Design as a Catalyst for Learning

The design process can lead to a deep understanding of the abstract concepts

taught in schools. It puts ideas to work in situations that allow students to test themselves and the

value of learning in everyday life. When children are engaged in the process of designing--a

product, a building, a city plan, or any object--they are learning to identify needs, frame

problems, work collaboratively, explore and appreciate solutions, weigh alternatives, and

communicate their ideas verbally, graphically, and in three dimensions. With periodic

self-assessment and critiques of work in progress, students come to understand that performance

testing and continual improvement are as fundamental to the design process as they are to

lifelong learning.

Teachers nationwide are using the design process as a problem-solving tool to integrate

curriculum, teach thinking and communication skills, and encourage students to apply academic

concepts in authentic tasks. This ground-breaking book developed in cooperation with the

National Endowment for the Arts provides an introduction to effective design activities and

strategies for every grade level and subject area.