Exploring Design Thinking to Create Digital Clinical Simulations in Preservice Teacher Education

• In Event: Preparing 21st-Century Teachers With Digital Clinical Simulations: Advancing Equity and Innovation in Teacher Education

Abstract

The incorporation of a tool within instruction in any discipline requires careful design considerations. In addition to considering whether the tool is appropriate for the intended learning outcome(s), it is also crucial to acknowledge that inequities and injustices are often a product of design, and should be mitigated early in the design process (Pal, 2023). Digital simulation tools in preservice teacher education that mirror authentic interactions with children offer low-risk opportunities to support the development of educational equity and social justice teaching practices in meaningful ways by allowing preservice teachers (PSTs) to practice skills that foster equity in low-risk environments. At the same time, teacher educators (TEs) may struggle to incorporate these innovative tools in their unique instructional contexts without explicit guidance for how to do so.

Design thinking (Brown, 2008) offers guidance for TEs attempting to create digital simulations in PST courses, providing a structured method for understanding and addressing the real needs of future educators to best facilitate their learning (Elsbach, & Stigliani, 2018). Grounded in the principles of empathy and human-centered design, design thinking emphasizes the importance of understanding PSTs’ perspectives, fostering creativity, and iteratively improving a scenario based on feedback. By delving into the challenges and motivations of the target audience, teacher educators can tailor digital clinical simulations to the specific needs of their learners, thereby enhancing learner engagement and outcomes (Shakeel et al., 2023). When applied to the design of simulated learning experiences for PSTs to develop equity-focused teaching practices, design thinking consists of the following phases (Anaissie et al., 2017):

● Empathize: attempting to understand the classroom experiences and challenges faced by PSTs
● Define: focusing on understanding PSTs’ specific needs regarding their development of core teaching practices, with their unique perspectives in mind
● Ideate: generating a wide range of ideas and solutions for simulated classroom scenarios that will attend to the needs of the PSTs
● Prototype: developing simulation scenarios and activities that meet PSTs’ needs
● Test: gathering feedback from PSTs with the goal of scaling up successful prototypes for broader implementation and establishing a system for ongoing feedback and continuous improvement (continuous refinement ensures that the simulations remain relevant and effective over time).

This paper will share the experiences of two TEs who are exploring the use of design thinking to create digital clinical simulations in Teacher Moments for courses in their respective contexts. This work contributes to advancing research and practice in this promising area of teacher education by leveraging design thinking and digital technology in tandem to create authentic and relevant learning experiences that support PSTs’ development of equitable teaching practices across the curriculum.

Authors

• Jennifer B. Chauvot, University of Houston

• Zarka A. Ali, California State University - Los Angeles