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Design Thinking for Education

Course Type: Active Learning e-Pedagogy Schools (ALES)
Duration and Timeline:
- Course components and contact hours: 2 hrs. synchronous online
- Online component: 28 November 2025, 14:00–16:00 (CET)
Award, Credits and Certification
On successful completion of the course, participants will receive a certificate of attendance.
Organized by:
Name of the University (Country)
Santarém Polytechnic University (Portugal)
Teachers of the University (Country)
Ana Loureiro (Portugal)
Inês Messias (Portugal)
Course Description and Learning Objectives
“The objective of this two-hour online training programme is to furnish university educators with the necessary tools to cultivate an inclusive and student-centred teaching approach. This will be achieved by means of an exploration of Design Thinking-based practices. Participants will engage in collaborative tasks, case discussions and scenario-based exercises to strengthen their teaching strategies and foster design thinking practices focused on students’ needs.”
Course Description:
This 2-hour online training is part of the Active Learning e-Pedagogy Schools (ALES), an initiative within the ACE2-EU Pedagogy Unit. The Pedagogy Unit contributes to the ACE2-EU educational mission by developing training programmes that strengthen a shared pedagogical culture across the Alliance, focusing on design thinking methodologies that include challenge-based learning approaches.
The ALES sessions aim to empower university educators to create strategies focused on students’ needs to develop creativity and problem-solving.
- Online session:
- Pre-workshop task: Educator profile
- Introduction and Icebreaker
- Overview on design thinking methodology
- Case scenarios
- Breakout room tasks on design thinking based challenges
- Reflection and Q&A
Specific learning objectives include:
- Raise awareness of the impact of the design teaching methodology;
- Reflect on the educator’s and student’s role in the design teaching methodology;
- Apply active learning tools for a more student-centered and inclusive learning environment;
- Develop teaching strategies for a challenge-based learning approache.
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
- Analyze the impact of design teaching methodologies on learning outcomes and student engagement.
- Critically evaluate the roles and responsibilities of both educators and students within design-based teaching contexts.
- Select and implement active learning tools to create student-centered and inclusive learning environments.
- Design and justify teaching strategies that apply a challenge-based learning approach in real or simulated educational scenarios.
Which students would find this course useful for them?
This course may be suitable for staff from ACE2-EU partner universities:
- University teaching staff;
- Instructional designers, e-learning coordinators and educational developers;
- Recommended Language Level :
- Basic to intermediate level of English (B1-B2), as the working language will be English
Application Process:
Interested applicants should
🔗 Apply here: https://forms.gle/FQRhtaMZ1qPw7wTaA
Deadline for receipt of applications: 26/11/2025
Notification of acceptance to participate will be sent by the host institution through a Microsoft Teams invitation, including the details of the online session and the access link.
Further Information
For any further information or queries related to the course, please contact: Ace-com@e-ucb.ro


