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Adaptation Examples:
See This Framework in Action

One Framework, Many Applications

The AI Flash Lab adapts to different educational challenges while keeping the same powerful Designer-Builder-Advocate structure. Here's how it might look in different contexts.

Student-Focused

Student Mental Health & Well-Being

Addressing anxiety, stress, social isolation, and emotional regulation challenges that impact learning and engagement.

Example Problem Statement

"Middle school students experiencing test anxiety struggle to demonstrate their knowledge during high-stakes assessments, despite understanding the material when stress is lower."

Prototype Ideas Teams Might Build

  • Pre-test breathing/grounding exercise app with AI-personalized calming strategies
  • Practice test environment that simulates test conditions with gradual exposure therapy
  • Reflection journal that helps students identify anxiety patterns and triggers

Why Designer-Builder-Advocate Works Here

Mental health requires deep empathy and lived experience (Designer), solutions need to feel safe and accessible (Builder), and teams must communicate the emotional "why" to stakeholders (Advocate). The structured process helps teams approach sensitive topics thoughtfully.

Educator-Focused

Teacher Professional Learning & Development

Supporting teachers in developing new instructional strategies, integrating technology, and staying current with pedagogical research.

Example Problem Statement

"First-year teachers feel overwhelmed by the gap between theory learned in credential programs and the practical classroom management challenges they face daily."

Prototype Ideas Teams Might Build

  • AI teaching mentor that provides real-time classroom management suggestions via mobile app
  • Scenario-based practice simulator for difficult parent-teacher conversations
  • Peer learning platform that matches new teachers with mentors facing similar challenges

Why Designer-Builder-Advocate Works Here

Teacher PD requires understanding educator pain points from their perspective (Designer), creating tools they'll actually use in busy schedules (Builder), and making the case for professional learning time and resources (Advocate). The three hats mirror the teacher experience.

Systems & Infrastructure

Personalized Learning Infrastructure

Building systems that allow students to learn at their own pace while maintaining rigor and teacher connection.

Example Problem Statement

"Students who master concepts quickly spend weeks bored waiting for peers to catch up, while struggling students fall further behind—both groups disengage from learning."

Prototype Ideas Teams Might Build

  • Adaptive pacing dashboard that gives students choice in skill progression pathways
  • Peer teaching marketplace where advanced students tutor others for enrichment credit
  • AI-powered formative assessment that dynamically adjusts question difficulty

Why Designer-Builder-Advocate Works Here

Personalized learning requires understanding diverse student needs (Designer), creating systems that scale (Builder), and convincing stakeholders to rethink traditional structures (Advocate). The framework helps teams balance individual needs with institutional constraints.

Student-Focused

Student Attendance & Engagement

Addressing chronic absenteeism and disengagement by understanding root causes and building supportive systems.

Example Problem Statement

"High school students with caregiving responsibilities at home miss school frequently but feel ashamed to explain why, leading to failing grades despite understanding course material."

Prototype Ideas Teams Might Build

  • Compassionate absence communication tool that connects students with support resources
  • Flexible learning pathway that allows asynchronous completion of missed work
  • Early warning system that identifies attendance patterns and triggers supportive check-ins

Why Designer-Builder-Advocate Works Here

Attendance challenges require understanding complex life circumstances (Designer), building trust-based systems (Builder), and changing deficit-based narratives about absent students (Advocate). The structure prevents punitive solutions and centers student dignity.

Systems & Infrastructure

College & Career Readiness

Preparing students for post-secondary success by building academic skills, career awareness, and navigation support.

Example Problem Statement

"First-generation college students at our school navigate financial aid, applications, and course selection alone because they can't ask family members who haven't attended college for guidance."

Prototype Ideas Teams Might Build

  • AI college counselor chatbot that explains FAFSA, deadlines, and application strategies
  • Near-peer mentor matching platform connecting current first-gen students with alumni
  • Decision-making tool that compares college options based on student priorities and financial aid

Why Designer-Builder-Advocate Works Here

College access requires understanding hidden barriers (Designer), creating approachable guidance systems (Builder), and advocating for equitable access (Advocate). The workshop helps teams design tools that democratize knowledge typically available only to privileged students.

How to Adapt This Workshop to Your Context

The Designer-Builder-Advocate framework stays the same. Here's what to customize and what to keep:

Keep the Same

  • The three-hat structure: Designer → Builder → Advocate sequence
  • AI-assisted approach: Human discussion first, then AI boosts
  • Time allocation: 2-hour or 3-hour format and pacing
  • Core principles: Human First, Fail Fast, Empathy-Driven
  • Output goals: Problem statement, prototype, 2-minute pitch
  • Team structure: 3-5 person teams working collaboratively

Customize for Your Context

  • Challenge framing: Replace "learning differences" with your focus area
  • Example problem statements: Use scenarios relevant to your context
  • AI prompts: Adjust "students with learning differences" to your population
  • Prototype examples: Show what solutions look like in your domain
  • Stakeholder language: Tailor pitch guidance to your audience (parents, admins, funders)
  • Success stories: Share examples from your community or similar contexts

5-Step Adaptation Checklist

  1. Identify your challenge area

    Be specific about the learner population and context. "Middle school students experiencing test anxiety" is better than "student mental health."

  2. Rewrite example problem statements

    Create 2-3 sample problem statements that teams might develop. Use these in your facilitator script and slides.

  3. Adapt AI prompt templates

    Go through the AI Boost prompts on the Designer, Builder, and Advocate pages. Change references from "students with learning differences" to your context.

  4. Prepare context-specific examples

    Find 1-2 real or hypothetical prototype examples to share when teams get stuck. Show what "good enough" looks like.

  5. Brief your facilitators

    Make sure your facilitation team understands the challenge area well enough to ask probing questions and redirect teams if needed.

Resources for Exploring Educational Challenges

These resources can help you identify and frame challenges in your context:

Stanford Accelerator for Learning

Research and tools for designing learning innovations, with a focus on learners with learning differences and neurodiverse populations.

Visit the Accelerator

Stanford HAI

Stanford's Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence institute explores AI research, policy, and applications in education and society.

Visit Stanford HAI

Design Thinking Resources

Stanford d.school and IDEO resources on human-centered design, empathy interviewing, and prototyping techniques.

Visit d.school

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