A design thinking approach to increasing student efficacy in the internship search process

Abstract

This research paper presents the findings from a study out of the University of Colorado Boulder focused on using design thinking to improve internship search related resources and supports. The goals of the study were to 1) identify points of disconnect that students experience during the internship search process and 2) work collaboratively with student participants to identify useful, creative solutions. The identified points of disconnect can be viewed as potential points of attrition, where students have the highest likelihood of dropping out of the internship search process. By thinking strategically and creatively about how to address them, those points of attrition can be converted into leverage points for positive change. Design thinking is a framework that will be familiar to many engineering educators for its use in product design. As a research and program improvement methodology, design thinking has the benefit of valuing students as co-innovators in the change process. It consists of a non-linear five stage process that includes building empathy, defining the problem, ideating solutions, prototyping, and testing. The design thinking process used in this study was supported by both quantitative and qualitative methods with a total sample size of 679 student participants. Quantitative data is presented from the department's senior survey (n = 654). Qualitative data is presented from 12 interviews and 3 focus groups (n = 25) conducted during Spring 2019. The four identified areas of disconnect that form the basis for this paper include: 1) sustained motivation, 2) finding the right options, 3) understanding the process, and 4) standing out. For each theme, information is presented that relates to the first three stages of the design thinking process. The empathy stage is addressed through a discussion of specific issues shared by interview and focus group participants, with appropriate connections to educational and cognitive theory. The issues are then distilled into a succinct problem statement. Each section ends with a list of potential ways to address the problem statement, with proposed action steps drawn from the ideation phase of the study. In the conclusion of the paper, plans are shared related to future prototyping, testing, and ongoing ideation of programmatic changes and improvements.