Section outline

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      Module 2:  Exploring Empathy

       

      Module Aims

      This module aims to equip students with essential skills and knowledge to understand sustainability challenges through the lens of Design Thinking. Students will delve into the importance of empathy, master tools for empathizing, such as interviews with and observation of stakeholders, and learn how to effectively define sustainability challenges. By the end of this module, students should be adept at conducting empathetic research and articulating sustainability problems, laying a strong foundation for innovative problem-solving in the context of sustainable entrepreneurship.

      Learning Outcomes

      • Understand the importance of empathy in the context of sustainability challenges.
      • Proficiently employ tools such as interviews and observations to conduct empathetic research.
      • Effectively articulate and define sustainability problems for entrepreneurial solutions.

      Time for Completion

      4 hours:

      • Lecture and discussion (1 hour)
      • Teamwork on sustainability challenge (2 hours)
      • Team presentations and discussion (1 hour)

       

      Detailed Description

      Before Class

      Teacher: Prepare the presentation slides by customizing the basic slide deck as needed. Select and become familiar with the sustainability challenge(s) that the students will work on.

      Students: Become familiar with the concepts of Design Thinking and empathy in sustainability by engaging with the reading and multimedia materials listed below.

      Introduction

      Welcome students and introduce the objectives of the module, emphasizing the importance of empathy to understand stakeholder needs.

      Implementation

      [Teamwork] In their teams the students begin by empathizing with the sustainability challenge. They conduct role-played interviews and observations to gain a deeper understanding of the problem, the stakeholders involved, and potential solutions. Students work collaboratively to effectively define the sustainability challenge based on their empathetic research.  Students prepare a short presentation explaining their empathic research and how they used it to define their sustainability challenge.

      [Presentations and Discussion] Each team presents their results followed by a short discussion and Q&A on the challenge and results.

      Recap

      The teacher leads a recap session, summarizing the key concepts covered during the module. Students have the opportunity to ask questions and seek clarification.

      Reading and Multimedia Materials

      Articles:
       
      Videos:

    • Understanding Sustainability Challenges with Design Thinking

       

       


    • Module 2: Video Transcript File
    • Module 2: Slides File