On 2 May, the city saw a fresh wave of educational innovation with DesignEdX, a half-day conclave hosted by Anant National University. Organised by the University’s Centre of Design Education (CODE), the workshop attempted to reshape the future of education through design thinking. Forty-five educators, thought leaders and changemakers from thirty-five prominent schools in and around Kolkata participated in the insightful event.

Themed ‘Design Thinking in Education: Transforming Challenges into Opportunities’, the conclave provided a platform to explore how design thinking principles can be used to transform classroom challenges into innovative and interdisciplinary solutions. Notable schools attended the session including Lakshmipat Singhania Academy International, Shri Shikshayatan School, Modern High School International, The Heritage School, R P Goenka International School and Sushila Birla Girls School, among others.

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Setting a thoughtful tone, the conclave commenced with an address by Anunaya Chaubey, Provost, Anant National University who emphasised the innovative and sustainable methods to integrate design thinking into the educational framework. It also featured a panel discussion on incorporating Indigenous knowledge systems in today’s education landscape. Speaking to The Statesman, Anunaya Chaubey said, “Through CODE, we are trying to create a paradigm of education that is not only oriented towards finding jobs but also focuses on helping students use their learning to solve problems. Design thinking is a kind of thinking that is tailored to leveraging creativity and critical thinking, so that students understand the world we live in, identify its problems and solve the issues. It helps you to design and craft solutions, and is a very specific approach towards problem solving”.

Chaubey further pointed out that children are naturally curious and are not afraid of failing before entering school. However, our education system and rote learning methods suppress these virtues and make them another rat in the race. “CODE attempts to connect with the students at a young age as well as schools, teachers and parents to reimagine what real education should be and train them to deal with the changing circumstances,” he added.

This was followed by a hands-on workshop where principals and educators were divided into groups and asked to take a simple object- like a pencil, wheel, leaf or banana- and write down the different perspectives that come to mind when thinking about it. After writing, they presented their diverse viewpoints on the object. This exercise aimed at stimulating classroom-level problem-solving using design methodologies. “Students are mostly connected with teachers. Through this exposure, teachers would learn the necessity of design thinking and will be able to make students understand its significance,” Chaubey stated.

The session left a deep impact on the participating educators. “I’ve been in the field of education for almost 33 years now and this was a fabulous experience. I didn’t expect a workshop where we would be made to think like a school child. To have chart paper, sketch pens, and colour pencils to design a flowchart and to think laterally, was something really unique. This was not one-sided. This kind of experiential learning needs to be replaced with rote learning in our classroom,” Indira Bhattacharya, Cluster Principal, Narayana Group of Schools, told The Statesman, adding, “We looked into the different facets of everyday objects. This is what true learning should be – comprehensive, collaborative and beyond the boundary of a particular subject. Such workshops are ideal and create a learning environment that is deeply engaging.”

Another teacher, Payal Rampuria, PGT and HOD, Shri Shikshayatan School, echoed similar sentiments. “Today’s session was different and a lot more engaging. As a teacher, we are already incorporating elements of design thinking but were unaware of it. The workshop helped connect the dots. Traditional learning makes education dull for students, but if we embed design thinking into our pedagogy, it becomes creative and meaningful.” She also appreciated the practical exposure offered at the workshop, “You can’t teach unless and until you’ve experienced it. By inviting schools to participate in hands-on activities, they allowed us to internalise the learning. Now we can go back and pass it on to our students in a more effective way.”

With events like DesignEdX, Anant National University is spearheading a movement to shift education from rote to relevance, ensuring that students are not just prepared for exams- but for life.