Design thinking provides a holistic approach to the development of new products and processes, emphasizing the creative, interdisciplinary synthesis of new systems that can lead to solutions for real problems. Important aspects of design thinking include the innovative application of technology as well as the need to harness such innovation in a sustainable enterprise. Design thinking may be applied to a vast range of problems, from designing a new consumer product, to adapting a device for low-cost and local production in the developing world, to solving global issues such as climate change and health care. This pathway is open to all students and invites them to discover the many elements of design thinking. The topic may be explored from a wide range of perspectives, such as those characteristic of the arts, humanities, sciences, social sciences, business, and engineering.
Design Thinking Pathway Courses:
ECON 1 Principles of Microeconomics —-Introduction to microeconomics and its applications to business decisions and public policy. Topics include supply, demand, and the coordinating role of prices in a market economy; the behavior of business firms, including output and pricing decisions; competition and monopoly; and government policies and regulations affecting markets.
MGMT 6 Business Ethics —A normative inquiry into the ethical issues that arise in business and how they should be managed. Attention is given to current moral issues in business, to ethical theories and their implications for these issues, and to the managerial implications. Topics may include truth in advertising, corporate social responsibility, affirmative action, government regulation of business, quality of work-life, environmental and resource issues, and ethical codes of conduct.
*OMIS 107 Systems Programming—As computers become ubiquitous, Linux and Linux-inspired operating systems like IOS and Android are becoming the system of choice for smartphones, TVs, fridges, home-security systems, self-driving cars, and cloud computing. The objectives of this course are to become a proficient Linux user and to learn about the overall structure and capabilities of modern operating systems. You will learn how to use operating system facilities to manipulate files and processes, and how to write scripting programs for system-level administration. Development of several software assignments utilizing systems programming concepts is required.
*OMIS 137 Object-Oriented Programming —Introduction to object-oriented design methodology.Discussion of different programming paradigms, concepts of data abstraction, inheritance, and encapsulation. Topics include an overview of Java programming language, classes and objects, data abstraction, inheritance, I/O packages, exceptions, threads, and GUI. Development of several programming assignments using Java is required.
Pathway Essay Prompt
Identify an issue or problem connected to the Design Thinking Pathway and use multidisciplinary analysis to demonstrate a deeper understanding of it.
In order to compose a successful essay, you will need to:
● Identify a specific, meaningful issue or problem connected Design Thinking Pathway theme
● Analyze this issue applying theories, ideas, or methodologies from different disciplines within Design Thinking Pathway courses to demonstrate your deeper understanding of that issue.
● Write a carefully drafted 750- to 1000-word thesis-driven essay that uses coherent organization, effective transitions, and clear sentences.
Identifying the Issue: Identify a specific issue or problem connected to Design Thinking Pathway and explain how the issue or problem relates to Design Thinking Pathway theme. Be sure to identify the Pathway by name. (Note: the issue or problem you select can be one you explicitly studied in your Pathway courses or may be a connection between Pathway courses that became evident only after you completed your classes. This section should show readers that you have a clear understanding of your Pathway’s theme and scope.)
Analyzing the Issue: Analyze this issue or problem from a multidisciplinary perspective by integrating theories, ideas, and/or methodologies from at least 2 fields of study. For example, a student in the Sustainability Pathway might identify the availability of clean water as a problem. The writer might integrate theories, ideas, or methodologies from a Pathway course in engineering with those from a Pathway course in sociology to show how the problem of supplying clean water can be better understood or addressed by taking into account both fields of study. Be sure to identify the associated Pathway courses you are using within your analysis by name. A successful analysis will demonstrate how multiple disciplinary perspectives, whether they agree or differ, yield deeper insights about a specific issue or problem.
Writing the Essay: The goal is not to summarize your learning; rather, use specific examples of theories, ideas, or methods you studied in your Pathway courses in order to demonstrate how you have gained a deeper, more complex understanding of an issue or problem by considering that issue or problem through more than one field of study.
Important Information as You Prepare to Write for the pathway essay
Review and reflect on your Pathway’s description.
Identify an issue or problem related to your Pathway’s theme that you will analyze in your essay. This issue or problem should be sufficiently complex so that it can be analyzed through a multidisciplinary perspective.
Reflect on the assignments and learning you completed within your Pathway courses, and analyze how those connected to your Pathway’s theme and to the issue or problem you will analyze.
From your Pathway courses, select at least two from different disciplines that will help you to develop your multidisciplinary analysis of the issue or problem you selected. The goal is to avoid summarizing these courses; rather, analyze how the different disciplines help you to better understand a complex issue or problem. Be sure to name the courses (department & title) from which you’re drawing information for your analysis. NOTE: Students may refer to any classes in their Pathway for their reflection essay, even if those courses are not listed under the Pathways section of the degree audit.
Consider your audience carefully. Imagine your reader is someone who values multidisciplinary thinking but is not an expert on your topic and may not be familiar with the particular Pathway, courses, issue, approaches in your analysis. Pathway readers are, in fact, faculty members from a variety of departments across campus.