Learning Content: PM-11

1. Collaborate with team members to apply innovative and problem-solving strategies

The document says the learner must interact and collaborate with team members, engage in dialogues required by the process, participate in activities presented by the facilitator, and actively contribute to discussions and activities. 

What this means in practice

This module assumes the learner is part of a workshop or team setting. The learner is not supposed to sit quietly and watch. They must actively engage.

That means:

  • speaking during discussions

  • listening to other people’s perspectives

  • helping the group stay focused

  • contributing ideas instead of waiting for others to do the thinking

Design thinking works best when different people contribute different viewpoints. So collaboration is part of the actual problem-solving process, not something separate.

Example

If the team is solving a problem about poor student communication, one learner may raise user concerns, another may suggest app-based solutions, and another may sketch the process. The learner must actively help the team move forward.

2. Apply the design thinking process

The document requires the learner to:

  • empathise with users or customers by setting aside own assumptions and formulating real insights

  • define the problem statement and create a point-of-view statement with a specific user, need, and insight

  • ideate by challenging assumptions and creating ideas for innovative solutions

The applied knowledge also clearly states the five phases of design thinking:

  • Empathize

  • Define

  • Ideate

  • Prototype

  • Test 

Below is the actual learning content learners need.

Phase 1: Empathize

Empathizing means understanding the user before trying to solve the problem.

The learner must set aside personal assumptions and focus on what the user actually experiences. 

In practice

The learner should:

  • talk to users

  • observe how they behave

  • ask what frustrates them

  • identify real pain points

Example

If the challenge is “improving support for first-year students,” the learner should not assume what students need. They should ask:

  • What is confusing?

  • Where do delays happen?

  • What is stressful?

The goal is to gather real insights, not opinions based only on guesswork.

Phase 2: Define

The document requires a problem statement and a point-of-view statement showing a specific user, a need, and an insight. 

In practice

After gathering user information, the learner must turn it into a focused problem.

A good problem definition is:

  • specific

  • user-based

  • linked to an actual need

Example format

“First-year students need a simpler way to find support contacts because they feel lost when different departments give inconsistent information.”

This stage matters because a weak problem statement leads to weak solutions.

Phase 3: Ideate

The document says the learner must challenge assumptions and create ideas for innovative solutions that help resolve challenges and needs. 

In practice

This is the brainstorming stage.

The learner should:

  • generate many possible ideas

  • avoid rejecting ideas too early

  • encourage creative thinking

  • build on ideas from others

Example

Possible ideas for the student support problem:

  • a chatbot

  • a student support dashboard

  • a WhatsApp help line

  • a central info kiosk

  • a mobile app

At this stage, quantity comes before perfection.

Phase 4: Prototype

While the snippet is truncated before the prototype line, the module’s applied knowledge explicitly includes the five design thinking phases through prototype and test. 

In practice

A prototype is a simple version of the idea.

It can be:

  • a sketch

  • a paper mock-up

  • a wireframe

  • a sample workflow

  • a storyboard

The learner does not need a perfect final product. The goal is to make the idea visible so people can react to it.

Example

If the idea is a chatbot, the learner can prototype:

  • the welcome screen

  • a simple user flow

  • example questions and responses

Phase 5: Test

Testing is when the learner shows the prototype to users or peers and collects feedback. The goal is to see:

  • what works

  • what confuses users

  • what should change

In practice

The learner should ask:

  • Does this solve the problem?

  • Is it easy to use?

  • What would you change?

Testing may lead the learner back to redefining the problem or improving the prototype. That is normal in design thinking.

3. Why this module matters

This module teaches learners how to solve problems in a human-centred way.

It is not about guessing the smartest solution. It is about:

  • understanding users

  • defining the right problem

  • creating ideas collaboratively

  • building and improving solutions

This is especially valuable in AI, software, and innovation environments where solutions must actually work for people.

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