Effects of integrating a structured design thinking strategy into generative AI-supported design learning on students’ design achievement, creative self-efficacy, and problem-solving skills
Fenglin Song, Biao Xu · 2026
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Description
Fenglin Song and Biao Xu present a 2026 experiment on generative AI in a university character design course in China. One hundred twenty undergraduates were split into three groups. One used AI tools inside a structured design thinking strategy based on the Double Diamond model. Another used AI without that structure. The third learned traditionally.
The structured AI group outperformed both other groups overall. Its students reached higher design achievement scores. They also reported stronger creative self-efficacy and better problem-solving skills. AI alone helped less than AI guided by a clear process. The authors argue the tools need instructional framing to deliver their full value. They discuss what this means for design teaching in higher education more broadly.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Fenglin Song, Biao Xu |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 59912 |
| LICENSE | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |