A new way of thinking
This new program from Old Dominion University's Center for High Impact Practices empowers selected first- and second-year students to identify a challenge or issue facing ODU Monarchs. Using the design thinking approach to problem-solving, students participate in field work (such as observing or asking questions of ODU students/faculty/staff), dig into key topics, test ideas, challenge assumptions, and lend a student perspective to the issue identified. Finally, students present their work at a final showcase to ODU leaders at the end of the project timeline.
A new way of collaborating
According to the Association of American Colleges and Universities, collaborative projects support students in learning to work and solve problems in the company of others. Old Dominion University is unique in its embrace of entrepreneurial-focused activities as high-impact practices. The Design Thinking process used by the Innovate Monarchs program reinforces this learning by guiding students through the empathy-building process, which teaches students to listen to the experiences and insights of others before jumping to conclusions or developing solutions.