What question did this study set out to answer?

This study aims to evaluate an intervention designed to enhance design thinking competencies in an online course setting.

April 29, 2026Open Access

“Empathy is my favorite word”: Facilitating design thinking mindset through modular learning and self-assessments in an online course

Key Points

This study aims to evaluate an intervention designed to enhance design thinking competencies in an online course setting.
Conducted a design thinking intervention through a 30-minute learning module and self-assessments over four semesters.
Involved 156 students participating in the online course.
Measured improvements in design thinking skills, particularly empathy.
Significant improvement in design thinking competencies with emphasis on empathy.
Distinct differences between high and low design thinking competency groups were observed.
Students showed enhanced ability to apply design thinking skills across various contexts.

Abstract

Design thinking has emerged as an effective methodology to enhance critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving. Nevertheless, incorporating design thinking (DT) into the curriculum can be challenging, and more illustrative examples are needed. This study examines a DT intervention in an online course, including a 30-minute learning module and recurring self-assessments over four semesters, encompassing 156 students. The findings indicate that the intervention significantly improved students’ DT competencies, especially in “Empathy.” Clear distinctions are observed between the high and low DT groups, particularly in their ability to use DT skills across different contexts. Limitations and possible implications were also discussed.

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