Using Design Thinking and Appreciative Inquiry to Modernize Curriculum and Transform Student Learning

ABSTRACT

The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed educators to rapidly transition courses to online learning platforms. Like graduate programs offered by other institutions that have historically been delivered in person, the University of Toronto's graduate programs in healthcare administration have faced the challenge of rapidly adapting and transitioning course delivery to a virtual learning environment for the winter 2020 term. As the faculty began long-term planning for course delivery in the event of continued COVID-19 disruptions, we embarked on an evaluation of both learner and faculty experiences with virtual learning using the principles of design thinking and appreciative inquiry. Design thinking is a human-centered approach that encourages organizations to gain insights about the social, emotional, and physical needs of learners using ideation techniques to generate, develop, and test new ideas. The appreciative inquiry process is a planning strategy that allows individuals to focus on strengths, possibilities, and successes. In this paper, we will outline our program planning methodology using the University of Toronto's Master of Health Science in Health Administration (MHSc) program as a case study example. This framework will be relevant to educators who are embarking on initiatives to reimagine their graduate programs.