INFO 360, User-Centered Design, is a core course in the University of Washington's undergraduate Informatics program (it is being run this very quarter in fact with 70 students enrolled in two sections).   We’re in the process of renaming it to “Design Thinking” as we speak.    We’re also moving it to the first quarter students are enrolled in our program so they get it as early as possible.

OK - so that's an undergrad program in an iSchool but....

We’re also talking about requiring a similar Design Thinking course in our MLIS program.     One of the advantages of being an iSchool is that we have AMAZING Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) faculty capable of offering courses like that to our LIS students (we have three HCI faculty that just won NSF career awards in fact).     In a more traditional school that might not be the case.    I don’t disagree with others who say there are elements of “Design Thinking” that are present in faculty from other disciplines including LIS, but I do think our HCI faculty take it to a higher level as that is at their core.

We also have Stuart Sutton, one of our LIS faculty members who for years has years talked and written about the importance of LIS professionals being able of be “tool builders” and  not just “tool users”.   Much of that is related to  “Design Thinking”  as well.   

So in general I’d say we’re right there with you that “Design Thinking” is critically important for students in the information professions.    I also personally think it will be a distinguishing factor between those schools that are perceived to produce the brightest, the most innovative, and the leaders of our profession from schools that are perceived as training routine practitioners.   

 I know what category I want to be in!

Scott Barker
Information School
University of Washington

From: Open Lib/Info Sci Education Forum [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of B.G. Sloan
Sent: Tuesday, April 06, 2010 1:48 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: How Design Thinking Could Improve LIS Education

 
I recently read an interesting blog posting by Steven Bell, Associate University Librarian for Research & Instructional Services at Temple University's Paley Library. He is also an Adjunct Associate Professor at the Drexel University College of Information Science & Technology.
 
http://dbl.lishost.org/blog/2010/03/31/how-design-thinking-could-improve-lis-education/
 
The author recently attended the 15th anniversary celebration for the Internet Public Library, as well as a meeting of the re-accreditation advisory board for Drexel University’s LIS school (the author is a member of that advisory board). His blog posting is an outgrowth of discussions he had while attending these meetings.
 
An excerpt:
 
"LIS students...need to gain proficiency with important skills, such as the organization of material, reference work, subject specialization and digital development. No one argues that. But where the need seems more acute, and where there is less certainty about how to teach, is with the less tangible skills sets such as listening and observing, problem analysis or critical thinking. That’s where much of the conversation focused; what could practitioners share to help educators design a better curriculum for LIS students. That’s when it occurred to me. We should be talking about integrating design thinking into the LIS curriculum...I believe that the first LIS program that declares itself the 'design thinking iSchool' is going to set the standard for the future of library education. Is there a forward thinking LIS program that is ready to give this a try?"
 
Bernie Sloan