Education and design: using human-computer interaction case studies to learn

As computers become increasingly integral to daily life, there is a need for computer scientists to focus on the user. This, in part, entails developing applications that have interfaces that are well designed. It is therefore important that computer science students gain formal education in design methodology. The best way to teach design is debatable, but one teaching tool gaining popularity in the field of Human Computer Interaction (HCI) is the use of case studies. We aim to increase the usefulness of the case study as a tool to teach design methodology. A case study is a collection of artifacts and data used to communicate a process. In the field of HCI cases communicate how a designer accomplished designing a certain aspect or, in some cases, the entirety of a design. Case studies are inherently flexible and can be presented in a variety of ways. We explore, if by altering presentation, we can enhance the usability of a case study and better communicate the encapsulated design methodology to the student. We make use of ordering effect in our attempt to achieve these ends and to shed light on the effect of online presentation on education.