Innovative Horizons: Leveraging Design Thinking for Institutional and Academic Change in Higher Education

A special issue of Education Sciences (ISSN 2227-7102). This special issue belongs to the section "Higher Education".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 October 2024) | Viewed by 433

Special Issue Editor


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Design Innovation, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Ireland
Interests: design innovation in higher education; design in public services; student and staff co-design; teaching design to non-design audiences

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, the concept of 'Design' within Higher Education has often been associated with approaches like 'Universal Design for Learning' and 'Co-Design in Classroom Settings'. While these applications are immensely valuable in enhancing the classroom experience for students and teachers alike, there is a burgeoning movement that extends the use of Design Thinking beyond conventional boundaries. Design Thinking—a methodology traditionally reserved for designers—has found its place in Higher Education, not just as a pedagogical tool but as a transformative approach in academic practices, policy formulation, and institutional management.

The emergence of initiatives such as the Maynooth Innovation Lab (Mi:Lab) exemplifies this shift, showcasing how Design Thinking can transcend its role from aiding teaching co-design to influencing decision-making processes and policy development within Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). This Special Issue will explore how academics and HEI leaders are incorporating Design Thinking into their work, reshaping educational landscapes, and fostering innovative practices for both students and staff.

This Special Issue aims to catalyze a comprehensive discourse on the transformative potential of Design Thinking in Higher Education, extending beyond traditional pedagogical applications to influence academic disciplines, institutional strategies, and policy frameworks. This Special Issue proposal not only fits within the broad scope of the Education Sciences journal, but also has the potential to contribute significantly to its aims by showcasing cutting-edge research that bridges theory, practice, and policy in education through the lens of Design Thinking.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but not limited to) the following:

  • Case studies of Design Thinking applications in Higher Education settings.
  • Theoretical perspectives on the integration of Design Thinking in academic and professional practices in Higher Education.
  • Innovations in Higher Education management and policy-making through Design Thinking.
  • Interdisciplinary approaches to implementing Design Thinking in Higher Education.
  • Reflections and critiques on the challenges and opportunities of adopting Design Thinking in Higher Education environments.

I look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Threase Finnegan-Kessie
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Education Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • design thinking
  • higher education innovation
  • educational policy and design
  • interdisciplinary teaching methods
  • curriculum development strategies
  • academic administration
  • collaborative learning environments
  • educational technology integration
  • creative problem-solving in education
  • leadership in higher education

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers

There is no accepted submissions to this special issue at this moment.
Back to TopTop