The study involved two choice-based assessments that would test a student's ability and willingness to explore alternative solutions to solving a challenge given to them.

- the photo taking task involved a virtual game where students had to take photos of animals, while being given different camera settings to experiment with to take better photos
- there was an evaluation done by the game's internal engine to determine the quality of the student's photo as well as a post-test to see if the student had gained an understanding of photography skills, both of which depended on how much the student tried out the different settings available

- the apex consumer task was also used because the photo taking task was being used for the first time in research; this task involved making a choice about what kind of animal fit into a hypothetical category of consumer in the food chain
- this task was relatively simple in that it only involved seeing whether or not the student would explore the choices given to them to answer the question

Educating and Measuring Choice: Design Thinking- Photo and Apex CBAs

The other design-thinking strategy discussed in this article involved actively looking at different choices in dealing with a problem. The idea is that a student who would explore new alternatives could discover better possibilities and solutions compared to someone who went with their first choice or instinct. This may even be more effective than simply coming up with a singular idea and reviewing and redesigning it. 

University of California, Berkeley

The idea of design thinking is meant to instill skills involving problem comprehension, brainstorming, planning, testing, and evaluation. It is structured to educate students about methods that can be used in future careers, rather than simply being used in class. The article discusses not only the concept of design-thinking strategies but later on will note that, if instilled in low-achieving students, they can potentially show results that nearly match those of high-achieving students, as seen in the choice-based assessments that test design-thinking strategies.

Educating and Measuring Choice: Design Thinking- A Learning Strategy

Doris B. Chin, Kristen P. Blair, Rachel C. Wolf, Luke D. Conlin, Maria Cutumisu, Jay Pfaffman & Daniel L. Schwartz (2019) Educating and Measuring Choice: A Test of the Transfer of Design Thinking in Problem Solving and Learning, Journal of the Learning Sciences, 28:3, 337-380, 
http://doi.org/10.1080/10508406.2019.1570933

Educating and Measuring Choice: Design Thinking- Citation Reference

One design-thinking strategy that is used and tested in the research study is the idea of deliberately seeking out constructive criticism. The idea of informative negative feedback is that it provides further opportunity for growth by pointing out how to improve one's work. Positive feedback might satisfy the student into remaining complacent while avoiding negative feedback prevents growth and learning.  Being subjected to negative feedback against one's will may cause a decrease in motivation to improve. The task discussed in the next linked node shows how this research study tested deliberately seeking out feedback.

Educating and Measuring Choice: Design Thinking- Constructive Feedback

Educating and Measuring Choice: Design Thinking- Exploring Choices

The research study involved a 6th grade cohort of a primarily high SES neighborhood with a majority of white students. The testing conditions involved two treatment groups based on design-thinking strategy (feedback/explore), academic achievement in different classes (combined ELA, math, science), and three CBAs at the end (poster feedback/ photo explore/ apex explore). Students were taught in their classes based on encouraging the use one of the design-thinking strategies (some students taught to get feedback, others taught to explore choices). Then they would be given the CBAs at the end of the instruction period. 

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