Useful design thinking learning outcomes describe what students should be able to do and the evidence teachers will review. For Singapore secondary schools, they can connect a project with relevant parts of MOE’s 21CC framework while remaining specific enough to assess.
The objectives and rubric below are suggested planning tools. They are not an official MOE assessment rubric or a claim that every programme produces the same results. Select the outcomes that fit your students, timetable and learning context.
WHO RUNS THIS PROGRAMME
C-Academy runs EDIT Design Thinking® workshops and programmes for Singapore secondary schools, aligned to MOE’s 21st Century Competencies, ALP and VIA.
Connect the project to a clear learning focus
Start with the intended learning, then choose the activity. A project may give students opportunities to examine evidence, reconsider an idea, communicate a decision or work with others. Identify which of these you will teach and observe.
Use MOE’s official 21st Century Competencies framework as the reference. Our guide to the 21CC framework and adaptive thinking explains the framework’s structure and suggests a classroom activity. A single workshop should not be described as proving development across the whole framework.
Six sample design thinking learning outcomes
The following examples make a learning intention observable. Adjust the level of independence and complexity to the cohort.
| Focus | Sample outcome | Evidence to review |
|---|---|---|
| Understanding users | Identify a user need and support it with relevant observations or feedback | Research notes and an explanation of the need |
| Problem framing | Write a focused problem statement that distinguishes evidence from assumptions | Problem statement and annotated evidence |
| Generating ideas | Develop different responses to the same need and explain a selection | Initial ideas and selection reasons |
| Adaptive thinking | Revise a proposal in response to feedback and explain the change | First version, feedback and revised version |
| Collaboration | Contribute to a shared decision and explain how others’ views influenced it | Teacher observations and individual reflection |
| Communication | Present a proposal with a clear link between the need, evidence and response | Presentation and answers to questions |
These are suggested links between activities and learning. They do not certify attainment of an MOE competency. Keep the criteria transparent so students know what successful work should show.
Write outcomes that teachers can assess
Use an action, a context and an evidence requirement. For example: “After testing a paper prototype with intended users, students can explain one revision using the feedback they received.” This is more assessable than “Students will become more innovative.”
Separate the product from the learning. A team may complete a model, but each student still needs an opportunity to show what they understood and contributed. Decide beforehand whether you are assessing individuals, teams or both.
Set expectations that fit the available time. An introductory activity can provide a first opportunity to practise a skill. A claim about sustained development requires evidence beyond completion of that activity.
Use a simple evidence based rubric
This suggested rubric focuses on one outcome: revising an idea using feedback. It is a classroom planning example, not a validated measurement instrument.
| Level | Observable description |
|---|---|
| Starting | Describes the original idea but does not yet connect a change to relevant feedback |
| Developing | Identifies useful feedback and makes a related change with prompting |
| Applying | Independently explains a change using relevant feedback and the intended user need |
| Extending | Compares possible revisions, explains a trade-off and identifies what should be tested next |
Teachers should discuss sample work together before applying the rubric, record the support provided and use comparable tasks when reviewing change over time. If there is insufficient evidence, record that explicitly instead of assigning the lowest level by default.
Collect three kinds of material: the student’s work, teacher observations and the student’s explanation. A confidence survey can add the student’s perspective, but self-reported confidence is different from demonstrated performance.
Ask for evidence when comparing providers
Ask a programme provider which learning outcomes it proposes, how students will demonstrate them and what evidence the school will receive. Request a sample activity and assessment approach so teachers can judge whether they fit the cohort.
If a provider reports an improvement figure, ask who was measured, when, using which questions or tasks, and whether the same students completed both measurements. Clarify whether the figure describes confidence, satisfaction or observed performance. Ask who collected and assessed the evidence before relying on a claim of independent evaluation.
For programme terminology and planning, see our ALP vs ApLM guide. For community projects, see our VIA project planning guide.
Agree outcomes before the programme begins
Choose a manageable set of outcomes and agree the activity, evidence, assessor and review point for each. Plan how teachers will use the findings afterwards, such as selecting a follow-up task or providing feedback to students.
C-Academy offers design thinking programmes for schools and educators using EDIT Design Thinking®. Discuss your learning outcomes with C-Academy to explore a programme brief that fits your students and school priorities.
