Title: Route success: case study connecting design thinking to student success

Authors: David Desplaces; Kristen McMullen; Cory Werkheiser; Todd Drew

Addresses: Baker School of Business, The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, 171 Moultrie Street, Charleston, SC 29409, USA ' School of Business, College of Charleston, 66 George Street, Charleston, SC 29401, USA ' School of Business, College of Charleston, 66 George Street, Charleston, SC 29401, USA ' Baker School of Business, The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, 171 Moultrie Street, Charleston, SC 29409, USA

Abstract: The purpose of this research is to introduce and test a comprehensive activity-based coaching program in an effort to better facilitate career and life planning capacity of undergraduate students. The semi-customised life design program was tailored to help students answer how they should approach the challenge of designing their own life's path while building the capacity to deal with roadblocks, limitations, and the fear of making choices. Quantitative data shows how the program significantly reduced participants' sense of career anxiety, improved their sense of hope for the future, and built their self-efficacy while moderately impacting their ability to set goals. This study provides insight on how to implement an institution-wide initiative centred on design thinking.

Keywords: life design; design your life; coaching; design thinking; learning; empowerment; hopefulness; self-efficacy; goal setting; study.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTCS.2025.145349

International Journal of Teaching and Case Studies, 2025 Vol.15 No.2, pp.112 - 133

Received: 27 Dec 2023
Accepted: 21 Jan 2024
Published online: 31 Mar 2025 *

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