Design thinking provides a comprehensive framework that encourages collaboration, empathy and which aligns well with the goals of education. While design thinking is recognised as an effective approach in education, previous research has focused primarily on its application in digital materials or project design tasks. This study addresses this gap by exploring the skills enhanced by student teachers through the implementation of design thinking in the creation of unplugged educational games. Using a qualitative case study design, a total of six groups with total 22 student teachers were selected through the purposive sampling technique to participate in a series of workshops focused on unplugged educational game design. Data was collected through group discussions, document analysis of design artefacts, weekly reflective e-portfolios and participant observation during the game creation process. The findings revealed significant improvements in the student teachers' problem-solving, creativity and communication skills as they engaged in design thinking. Through collaborative problem solving, iterative prototyping and creative ideation, the student teachers have improved their ability to communicate ideas clearly, and were able to tackle complex challenges and generate innovative solutions. These findings highlight the transformative potential of design thinking in teacher education and demonstrate its effectiveness in preparing future educators for the complexities of 21st century teaching and learning. Future research may examine design thinking's impact on teachers of different experience levels, use experimental designs for validation, and compare it with other instructional to identify effective strategies.

Peer assessment (PA) refers to any arrangement in which learners consider the amount, level, value, worth, quality or success of the learning outcomes of their peers. In simpler words, peer assessment is a form of assessment which allows the learners to provide grades/marks and/or feedback to their peers by assessing their peers' work and contribution. This paper conceptually explains about peer assessment as a strategy to increase students' commitment and motivation when working collaboratively. The first part of this paper discusses about the nature of collaborative in higher education setting. Essentially, peer assessment can be the key to uncovering what happened behind the scenes during the collaborative learning process, i.e. during group assignment or group project. In this research, an exploratory case study design was conducted among higher education instructors at a public university in Malaysia. This research seeks to explore the strategies and tools used by higher education instructors to conduct peer assessment in their teaching, with a focus on innovative approaches and digital tools used by these instructors in multidisciplinary educational contexts.