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Educating the educators – bringing Stanford principles to
the University of Auckland

How does New Zealand’s leading innovation and entrepreneurship centre stay truly innovative? By ensuring that its talented staff are constantly benchmarking internationally and developing new knowledge and capability. 

Sean Kelly is the Technology and Prototyping Manager at the Business School’s Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE). His role supports both curricular and co-curricular programming for students and staff of all faculties at the University of Auckland, including delivering workshops that all Business School students attend as a core component of the Bachelor of Commerce. Sean says, “The Business School has recognised that in order for our graduates to be innovative in business, they need to have enough comprehension of what emerging technologies are capable of in order to be able to spot opportunities.” 

Sean recently attended Stanford University’s d.school for a 5-day workshop designed to equip educators with knowledge and design tools for tackling complex challenges in higher education. The d.school, officially the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design, is a global hub for innovation, dedicated to unlocking creative potential and making design accessible to all. Each year, it offers two intakes for university educators to participate in its Teaching and Learning Studio course, focusing on the foundational principles of design. Sean joined the July cohort, immersing himself in activities that explored experimenting, noticing and sensemaking – the core pillars of design. 

Although Sean had used role-playing in designing programmes in the past, it was during this course that his understanding of its significance and effectiveness deepened. “Role-playing allows you to gain insights from the user’s perspective, helping you understand their needs on a deeper level.” Experiencing this firsthand, Sean realised how powerful empathy-building tools like this can be in fostering better problem-solving and engagement. 

Before the course, Sean had worked with the traditional five-step model—empathise, define, ideate, prototype, and test. However, d.school encouraged participants to move beyond rigid frameworks and instead embrace design thinking as a flexible, adaptive mindset. “Design Thinking wasn’t meant to be THE process-rather, design is a common language and a set of tools that fosters learning, collaboration, and innovation.” The course reframed design as an iterative journey, where observing, experimenting, and learning take precedence over simply ticking boxes in a set sequence.  

“It’s about being open to discovering unexpected insights and allowing the process to guide you, seeing design as a learning journey rather than a linear pathway to a solution.”  

Since returning to Auckland, Sean has begun integrating his d.school learnings into the design and improvement of CIE’s programmes and activities. Role-playing is one tool he’s eager to incorporate into the unique learning experiences he designs for curricular. “By fostering empathy, we can help students design solutions that truly meet users’ needs.” Beyond this, Sean hopes to create opportunities for students to embrace reflection and observation, encouraging them to pause, notice, and learn from the process rather than rushing toward outcomes. 

For Sean, these changes are about more than just teaching a skill set; they’re about instilling a mindset. He sees empathy, curiosity, and adaptability as essential qualities for future leaders tackling complex challenges in areas like social impact and technology. “Building a culture that values learning and reflection can empower students to drive meaningful change.”  

By encouraging students to question assumptions and make sense of their learning, Sean believes they’ll be better equipped to develop effective, real-world solutions. Critical thinking is becoming increasingly important, as people use generative AI and encounter information on social media. 

The experience also highlighted for Sean the importance of fostering a strong learning culture. At d.school, participants were encouraged to challenge their thinking and see ambiguity as an integral part of the process. This approach resonated deeply with Sean, who believes that a culture of learning, while being comfortable with ambiguity, is critical to sparking innovation. “Design  is most impactful when we take time to observe, iterate, and reflect rather than rushing to solutions.” 

Ultimately, Sean envisions CIE as a hub where students can lead their own learning journeys, equipped with the tools and perspectives needed to create meaningful change. “Design isn’t just about creating solutions; it’s about fostering a journey of discovery that students can carry into their careers and beyond.” 

Woman with brown, shoulder length hair, wearing a green shirt, smiling and folding her arms.

Sean Kelly

Woman with brown, shoulder length hair, wearing a green shirt, smiling and folding her arms.

Sean Kelly

How does New Zealand’s leading innovation and entrepreneurship centre stay truly innovative? By ensuring that its talented staff are constantly benchmarking internationally and developing new knowledge and capability. 

Sean Kelly is the Technology and Prototyping Manager at the Business School’s Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE). His role supports both curricular and co-curricular programming for students and staff of all faculties at the University of Auckland, including delivering workshops that all Business School students attend as a core component of the Bachelor of Commerce. Sean says, “The Business School has recognised that in order for our graduates to be innovative in business, they need to have enough comprehension of what emerging technologies are capable of in order to be able to spot opportunities.” 

Sean recently attended Stanford University’s d.school for a 5-day workshop designed to equip educators with knowledge and design tools for tackling complex challenges in higher education. The d.school, officially the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design, is a global hub for innovation, dedicated to unlocking creative potential and making design accessible to all. Each year, it offers two intakes for university educators to participate in its Teaching and Learning Studio course, focusing on the foundational principles of design. Sean joined the July cohort, immersing himself in activities that explored experimenting, noticing and sensemaking – the core pillars of design. 

Although Sean had used role-playing in designing programmes in the past, it was during this course that his understanding of its significance and effectiveness deepened. “Role-playing allows you to gain insights from the user’s perspective, helping you understand their needs on a deeper level.” Experiencing this firsthand, Sean realised how powerful empathy-building tools like this can be in fostering better problem-solving and engagement. 

Before the course, Sean had worked with the traditional five-step model—empathise, define, ideate, prototype, and test. However, d.school encouraged participants to move beyond rigid frameworks and instead embrace design thinking as a flexible, adaptive mindset. “Design Thinking wasn’t meant to be THE process-rather, design is a common language and a set of tools that fosters learning, collaboration, and innovation.” The course reframed design as an iterative journey, where observing, experimenting, and learning take precedence over simply ticking boxes in a set sequence.  

“It’s about being open to discovering unexpected insights and allowing the process to guide you, seeing design as a learning journey rather than a linear pathway to a solution.”  

Since returning to Auckland, Sean has begun integrating his d.school learnings into the design and improvement of CIE’s programmes and activities. Role-playing is one tool he’s eager to incorporate into the unique learning experiences he designs for curricular. “By fostering empathy, we can help students design solutions that truly meet users’ needs.” Beyond this, Sean hopes to create opportunities for students to embrace reflection and observation, encouraging them to pause, notice, and learn from the process rather than rushing toward outcomes. 

For Sean, these changes are about more than just teaching a skill set; they’re about instilling a mindset. He sees empathy, curiosity, and adaptability as essential qualities for future leaders tackling complex challenges in areas like social impact and technology. “Building a culture that values learning and reflection can empower students to drive meaningful change.”  

By encouraging students to question assumptions and make sense of their learning, Sean believes they’ll be better equipped to develop effective, real-world solutions. Critical thinking is becoming increasingly important, as people use generative AI and encounter information on social media. 

The experience also highlighted for Sean the importance of fostering a strong learning culture. At d.school, participants were encouraged to challenge their thinking and see ambiguity as an integral part of the process. This approach resonated deeply with Sean, who believes that a culture of learning, while being comfortable with ambiguity, is critical to sparking innovation. “Design  is most impactful when we take time to observe, iterate, and reflect rather than rushing to solutions.” 

Ultimately, Sean envisions CIE as a hub where students can lead their own learning journeys, equipped with the tools and perspectives needed to create meaningful change. “Design isn’t just about creating solutions; it’s about fostering a journey of discovery that students can carry into their careers and beyond.” 

EMAIL
CIE@AUCKLAND.AC.NZ

POSTAL ADDRESS
THE UNIVERSITY OF AUCKLAND BUSINESS SCHOOL
PRIVATE BAG 92019, AUCKLAND

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