What is the state of the art regarding the application of Design Thinking in Higher Education? A scoping review

Abstract

Design Thinking (DT) remains a fuzzy concept when applied to education. This prompted the present scoping review (2008-2022), following Arksey and O’Malley’s framework. From 2853 Web of Science articles, only 172 met inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results show: (a) There is no agreed definition of DT. (b) There is a variety of tools, techniques and models used to support DT. (c) Most-assessed outcomes of DT are about creativity, teamwork, and problem solving. There were 100 out of 172 studies that included an evaluation of DT interventions. Research instruments were mainly based on student self-reports. Most empirical studies reported a positive impact. (d) Only 12 empirical studies involved control groups, while 37 adopted a pre-test and post-test design. Intervention duration ranged from 90 minutes to one year. The median of the number of participants was around 47. DT presents an interesting research agenda but also there is a need for robust evidence-based intervention studies.