Using design thinking for social innovation: Undergraduate students’ experiences when developing mobile application prototypes

Abstract

Information and communication technology can be used in social innovation to solve societal challenges, such as access to quality education. Despite the increasing number of South Africans with mobile phones, there are still barriers to online learning for students. The barriers include the lack of technological skills, lack of digital access and inequitable learning environments. This exploratory case study examined 26 third-year university students’ experiences when using design thinking to design mobile application prototypes to support education. Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 was used as a scenario as it focuses on providing quality education for all. An online survey was used to collect qualitative and quantitative data. Qualitative data were analysed using content analysis. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics. The results demonstrate that students had a positive experience when using design thinking. Each of the five stages in design thinking received positive feedback. Improvements can be made to provide more training to use the tool, Justinmind, to develop mobile application prototypes.