DT 1: Design Thinking Foundations & AI - CEU-X720

Course Description

Credit Validation for Ed3 Participants Only

This course builds a practical foundation in Design Thinking for educators, with artificial intelligence (AI) serving as a thought partner throughout every stage. Educators explore the mindsets behind Design Thinking and the six-stage Ed3 design cycle, then apply the full cycle in a focused design sprint centered on a real challenge from their own classroom or school.

Across the modules, educators create an empathy map, examine the context surrounding their challenge, develop a learner-centered problem statement, generate and prototype ideas, engage in a simulated testing conversation, and produce either a pilot-ready resource or a shareable summary of their design journey. AI supports perspective-taking, research, ideation, and feedback throughout the process, while educator expertise and firsthand knowledge of learners remain at the center.

By the end of the course, participants will have practiced the complete Design Thinking cycle and created a concrete resource they can implement in their educational setting.

Course Topics

• Design Thinking Foundations
• Empathize
• Discover
• Define
• Ideate and Prototype
• Test and Evaluate
• Produce

Learner Outcomes

• Apply the six stages of the Design Thinking cycle to a real challenge from their own classroom or school context, moving from understanding learners to producing a usable design
• Craft a learner-centered problem statement grounded in empathy work and contextual evidence, and develop it into a tested prototype or shareable design artifact
• Collaborate with AI as a thought partner for perspective-taking, research, ideation, and feedback simulation while keeping educator discernment and knowledge of learners at the center

Course Details

Number of CEUs: 0.5 Continuing Education Units (CEUs)

Continuing Education Hours: 5 hours

Who Should Attend: This course provides continuing education for Ed3 Participants.

PLEASE READ ALL COURSE DETAILS

IMPORTANT: YOU MUST ENROLL WITH THE PARTNERED ORGANIZATION AND PAY ALL REQUIRED FEES BEFORE PURCHASING CEUs THROUGH USD.

University of San Diego – Continuing Education Units (CEUs)

The University of San Diego partners with this program to offer Continuing Education Units (CEUs) through the Credit Validation Program. To earn CEUs, participants must register for and successfully complete the coursework through the external program provider.

CEUs provide documentation of completed professional development and may be used to meet continuing education, professional development, credential, certification, or workplace requirements. Participants are responsible for confirming that CEUs meet the requirements of their employer, school district, credentialing organization, or other institution before enrolling.

Directions to Enroll for CEUs

Step 1: Register with the Partner Organization 

Complete your registration directly with the partner organization. Follow their instructions to begin the course and pay any required enrollment fees. Some courses, specifically DoWEA courses, may require participants to purchase units before the course ends; please check the enrollment window for details.

• Homepage: Ed3
• Enroll: [Ed3] Design Thinking Foundations & AI
• Contact Ed3

Please Note: USD does not provide course materials, manage instruction, or assign grades. All coursework is evaluated by the program’s instructor or coordinator.

Step 2: Complete the Course

Participate fully in the course through the partner organization and complete all required assignments, activities, and assessments.

Step 3: Register for CEUs

After confirming your registration with the partner organization and completing your program, return to the USD website.

• Locate the same course on our listings page.
• Click Add to Cart.
• Click Check Out.
• You will be prompted to either log into your USD Student Account or create one, and then pay for your CEUs.

If this course displays Request Information, it means the course is either not yet open for enrollment or enrollment has already closed. Please check the enrollment dates or contact the organization directly to ask about late enrollment or future course offerings.

Step 4: Partner Organization Submits Grades
After you finish, the partner organization will submit your final grade to USD.

Step 5: Receive Your CEU Confirmation of Completion Letter

Once your certificate has been reviewed and your CEU completion has been processed, your Confirmation of Completion Letter will be available through your USD Student Account.

This letter documents the CEU hours you earned and can be downloaded, printed, and provided to your school district, employer/HR department, credentialing organization, or other institution as proof of completion.

For instructions on accessing your letter, please see How to Access Your CEU Confirmation of Completion. 

Need Help?

For detailed information about the University of San Diego Credit Validation Program, please consult our USD Credit Validation Program Participant Guide.

Interested in university credit instead?

If you would like to purchase USD Graduate-Level Extension Credit (GLEC) instead of CEUs, which provides university credit and an official University of San Diego transcript, click here to view the GLEC option.