Design Thinking in Indian Education: Transforming NEP 2020 for a Brighter Future

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 in India is an all-encompassing program for overhauling the Indian educational system. The policy may not necessarily refer to design thinking yet most of the goals within the framework are aligned to design thinking principles.

Let's explore how design thinking can be integrated with the NEP 2020 to enhance its effectiveness:

Project-based Learning

NEP 2020 promotes flexible curriculum development. This is closely related to design thinking that encourages project-based and experiential learning in which students can work on real-life problems. Creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving are important design thinking elements and this approach enhances such skills.

Interdisciplinary Learning

Learning across disciplines is cherished in NEP 2020 enables students to explore outside of their curriculum areas. Collaborative problem-solving is a central element in design thinking, and it frequently transcends the boundaries of several domains. Design thinking is a holistic approach that can be taught through interdisciplinary projects.

Professional Development

NEP 2020 stresses the importance of teachers’ professional development. Teacher training may also be developed based on design thinking, which could allow teachers to utilize design thinking principles in lesson plans and teaching strategy creation. This can assist teachers to be flexible enough in adjusting to the new education setup and achieve the intended objectives of the policy. Crayomi has conducted a certification training program for educators in collaboration with MIT ADT University, Pune.

Experiential Learning

Design thinking is also consistent with NEP 2020’s emphasis on experiential learning. Design thinking comprises doing, sketching, and exploring, all of which serve as a platform for student learning.

Problem-Solving Skills

Students are equipped with problem-solving skills via design thinking. The NEP 2020, therefore, puts a great deal of emphasis on the need to develop these skills as they are important to the learners’ success in the future. These skills can be fostered at a young age by integrating design thinking principles into the curriculum.

Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Innovation and entrepreneurship are the focus of NEP 2020. Design thinking helps students to be innovative and build solutions to real-world problems. Both have a common objective of creating a space for students to develop into problem solvers and innovators.

Using design thinking as an approach to realizing the National Education Policy 2020, India can make the education system very flexible, enjoyable, and relevant. Such an approach will be better in preparing students who are ready for the innovation, problem-solving, and fast-paced environment of the 21st century.

At Crayomi we are on a mission to help colleges and schools plan and conduct Design Thinking trainings for educators and students.