What strategies might students engage in during the ideate phase of the design- thinking process?

- **Brainstorming Sessions** Students can engage in rapid-fire brainstorming where they aim to generate as many ideas as possible without immediate judgment. This open process allows for the creation of a broad set of potential solutions. - **Mind Mapping** Creating mind maps helps students visually organize their thoughts and see connections between different ideas. For example, they might start with a central concept \( C \) and draw branches to various related ideas \( I_1, I_2, \ldots, I_n \). - **Sketching and Storyboarding** Visual representations such as sketches or storyboards can help students conceptualize how ideas might work in real-life scenarios. This technique encourages shifting abstract ideas into tangible visuals. - **SCAMPER Technique** The SCAMPER method is a structured approach where students examine a problem by asking questions related to: - **S**ubstitute: What can be replaced? - **C**ombine: What elements can be combined? - **A**dapt: What can be adjusted to improve the solution? - **M**agnify/Minify: What can be exaggerated or reduced? - **P**ut to another use: How can the idea be repurposed? - **E**liminate: What parts can be removed? - **R**earrange: What order might be reconsidered? - **Brainwriting** Instead of verbal brainstorming, students might write down their ideas individually and then share them. This can help ensure that all voices are heard and that quieter students are given equal opportunity to contribute. - **Analogical Thinking** Students can look at similar problems or existing solutions in unrelated fields to draw parallels. This technique encourages the transfer of insights from one context \( A \) to another \( B \), essentially exploring the idea \( A \rightarrow B \). - **Reverse Thinking** In this strategy, students consider the opposite or worst-case scenario. By exploring what would make a solution fail, they can sometimes uncover innovative ways to improve their ideas. - **Collaborative Group Work** Working in groups encourages the sharing of diverse perspectives. Students can build on each other's ideas and use collective critique to refine creative concepts. Each of these strategies helps to unlock creativity and provides multiple pathways for students to explore innovative ideas during the ideate phase.