Design & Innovation Process
Students explore the driving question, then develop and test possible solutions as they move through the iterative sequence of the Design & Innovation Process outlined below:
For more information on each of the stages of the Design & Innovation Process, including strategies for working with students within each of them, see below.
- Understanding the driving question and who they are (the Define stage)
- Exploring what they want and need to know about the driving question (the Investigate stage)
- Coming up with a variety of ideas and potential solutions to the driving question (the Ideate stage)
- Developing solutions to the driving question and deciding which works best (the Prototype stage)
- Presenting the chosen solution(s) to an authentic audience and obtaining feedback (the Test stage)
For more information on each of the stages of the Design & Innovation Process, including strategies for working with students within each of them, see below.
DEFINE
The Define stage of the Design & Innovation Process is the very beginning of the process. Typically this stage is one that is handled by the educator and involves: selecting the standards-derived key knowledge and understanding the unit will uncover; the driving question the students will be exploring; and setting up the conditions for students to effectively collaborate with one another. Every once in a while, though, students may be given the opportunity to define what they would like to explore and what the guiding question will be that will structure their investigation.
Click here for strategies for working with students within the Define stage.
Click here for strategies for working with students within the Define stage.
INVESTIGATE
The Investigate stage of the Design & Innovation Process involves students defining what they need and want to know related to the driving question and begins their exploration of it. Within this stage students are uncovering, researching, and gathering information related to the driving question.
Typically within the Investigate stage students are working at Level 1 (recalling or reproducing facts, terms, concepts, trends, and theories) and/or Level 2 (describing, interpreting, or explaining issues and patterns, reasons, cause and effect, significance or impact, relationships, points of view, or processes) of Webb's Depth of Knowledge.
Click here for strategies for working with students within the Investigate stage.
Typically within the Investigate stage students are working at Level 1 (recalling or reproducing facts, terms, concepts, trends, and theories) and/or Level 2 (describing, interpreting, or explaining issues and patterns, reasons, cause and effect, significance or impact, relationships, points of view, or processes) of Webb's Depth of Knowledge.
Click here for strategies for working with students within the Investigate stage.
IDEATE
The Ideate stage of the Design & Innovation Process involves students beginning to come up with various ideas and possible solutions to the driving question, based upon the information that they gathered and uncovered in the Investigate stage. This is the stage in which students try and "brainstorm" or come up with as many different possibilities related to the driving question as possible.
Typically within the Ideate stage students are working at Level 2 (describing, interpreting, or explaining issues and patterns, reasons, cause and effect, significance or impact, relationships, points of view, or processes) of Webb's Depth of Knowledge.
Click here for strategies for working with students within the Ideate stage.
Typically within the Ideate stage students are working at Level 2 (describing, interpreting, or explaining issues and patterns, reasons, cause and effect, significance or impact, relationships, points of view, or processes) of Webb's Depth of Knowledge.
Click here for strategies for working with students within the Ideate stage.
Protoype
The Prototype stage of the Design & Innovation Process involves students deciding which of the ideas that they came up with during the Ideate stage best addresses the driving question. Typically within this stage of the Design & Innovation Process students focus in on the solution(s) that they will present to their public audience at the end.
Typically within the Prototype stage students are working at Level 3 (drawing conclusions, citing evidence, using concepts to solve problems, and proposing and evaluating solutions to problems) and/or Level 4 (analyzing and synthesizing information from multiple sources and reflecting on, assessing and adjusting plans over time) of Webb's Depth of Knowledge.
Click here for strategies for working with students within the Prototype stage.
Typically within the Prototype stage students are working at Level 3 (drawing conclusions, citing evidence, using concepts to solve problems, and proposing and evaluating solutions to problems) and/or Level 4 (analyzing and synthesizing information from multiple sources and reflecting on, assessing and adjusting plans over time) of Webb's Depth of Knowledge.
Click here for strategies for working with students within the Prototype stage.
TEST
The Test stage of the Design & Innovation Process involves students preparing for how they will present their solution(s) to the driving question and gathering feedback from their authentic audience.
Typically within the Test stage students are working at Level 4 (analyzing and synthesizing information from multiple sources and reflecting on, assessing and adjusting plans over time) of Webb's Depth of Knowledge.
Click here for strategies for working with students within the Test stage.
Typically within the Test stage students are working at Level 4 (analyzing and synthesizing information from multiple sources and reflecting on, assessing and adjusting plans over time) of Webb's Depth of Knowledge.
Click here for strategies for working with students within the Test stage.