Design Thinking Curriculum
There is no prescribed timeline. Teachers should move at the pace that works best for their students and context, regardless of class schedule. MAD-learn spans grade bands, subjects and settings. The process adapts to the classroom, not the other way around.
| Phase | Students will | Teacher prompt | Best practices | Metacognitive skills |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Empathize |
Investigate a real-world problem, opportunity or need by considering who the design benefits.
|
Who has this problem, opportunity or need, and why does it matter to them? | Encourage students to think beyond themselves. Even brief, genuine empathy work produces stronger outcomes in every phase that follows. | Perspective-taking, Observation, Inquiry, Awareness of others |
| Define |
Synthesize research into a clear, focused problem statement that identifies one core challenge to address.
|
What is the one problem, opportunity or need your app will solve? | Push students toward specificity. The ability to define a problem precisely is itself a high-order thinking skill that transfers across subject areas. | Analytical thinking, Synthesis, Clarity of thought, Evidence-based reasoning |
| Ideate |
Generate a wide range of possible solutions, then evaluate and select the strongest app concept to pursue.
|
What are all the ways you could solve this? Which one will you build? | All ideas are valid during brainstorming, so maintaining an open mind is essential in this step. Evaluate your ideas against the user's needs and then select the solution with the greatest potential for impact. | Divergent thinking, Creative confidence, Evaluation, Intentional decisions |
| Prototype |
Construct an app prototype that translates the chosen solution into a functional, user-centered design.
|
What does your app look like, and does every screen serve your user? | Prototypes are meant to be imperfect. The goal is to make thinking tangible. Every design decision is an argument for why something should exist. | Idea into action, Iterative thinking, Design reasoning, Self-monitoring |
| Test |
Evaluate the artifact through real user feedback, then revise with intention based on what is learned.
|
What would make this better for your user? | Revision is evidence of thinking, not failure. Students who struggle here need a reminder that iteration is the goal, not perfection. | Self-assessment, Openness to feedback, Reflective revision, Quality thinking |
| Launch |
Defend design decisions and reflect on the design thinking process before an audience.
|
What problem, opportunity or need did you solve, who did you solve it for, and what would you improve next? | Bring it back to Empathize. Did the final artifact serve the user that was identified? The closing question should always reconnect the work to the person it was designed for. | Oral communication, Persuasive reasoning, Reflection, Audience awareness, Ownership of learning |
Because design thinking is inherently cross-disciplinary, MAD-learn aligns with national standards across technology, computer science and core content areas. The alignment below reflects the full design thinking process, not isolated activities, as it is experienced by learners on the platform.
