Stanford Design challenge brief prototype and test

1. Problem statement
Find a way to provide students with experiences that
provide the additional skills obtained through real life
experiences that will ensure students are able to cope
with confidence, both work wise and personally.

2. My most practical idea - Ex students talking
their experiences.
This is the simplest and most practical idea. By
bringing ex students (from different industries) who are
now in the workforce back to the school to discuss
what happened to them, both good and bad, current
students will have more realistic expectations. They
may also get ideas on things they need to do to
prepare for a working life and also not have huge
idealistic expectations of being able to change the
world in the first year of their working life (even if I
hope they do).

3. Ex students talking about their
work life experiences
School
maintains
contact with
past
students
Ensure good
spread of
universities
and different
industry
Share tips and
hints on
working life
Share good
experiences
and bad
Get ex-students
to agree to being
interviewed
through first few
years of their
employment
Separate section
going to
university and a
finding work
internship or
apprenticeship
Info shared via
presentation, men
toring programs
and info available
via school’s career
intranet
Can be via
facebook, linke
din, youtube
, email, blogs, a
nd skype
Ask ex
students
to keep
diaries
Have specific
questions in
relation to
transition to
university or to
the work place
Managed
through
school
career dept

4. feedback
 The process I used to test was just to sit and discuss
with the “client” the way the prototype would work.
 Client asked for more detail in some areas and also
provided some words of wisdom to make you wonder
whether the idea was right or needed tweaking.
Words of wisdom
 Teenagers don’t like listening to people the would be
bored – they would prefer to do.
 Thought that facebook/youtube interface might
appeal to young students

5. My favourite idea - Create classrooms within
industry
Logistics may be difficult but actually getting teachers and
industry to join together to run relevant classes within
industry will bring students teachers and industry together.
The learning of students by watching what happens within
industry would be great for them. The learning of industry
as to what students are doing and how they are learning
would be great for them. I see this as a win-win for both
sides and would go a long way to guiding students on their
transition from school, to degree, to work.

6. Create classrooms with industry
Classrooms
within
industry
All industries
have training
areas
Make students
do same work
hours and
breaks, make
them have the
same rules
Subjects have skills
that are relevant to
industry.
Language, communic
ation, marketing, nu
merical analysis
report writing etc
Use these areas for
teacher to teach
students industry
relevant skills
Use additional
resources from with
the industry to
reinforce the
connection between
subjects and work
Show students the
connectivity
between schooling
and work
Teach and
understand Skills
needed within the
work place team
work, leadership
empathy

7. feedback
Same process used as above (sit and discuss with the “client”
the way the prototype would work).
Feedback
 Difficult if students are not interested in particular
industry to which school is affiliated.
 Only one industry? Maybe schools will need multiple
industry relationships or a change in concept!
 Is this similar to work experience?
 Are there legal and occupational health and safety
ramifications?
 Are students able to actively participate?

8. Written reflection prototype and test
Was very interesting going through the test phase. When
describing my first idea about having ex students come in to
provide their experiences to help students was told that
teenagers hate being spoken to that they prefer to experience it
themselves. This put me on the back foot and when describing
that we would look at using Facebook and youTube and possibly
Skype this this was seen as a possibility.
The testing phase is so important to really understand whether
you are on the right track and providing what your client actually
needs. It is also a great tool to stop you diverge to what you think
is better to what your client actually needs.
Who knew testing is probably one of the most important parts of
the process!