DEVELOPING AN INNOVATIVE MINDSET IN FUTURE TEACHERS THROUGH DESIGN THINKING AND GAME INVENTION

This paper presents and analyzes the experiences of a one-semester university course designed with the goal of proposing innovative methodologies for training basic education teachers. Within the context of an interactive and interdisciplinary course, each team of students used design thinking tools (design research, ideation, prototyping, gathering feedback, etc.) in the invention of games for primary school children. The goal of the games was to develop one of the following skills: spatial thinking, probabilistic thinking, symbolic thinking, and the discovery and creation of patterns. The results of these experiences in terms of outcome and process lead us to recommend that similar courses to this one should be included in the study plans for elementary education teachers and educational psychologists, and in ongoing training for in-service teachers.