Design Thinking is a promising transformative pedagogical innovation based on engaged interdisciplinary learning and the growth of 21st-century skills for everyone, through entrepreneurial co-creation.

Like other such innovations however, it has yet to pull its potential weight in terms of impact in educational transformation.

ExtenDT² will use design-based research to support/provide evidence for pedagogical transformation via Design Thinking enhanced by Emerging Technologies. It will employ already institutionalized, home-grown and open-access digital expressive media of advanced technical readiness for students to engage in Design Thinking projects. It will also uniquely integrate with these expressive media Emerging Technologies i.e. ΑΙ-enhanced Authorable Learning Analytics, Augmented Reality, 3D printing/scanning and virtual robotics, to leverage digital implementation, monitoring and assessment of Design Thinking projects by teachers in schools. 

Implemented/developed in different social contexts across 6 European countries, ExtenDT² will explore the risks and potential of the pedagogical use of Emerging Technologies and how they support 21C skills, in turn increasing the scope, transformative potential and applicability of Design Thinking with Emerging Technologies in mainstream schooling. ExtenDT² will invite and inspire teachers and other stakeholders to design and implement such projects, by running original strategic teacher professional development, providing courses and guidelines for them to design, implement and evaluate Design Thinking projects in their classrooms.