FILM EDU LAB: CENTERING STUDENTS’ NEEDS

Session 1: Introduction to Design Thinking. Teambuilding. Rules
Be generous with breaks and time for reflection, as the most important thing during this session is to create a safe space where the group gets to know each other as well as the whole process and its purpose. For information and tips on how to guide your group through this session in the presentation, see Toolbox.
Use: DT_Presentation_1 and DT_Canva_1(Toolbox)

Session 2: Empathy: methods for interviews, observations, empathy mapping
The Design Thinking process begins with empathy. In our case, this includes a deep understanding of the students’ needs and problems. It’s crucial to recognize the problems and motivations that influence students’ choices and behaviors. Use the Toolbox of canvases & presentations.
Use: DT_Presentation_2 and DT_Canva_2(Toolbox)

Session 3: Advanced empathy: testing interview scripts, refining personas
Prepare your participants for their interviews with their students. Figure out what they expect to learn, what questions will they ask, and how will they ask them, and how the results will be organized. Use DT_Presentation_2 and DT_Canva_2 and DT_Canva_3 (Toolbox)

Sessions 4 and 5 (2.5 hrs each): Sorting observations into categories, framing “How Might We…” challenges
The team synthesizes the information gathered during the Empathy phase to identify the main problems. In our experience, there can be as many problems as there are people on the team. Each teacher works on their students’ individual problems/challenges (Another method is to divide them into smaller groups, e.g., four people, who work together on a single problem/challenge.)
This phase requires breaking free from conventional thinking and habits that narrow perspectives. Re-framing the problem can dramatically change the direction of potential solutions. This stage can be a significant challenge, as most people prefer to immediately work on a concrete solution rather than navigate the uncertainty of multiple possible directions.
Given the difficulty of this phase, it is best to spread it over two meetings.
Design challenges have included:

1. How do we equip upper elementary school students with tools for dealing with online hate?
2. How might we familiarize conservative youth with their definition of self-expression, which they consider outside the norm?
3. How do we organize a cultural event at school that gives us a sense of agency and allows us to build connections and community?

To guide you through the challenge formulation phase, you need to use the question „How do we…” — use our step-by-step guide in the Toolbox: DT_Presentation_3

Session 6: Ideation: brainstorm techniques (“Yes, and…”; role play)
The team comes up with as many solutions as possible for the problems they previously identified. This requires not only a strong foundation of knowledge, but the courage to propose fresh solutions and to refrain from judging or criticizing the ideas of other team members.
We chose a method where people work on their own or in small groups to identify issues. Still, the entire group discusses each idea together. During this stage, we also prepared a presentation on various methods and techniques of film education for inspiration (DT_Presentation_4 and DT_Canva_4) and a canvas with inspiration.
We also watched films together. To save time, participants can watch the films at home before the session as part of their home assignment.
We explored whether and how these films could be incorporated into the teachers’ ideas/solutions (see our film suggestions). Your film syllabus depends on the issues you’re seeking to help students with, and as such it will be different every time. You may want to engage a film education specialist who can suggest how film/films or film education methods can be used in your particular case.
Use: DT_Presentation_4 and DT_Presentation_5 and DT_Canva_4(Toolbox)

Session 7: Prototyping: selecting ideas, creating prototypes
Create solution prototypes. The most important thing is to be able to present your idea to your students in simple terms, and get feedback on it quickly.
In our case, the prototypes were action plans with students. This stage will likely need two meetings.
We invited a film education expert who verified the ideas and helped embed them in film education and the school environment.

Session 8: Testing: peer feedback on prototypes, planning how to collect feedback from students
Team members shared their opinions and thoughts on each other’s prototypes. We then refined the prototypes based on their feedback.
We also focused on preparing a plan and method for collecting feedback from students.
In this phase, participants tested their solutions on their students at school. The key was to implement the solutions and test at least some of them.
Use: DT_Canva_5(Toolbox)

Session 9: Refinement: integrating feedback, preparing final deliverables
The participants gathered feedback using DT_Canva_5. They used it to make final corrections and improvements.
Use: DT_Canva_5(Toolbox)

Session 10: Final presentations, synthesis, next steps
In our case, this session was longer because we combined it with an evaluation (we used two methods: a round method and an anonymous online survey).
The participants received a template to develop their solutions for presentation as part of the FilmED project (see What we created). We finished strong by going to dinner together.