Technologies · Year 10

Active learning ideas

Information Architecture and Navigation

Active learning works for Information Architecture because students must physically organize and test structures rather than passively observe them. Moving cards, sketching menus, and rebuilding sitemaps make abstract hierarchies concrete.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9DT10P03

• 30–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Collaborative Problem-Solving
• 45 min · Small Groups

Collaborative Problem-Solving: Card Sorting Challenge

Print content labels on cards representing a school website's pages. In small groups, students sort cards into categories, label groups, and draw a sitemap. Groups then swap sitemaps for peer critique on intuitiveness.

Design an information architecture for a complex website.

Facilitation Tip

During the Card Sorting Challenge, circulate and ask each group to explain their sorting logic before moving to the next round to surface differences in mental models.

What to look for

Provide students with a list of 10 common website pages for a fictional online store (e.g., 'About Us', 'Contact', 'Product A', 'Product B', 'Cart', 'Checkout', 'Returns Policy'). Ask them to group these into 3-4 logical categories and create a simple navigation label for each category. Collect and review for logical grouping.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management

Activity 02

• Concept Mapping
• 35 min · Pairs

Pairs: Navigation Pattern Evaluation

Pairs select two websites with different navigation styles, such as hamburger menus versus tab bars. They time task completion, like finding contact info, and score usability on a rubric. Discuss findings as a class.

Evaluate the effectiveness of different navigation patterns (e.g., global, local).

Facilitation Tip

For the Navigation Pattern Evaluation, provide screenshots with no visible labels first, forcing students to infer structure from visual cues alone.

What to look for

Display a screenshot of a website's main navigation menu. Ask students to identify whether it is primarily global or local navigation and explain in one sentence why. Discuss responses as a class to check understanding of navigation types.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Create
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management

Activity 03

• Concept Mapping
• 50 min · Whole Class

Whole Class: Wireframe Build-Off

Project a complex site brief on the board. As a class, brainstorm content hierarchy, then individuals sketch wireframes with navigation. Vote on best designs and refine the winner collaboratively.

Explain how card sorting can inform information architecture decisions.

Facilitation Tip

In the Wireframe Build-Off, set a strict five-minute timer for each round to keep energy high and prevent over-editing.

What to look for

Students work in pairs to sketch a basic sitemap for a website they are familiar with. They then swap sitemaps and provide feedback using these prompts: 'Is the hierarchy clear?', 'Are there at least three levels of depth?', 'What is one suggestion to improve the organization?'

• Understand
• Analyze
• Create
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management

Activity 04

• Concept Mapping
• 30 min · Individual

Individual: Sitemap Redesign

Students analyze a poorly structured real website, list content, and create a new sitemap with navigation mockups. They justify choices based on user scenarios and share digitally for feedback.

Design an information architecture for a complex website.

What to look for

Provide students with a list of 10 common website pages for a fictional online store (e.g., 'About Us', 'Contact', 'Product A', 'Product B', 'Cart', 'Checkout', 'Returns Policy'). Ask them to group these into 3-4 logical categories and create a simple navigation label for each category. Collect and review for logical grouping.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Create
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teach Information Architecture by alternating between design thinking and usability testing. Start with hands-on activities to reveal gaps in student mental models, then use peer feedback to refine their structures. Avoid lecturing on theory first—students learn best when they experience the frustration of poorly organized content and the clarity of well-structured systems. Research shows that students retain IA concepts better when they test their own designs with real users rather than receiving top-down instruction.

Students will demonstrate understanding by creating clear content groupings, labeling menus that reflect user needs, and designing navigation that reduces cognitive load. Their work should show logical flow and prioritization of key paths.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Card Sorting Challenge, students may believe adding more categories improves navigation.

  During Card Sorting Challenge, circulate and ask groups to test their groupings by timing how long it takes peers to locate a sample page. This reveals that too many categories slow users down rather than help them.

• During Navigation Pattern Evaluation, students may assume visual styling determines navigation quality.

  During Navigation Pattern Evaluation, provide screenshots without visible design elements first. Ask students to focus on menu placement and labeling, then discuss how aesthetics can distract from usability.

• During Wireframe Build-Off, students may think following expert patterns guarantees user success.

  During Wireframe Build-Off, have students test their menus with peers using a simple task, such as finding a specific page. This shows that user mental models often differ from designer assumptions.

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Methods used in this brief

• Collaborative Problem-Solving
• Concept Mapping