Objectives
The process of Design Thinking (DT) is widely used in various areas of human activity, including information activities. According to Rak (2022), there are three areas where DT processes can take place. The first and most general and universal applies to entities whose activities are related to broadly understood information activities and information management (institutional area). The next one refers to individual and group information management and includes tools supporting activities among participants of the DT process (operational area). The third and last area is related to the use of DT in the implementation of practical subjects in the field of information management and related fields (didactic area). The aim of the paper is to explore and capture the relationship between DT and information literacy (IL) in the context of the didactic process. In this perspective, DT can be understood as a manifestation of collective intelligence (Lévy, 1997) of great importance for didactic processes (Fisher, Oon & Benson, 2018), in which students undertake both practical activities of designers (Kimbell, 2011) and users of innovations (Kimbel, 2012). It is innovation design (Soukalová, 2017) that is the main core of activities undertaken by students in the didactic area where specific information competences are also needed. IL is understood as undertaking information behaviors that allow obtaining information tailored to information needs and their ethical use (Johnston & Webber, 2003).
Methodology & Outcomes
The main problem of the research study is to explore and capture the relationship between ILand Design Thinking processes in the context of didactic processes. The main research questions are: What information competences should students have in order to actively participate in the DT process? What information management tools do they use in the DT process? The study will be carried out in two groups of students who participated in classes where DT was used. The first group is represented by people studying at the first-cycle studies in the field of electronic information processing (humanities and information technology studies). Their curriculum does not include subjects directly related to IL. The second group consists of students from second-cycle studies in the field of information management (studies in the field of social sciences). The study program provides for participation in many subjects related to IL. In both groups, the author of the paper conducted classes and moderated the DT process. The study will be conducted using the survey method. Survey research will be supplemented by a critical analysis of the literature, comparative analysis, and statistical methods.
The expected outcomes of the research are to show what information skills are needed and preferred in the process of DT and what differences in IL exist among students in information-related fields of study.
References
- Fisher, W. P., Oon, E., & Benson, S. (2018). Applying design thinking to systemic problems in educational assessment information management. Journal of Physics: Conf. Series, 1044(1).
- Johnston, B., & Webber, S. (2003). Information literacy in higher education: A review and case study. Studies in Higher Education, 28(3), 335–352.
- Kimbell, L. (2011). Rethinking Design Thinking: Part I. Design and Culture, 3(3), 285–306.
- Kimbell, L. (2012). Rethinking Design Thinking: Part II. Design and Culture, 4(2), 129–148.
- Lévy, P. (1997). Collective intelligence: mankind’s emerging world in cyberspace. Cambridge: Perseus Books.
- Rak, D. (2022). Design thinking in information management – from the diagnosis of needs to the creation of solutions. In S. Cisek, & M. Wójcik (Eds.), Diagnostyka w zarządzaniu informacją: perspektywa nauk o komunikacji społecznej i mediach w kontekście rozwoju badań interdyscyplinarnych (pp. 83–97). Kraków: Uniwersytet Jagielloński, Biblioteka Jagiellońska.
- Soukalová, R. (2017). Design thinking role in process of solving creative projects. In K. S. Soliman (Ed.), Proceedings of the 30th International Business Information Management Association Conference (pp. 5157–5169). Madrid: IBIMA.
Dorota Rak
Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
English 
French