5 Stakeholders to Interview for Design Thinking Guided Innovation in Schools

Rocky Moon 9.19.18

5 Stakeholders to Interview for Design Thinking Guided Innovation in Schools

The first step in design thinking guided innovation is to take an empathetic approach to the problem (Dam & Siang, 2018). One of the best ways to gain empathy is to interview stakeholders. In education, there are many stakeholders; narrowing down who to speak with can be daunting. Here’s a list of the five people I think hold the most value in an initial interview.

1. Students

This might seem an obvious choice, but what about if your teaching early elementary? Could students that young really offer anything valuable to the innovation process? Matt Schurr, teacher in New York, thought they might. So he interviewed his second grade class about what would make their learning environment more comfortable. With their feedback, he redesigned the entire space. Now, his students are more engaged and fully use the classroom space. The beginning stages of design thinking are all about gaining perspective, and students, no matter their age, can offer a valuable one. Read more about Matt Schurr and Design Thinking in Education at https://designthinkingforeducators.com/design-examples/.

2. Teachers

Whether your an administrator trying to innovate across the school or a teacher innovating within a single class, teacher feedback is key. Again, interviewing teachers seems obvious, but the questions to ask might not seem so. Teachers are often trapped in a 'traditional" mindset. Things have always been done this way, way change it now. Try to encourage the teacher to think outside the box. In George Couros's The Innovator's Mindset, he talks about how innovated in his school:

When I became a principal, I sent out an email each year as we began the staffing process. It read, “As we are currently undergoing staffing, we were wondering if you could describe your dream position next year, what would it be?”

This is just one example of how to get teachers out of the 'traditional' mindset. Another way might be to ask, if [insert common issue here/finances/common core] wasn't in the way, what would you like to see in your classroom?

3. Leadership Teams

Administrators and team leaders often have a wide-angle perspective on whole school innovation, but, many being former teachers, they provide a unique perspective on classroom specific innovation as well. Getting this perspective can lead to critical, otherwise unforeseen opportunities to innovate. A tangental benefit: most often these are the stakeholders with the final decision making power; empathizing with them early on might help build the report you need to get the innovation set in motion. Everyone likes when there voice is heard.

4. Operations Team

I intentionally set this apart from other leadership teams because they are often lumped in despite having one of the most unique perspectives in the school. While a good operations team loves to solve problems, be sure to keep the focus of the initial interview on potential areas for growth, not solutions. They are definitely the team to revisit when it comes time to ideate!

5. Parents & Guardians

In my opinion, there is not a single group that has a larger effect on this country's education than parents. They can cultivate lessons learned at school or steer students away from education. Therefore, creating buy-in with parents is key, not only in everyday interactions, but also in innovation. The initial interview is a great place to build this buy-in. (As an aside, many schools now have a population of students who's parents might prefer a language other than English. If this is your school, make it a priority to find a translator, professional or maybe a Spanish teacher at your school.)

Try asking questions like:

• If you could create a dream school for your child, what three things would it have in it?

• What do you and your child talk about concerning school? What would you like to talk about?

• What was your favorite part about school when you attended?

But also ask questions like:

• How does your job affect your ability to spend time with your student?

• Is there any way you wish you could help your student but can't?

By no means is this exhaustive, but it should be a good jumping off point for your first innovation project. Did I miss something or someone? Comment below!

Sources:

• Couros, G. (2015). The innovators mindset empower learning, unleash talent, and lead a culture of creativity. San Diego, CA: Dave Burgess Consulting.

• Dam, R., & Siang, T. (n.d.). 5 Stages in the Design Thinking Process. Retrieved from https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/article/5-stages-in-the-design-thinking-process

• Design Examples « Design Thinking for Educators. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://designthinkingforeducators.com/design-examples/