Co-creating a digital learning innovation framework through design thinking approaches

Abstract

Although innovation is widely used as a marker of excellence by universities it remains a poorly conceptualised idea, particularly in the realm of teaching and learning. In this paper, we describe an institution-wide project to co-create a Digital Learning Innovation Framework at a large Australian university. Through design thinking approaches a central learning and teaching unit led a co-design process to investigate and define digital learning innovation within their institutional context. This initiative involved a total of 114 stakeholders who design and deliver digital learning innovations at the University. This paper reports on a tentative, working definition of digital learning innovation and six guiding principles that arose out of this Digital Learning Innovation Framework co-design process. In this way, this paper makes significant contributions in conceptualising and contextualising practice-based innovation for digital education. Future implications and limitations of this study are also noted.