Everything You Need to Know about Creative Problem-Solving & Design Thinking in Education

 Teaching isn’t just about content — it’s about equipping young people with the confidence and habits to shape the future. In this short webinar I share what I’ve learned about teaching creative problem-solving (CPS) and design thinking is the best toolkit for CPS.I also discuss how I design learning experiences that let students practice the real work of design thinkers: empathize, define, ideate, prototype, test.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqMbL8u2P58

Why creative problem-solving matters

CPS set of cognitive skills that help students move from passively accepting problems to actively reshaping their world. When learners generate ideas, plan, and construct solutions, they operate at the highest levels of thinking: applying knowledge, analyzing context, and inventing new things that carry meaning beyond the classroom.

What Design Thinking looks like in practice

CPS has roots in the work of Osborn and Sidney Parnes and shows up most powerfully when within design thinking — a human-centered toolkit of mindsets and practices. Design thinking’s five core practices (empathize → define → ideate → prototype → test) scaffold student inquiry and creativity in ways that are authentic and assessment-friendly.

A classroom example: City Plan unit

In my city planning unit, students took on the role of urban planners: they walked the neighborhood to observe, interviewed residents and business owners, synthesized insights into problem statements, brainstormed many wild ideas, built quick prototypes, and tested them with real users at a community expo. The result? Work that demonstrated deep learning and genuine civic impact.

Design tips for teachers

  • Start with standards, then build a real-world context that requires professionals to use those skills.
  • Use a learning narrative — students are the heroes, teachers are the mentors.
  • Integrate formative checks that feel authentic (interviews, draft prototypes, community feedback).
  • Adopt an eduPermaculture mindset: borrow practices from real-world professionals and adapt them for learners.

Key takeaways

  1. CPS is teachable — and it belongs in every classroom.
  2. Design thinking turns empathy into actionable solutions.
  3. Authentic projects let assessment measure “how well” students use knowledge, not just “if” they know it.

Learn more about design thinking in education from my book here.

Design Thinking Unit Project Videos

Here are the resources I cited in this video

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