Design as a framework for innovative thinking and learning: how can design thinking reform education?

The need for educational reform has led to much research documenting the value of experiential learning and creative problem solving to increase relevance and motivation in learning. Design, which may be succinctly defined as purposeful thought and action, can serve as a framework and catalyst for teaching and learning strategies that promote innovative, high end thinking, cooperative teamwork, and authentic, performance assessment. This keynote will feature research findings and two models of large-scale applications of design education in the K-12 curriculum. Both projects are funded by major grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and by the Department of Education in the United States. As models of best practices and applied research that have been assessed and documented, they can provide useful and valuable examples for other art educators and educational sites. This research was conducted through the "Design for Thinking Teaching Institute, at The University of the Arts, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, which also was the host site for the National Design for Thinking Network and the Design Link for Teaching the Arts, Link-to-Learn projects. Other sites and research will also be addressed