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Sekolah Sultan Alam Shah (SAS) Teachers’ Paving the Way Forward SAS Putrajaya boys’ Treated to a Design Thinking and Smartbite Feast

26 June 2019, Kuala Lumpur – Ever imagined the prowess of Design Thinking in the realm of our public school classrooms? Two teachers from the Sekolah Sultan Alam Shah Putrajaya full-fledged boy’s boarding school who were d.school Malaysia’s Design Thinking alumni envisioned exactly this and thus embarked their students on a half-day, brief yet power-packed Design Thinking journey.

The half-day Design Thinking session brought the Form 2 and Form 4 boys to experience learning in a design thinking context. To realise this, coaches of d.school Malaysia crafted challenges that required design thinking, problem-solving and collaboration skills specially designed for these students. Their teacher, Cikgu Nik Anita Hamid, an English Language Teacher and Secretary of SGE Programmes opined that ,Design thinking in the classroom is all about evolving collaborative skills and creativity while challenging the boys’ autonomous thinking which they are ordinarily not accustomed to. Hence, technology elevates the synergy that design thinking generates, making the solutions both timely and effective. “Should you want your students to feel that their ideas are valuable and what they learning is essential, it’s time to depart from antiquated teaching approaches and hop on how to work in vibrant teams that may formulate unconventional approaches to challenges they face in their communitites – be it that community is their classroom, the field, the school or beyond” , she added.

These teachers use design thinking strategies combined with technology to help their students find realistic solutions for community challenges. For instance, a group of students who identified a need for more hygienic lavatory conditions at school, determined that a rewards-based concept would help to maintain the hygiene and offset bad lavatory habits among their schoolmates. The students took to imaginary technology derived from real- world solutions to examplify these notions. Evocative projects like this do more than merely solving a problem for their communities at scale, rather they come in handy for students in developing life-long skills and feeling a sense of significance. A student claimed that “It’s nice to finally see our voices being heard and making an impact generally.” Design Thinking in this century may be as mighty as Total Quality Management once was in the last century. It’s an innovation that encourages non-traditional ways of developing solutions to extraordinary problems.

Caption: Future forward Form 2 and Form 4 students of Sekolah Sultan Alam Shah (SAS) Putrajaya with teachers, Cikgu Nik Anita Hamid and Miss Siew Chin at Genovasi d.school Malaysia

Prepare your students for design thinking In ideal design thinking, students are tied together from diverse backgrounds and experiences. Homogenous syllabuses impedes encouraging students to think outside the box and innovate per se. Students with unique experiences, conversely, can advocate their peers more profound insights and deep dive into unique perspectives on how to bring solutions to life. Thus, seen as the cornerstone of coping with the 4th Industrial Revolution disruptions which are bound to take precedence. “It would be great if I see our whole school implements design thinking methodologies and models in the classroom to spur a change of mindset “ , says Japanese teacher of SAS, Ms. Siew Chin who also accompanied the students on the trip.

Caption: d.school Malaysia’s coach, Ms Viveetha Selva alleviates student presentations as seen here.

The d.school Malaysia has identified five stages of design thinking: · Empathise with others. A lack of empathy translates to students’ inability to comprehend the pain points of a community, nor will they be receptive to ideas. · Define the problem. Solutions come only when the problem is understood in a holistic manner. · Ideate. Students suggest responses and solutions, no matter how extraordinary they may be. At this stage, it’s imperative that the teacher allows the team to explore all possible options. · Build a prototype. Inadvertently, some prototypes will work, and others not neccesarily. What is key, ultimately is the learning experience. · Test. Students assess their own work to determine their effectiveness.

Computer-generated models, 3-D printers, and other available technology can strengthen design thinking. Teachers can blend technology with design thinking in a myriad of ways including: · Curating photos and videos · Optimising presentation techniques · Animating films · Developing procedures and protocols · Reaching out to subject matter experts (SMEs) outside the classroom

Bringing design thinking and technology into the community

In the advent where effective design is evidently seen to illustrate the success of many commercial goods, companies today have began employing the concept more than ever before. The more the implementation, the more it churns out product or service sophistication.

Thus, technology has opened up the floodgates for design thinking to catapult beyond the classroom walls, where students espouse extremely creative approaches to fulfill the needs of a community while feeling a strong sense of accountability while at it inevitably. Student, Adam Mikhail surmised that, “If we want to solve a problem, we need to be emphatic and understand the people who use our product,” in his feedback on the programme, while another student Muhammad Khazin Noor added, “Every issue can be solved by an unexpected ide and being creative is a great thing!”

Caption: Students prototyping in full force while teacher, Ms. Siew Chin looks on.

Why go to these lengths?

Students who absorb design thinking significantly reduce reliance on memorising for learning. Thus, exhibit greater: · Demonstrate flexibility · Be receptive to change · React with empathy · Develop creativity · Self-reflect on effectiveness · Advance their critical thinking skills

When it comes to creating community impact, these are the skills citizens of all creeds, backgrounds and ages necessitate in the landscape of today’s ever-changing skyrocketing advancements.

To mark the end of their short but sweet design thinking journey with d.school Malaysia, students were treated to a sumptuous feast thanks to the wonderful people at Smartbite Malaysia.

Caption: Coach Nicky Tay alongside students of Sekolah Sultan Alam Shah (SAS) Putrajaya fuelling up post-class, relishing in the courtesy of Smartbite.my

About Sekolah Sultan Alam Shah or simply Alam Shah (abbreviated as SAS; Malay: Sekolah Sultan Alam Shah or Sekolah Alam Shah) is a residential school in Putrajaya, Malaysia. The school is under the royal patronage of the Sultan of . Sultan Alam Shah School is one of the schools in the country awarded with the title High Performance School (Malay: Sekolah Berprestasi Tinggi) for the recognition by the Ministry of Education on its academic merits, strength of alumni, international recognition, network and linkages. Website: www.sas.edu.my/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/ Sultan.Alam.Shah/

ABOUT d.school Malaysia Genovasi Malaysia Sdn Bhd is the holding company of Genovasi d.school Malaysia and Genovasi University College. Genovasi d.school Malaysia is a learning institute dedicated to the teaching of Design Thinking for professionals at all levels. Genovasi University College is a Design Thinking- dedicated institution of higher learning geared towards Industry 4.0 readiness. Genovasi Malaysia initiated the Design Thinking Association of Malaysia (DTAM) with the main objectives to protect and promote the Design Thinking practice, and develop practitioners through DT-related activities and events. Website: www.dschoolmalaysia.com/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/mygenovasi/ Instagram: @dschoolmalaysia

Kamaliah Kasmaruddin Associate Director - Partnerships & Revenue | DT Coach [email protected]

Annette Joseph Maketing Manager - d.school Malaysia | Genovasi University College Email: [email protected]