Case studies for teaching usability engineering

ABSTRACT

A challenge in teaching usability engineering is providing appropriate hands-on project experience. Students need projects that are realistic enough to address meaningful issues, but manageable within one semester. We describe our use of online case studies to motivate and model course projects in usability engineering. The cases illustrate scenario-based usability methods, and are accessed via a custom browser. We summarize the content and organization of the case studies, several case-based learning activities, and students' reactions to the activities. We conclude with a discussion of future directions for case studies in HCI education.

REFERENCES

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INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.5 INFORMATION INTERFACES AND PRESENTATION (I.7)
      H.5.1 Multimedia Information Systems
          Subjects: Evaluation/methodology

Additional Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.5 INFORMATION INTERFACES AND PRESENTATION (I.7)
      H.5.1 Multimedia Information Systems
      H.5.4 Hypertext/Hypermedia
          Subjects: User issues; Navigation

General Terms:
Design, Documentation, Human Factors

Keywords:
case studies, case-based learning, human-computer interaction, scenario-based development, usability engineering