The Synergy of ‘Design Thinking and Communication’ and its New Faculty Mentoring Program

Abstract

Design Thinking and Communication (“DTC”) is an interdisciplinary university program designed primarily for first-year engineering students at Northwestern University. Positive interdependence exists at the heart of this 27-year-old program, which brings together two seemingly disparate disciplines. The program contains two courses that combine instruction in communication with instruction in engineering design, and are taught jointly by an instructor from each discipline. This creates a rich and diverse learning experience for students and a powerful pedagogical experience for faculty.

New faculty join the DTC program every quarter. In their first two quarters, new faculty are paired in co-teaching relationships with experienced faculty. The resulting relationship is an example of the positive interdependence present within DTC. The experienced teacher shares their knowledge of the program, while the new teacher shares innovative ideas and approaches.

Teaching in an established program can be intimidating, so the DTC director team created a mentoring program for new faculty. The program utilizes best practices and consists of an orientation, weekly cohort meetings, faculty observations, and faculty reflections. New faculty have the opportunity to learn from each other and from the program directors. Each element of the mentoring program is designed to help new faculty develop pedagogical strategies for teaching the established DTC framework, while also guiding them toward experiencing a sense of belonging and inclusion. Many new faculty remark that the co-teaching relationship and the mentoring program are pivotal to their success in teaching DTC.