping exercise can begin.  I would have all the visual aids  representing the data from the research exercise displayed around the room and invite a group of  stakeholders to come and “view” the information, collated in like-information sections.  The  stakeholders in this case would be teachers, parents and children who have been reading for several  years already.

I would ask the participants to make some notes on sticky notes about the “good stuff” – the  information they think might inform new ideas for learning to read.  I would take all the sticky notes  and collate them in themed clusters on a common wall for sorting, etc.

Insight

Note that this work is yet to be carried out.  However, this is a problem I have worked on (indirectly)  in the past.  Previously, new teaching aids were proposed without a proper understanding of the

pros and cons of what already existed.  My insight gained from doing this course is that using the  Mind Mapping Tool during the What Is stage should help gather far richer information than mere  researching alone.  This is because it can help cut through a lot of the noise of a high volume data set  to get to the heart of where opportunity lies for improvement.

Approach

An alternative approach would be to rely more on interviews with key stakeholders, making use of  the Visualization Tool.  This might cut down on the number of people required for the Mind Mapping  exercise (improving logistics) and also gain more indepth insight from key stakeholders.


Design Thinking Assignment Teaching Young Children To Read Challenge Children tend to begin to read , in earnest , when they begin school around the age of 5 . Different children develop their reading skills at different rates . Many will develop a love a reading , whereas others will struggle and hate it . Several reading methods and tools have been developed over the years with various success . New digital technologies may offer new tools and methods to help find new ways to engage young readers ; particularly those children who traditionally struggle with learning to read . I have chosen as my challenge identifying some new tools and/or methods for teaching young children to read . The focus for this assignment is the end of the “ What Is ” and “ What If ” stages of Design Thinking . Selection I have selected the Mind Mapping Tool for this assignment . The Mind Mapping Tool would be used to make sense of all the data gathered in the research phase . It helps key stakeholders look for patterns and insights into that data , which would help give me an idea of where some of the problems and successes are with tools for teaching kids to read . This can then feed into the “ What If ” stage . Application Firstly , I would conduct desk based background research to gather as many examples as possible to identify all the current and past methods and aids for teaching beginner readers how to read . I would also conduct research on new methods and aids being proposed , and conduct some teacher interviews to help put some of the research into context . I would compile all this information visually . That is , construct flow diagrams , where appropriate , gather actual examples of teaching and learning aids , get photos of some in use , etc . Once all this data is compiled , I would conduct a Mind Mapping exercise . All this data and learning will then be collated and the mind mapping exercise can begin . I would have all the visual aids representing the data from the research exercise displayed around the room and invite a group of stakeholders to come and “ view ” the information , collated in like - information sections . The stakeholders in this case would be teachers , parents and children who have been reading for several years already . I would ask the participants to make some notes on sticky notes about the “ good stuff ” – the information they think might inform new ideas for learning to read . I would take all the sticky notes and collate them in themed clusters on a common wall for sorting , etc . Insight Note that this work is yet to be carried out . However , this is a problem I have worked on ( indirectly ) in the past . Previously , new teaching aids were proposed without a proper understanding of the pros and cons of what already existed . My insight gained from doing this course is that using the Mind Mapping Tool during the What Is stage should help gather far richer information than mere researching alone . This is because it can help cut through a lot of the noise of a high volume data set to get to the heart of where opportunity lies for improvement . Approach An alternative approach would be to rely more on interviews with key stakeholders , making use of the Visualization Tool . This might cut down on the number of people required for the Mind Mapping exercise ( improving logistics ) and also gain more indepth insight from key stakeholders .