Project Insights from the Sport & Rec: Expanding Access Project

Francesca smiling against a white background.

The Innovation Hub recently concluded its Expanding Access: Sport & Rec project. Francesca, Design Research Team Lead, reflects on how stories can build empathy in understanding others throughout the research process.  

Written by Francesca Pabale, Design Research Team Lead, Master of Education, Higher Education 

Project Insights: Digital Scholarship at Robarts Library

Spencer smiling in front of a wood wall.

Written by Spencer Ki, Design Research Team Lead, Honours Bachelor of Science, Physics and Statistical Sciences 

The Innovation Hub recently concluded its Innovation in Digital Scholarship on the Robarts Library Fifth Floor project. Spencer Ki, Design Research Team Lead, reflects on the power different perspectives can have when untangling a wicked problem. 

Call for New Innovation Hub Projects 2023-24

Call for New Projects - Partner with the Innovation Hub

Partner with the Innovation Hub!

The Innovation Hub is ready to take on new design thinking projects for the 2023-2024 academic year. We can help your team to co-create programs, services, resources, and spaces with students. Working together, we help you build positivity around your project and ensure the highest possible student engagement in the process. Our student teams are hired and trained specifically for your project and work directly with you and your teams throughout the process.

Project Insights: Future of Dining at Chestnut Residence

Written by Eli Rose, (Design Research Team Lead), Bo Phi, Kimberly Mak, Yin Chen Wan (Design Researchers) 

In this project, we partnered with Chestnut Residence to gain a deeper understanding of the student experience at the dining hall and help Food Services build a positive and collaborative relationship with students and staff. In this work, the Food Services Design Research Team reflects on their experiences. 

Project Insights from “Trans and Non-binary Student Experiences” Project

Written by: Sabrina Wu, Senior Research Assistant

Sabrina smiling with plants in background

There are many student groups and communities – each contributing to the University in various ways. In partnership with the Sexual and Gender Diversity Office (SGDO), the Trans and Nonbinary (TNB) Student Experiences Project set out to seek a deeper understanding of TNB student experiences in two phases.

Project Insights from “Fostering the Courage to Learn: Student Experience at the Faculty of Dentistry”

Lightbulb in shape of a tooth

Written by: Sabrina Wu, Senior Research Assistant

In the Faculty of Dentistry Student Experience project, we partnered with the Faculty of Dentistry to gain a deeper and nuanced understanding of the current Dentistry student experience and how it can be strengthened. While this project was specific to the Dentistry student experience, I found that the student needs around learning resonated with our team as well in our own learning experience. I have learned a lot through this project about the courage it takes to continue down the path of learning, as well as how to communicate what I have learned.  

Project Insights: 2021-22 Mental Health Care Delivery on Campus 2021-22

Written by Marcus Lomboy (Senior Research Assistant), Tiffany Lee , Christopher Simpson, Isabel Bowman & Maliha Sarwar (Design Research Assistant)

Icon of a house with an blue heart in the middle and ring

Mental health is a complex issue. And designing a service that effectively meets the needs of a diverse student body is an equally wicked problem. In an effort to better understand the experiences of students accessing campus mental health supports, the Innovation Hub partnered with Health & Wellness (H&W) at the University of Toronto (U of T). The partnership began over the summer of 2021 over a series of group co-creation sessions. Continuing into the 2021-2022 fall and winter terms, we continued the co-design process by reaching out to students who accessed same-day appointments. 

All about the TIL Operations Working Group

Georgia is outside, smiling towards the camera and wearing. a dark blue shirt.

Written by Georgia Maxwell – Senior Research Assistant for Transforming the Instructional Landscape

Transforming the Instructional Landscape (TIL) is an ongoing project at the University of Toronto that examines how learning environments can be improved for both instructors and students. TIL employs design thinking to help build better learning environments with students rather than for students. A wide range of professionals from across UofT are also involved in the project’s exciting and innovative work. 

The Academic Integrity Project: Designing Student-Centered Academic Integrity at U of T

Hai Dao smiling to the camera on a sunny day
Hai-Dao Le Nguyen
Shankeri outside, with a plain grey background, smiling to the camera
Shankeri Vijayakumar

By Shankeri Vijayakumar – Data Analysis Researcher and Hai-Dao Le Nguyen – Data Analysis Researcher 

Academic Integrity is essential to learning at the University of Toronto as students learn to engage with knowledge and ideas in a way that is respectful and honourable. This past year, the Innovation Hub partnered with U of T’s Provost’s Office to explore what academic integrity means and how it is experienced by students at the university.