Technologies · Year 2

Active learning ideas

User Needs: Who Are We Designing For?

Active learning helps Year 2 students grasp user-centered design by letting them step into real users' shoes. When students interview classmates, analyze survey data, or role-play feedback, they move beyond abstract ideas to concrete understanding of diverse needs and preferences.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9TDE2P01

• 20–35 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Outdoor Investigation Session
• 25 min · Pairs

Pairs: User Empathy Maps

Pairs select a product like a school bag and draw an empathy map for a user, noting what the user sees, hears, thinks, and needs. They add two preferences based on class discussion. Pairs present one key insight to the group.

Explain how considering the user helps create a better solution.

Facilitation Tip

During User Empathy Maps, set a timer for 3 minutes per pair to encourage focused sharing of observations before the note-taking phase begins.

What to look for

Provide students with a picture of a common object, like a backpack. Ask them to write two sentences describing a need a user might have for this backpack and one question they would ask a user to find out more.

• Remember
• Understand
• Analyze
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness
• Decision-Making

Activity 02

• Outdoor Investigation Session
• 35 min · Small Groups

Small Groups: Simple Survey Design

Groups create a three-question survey about playground equipment preferences. They test it on another group, tally responses on a chart, and discuss changes to a design idea. Groups share findings in a class gallery walk.

Differentiate between what a designer wants and what a user needs.

Facilitation Tip

When designing simple surveys, provide sentence starters like 'How often do you...' to scaffold question writing for emergent writers.

What to look for

Present two different designs for a simple product, such as a lunchbox. Ask students: 'Which lunchbox do you think a younger child would prefer, and why? Which would an older child prefer, and why? How could we ask them to be sure?'

• Remember
• Understand
• Analyze
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness
• Decision-Making

Activity 03

• Outdoor Investigation Session
• 30 min · Whole Class

Whole Class: Role-Play User Feedback

The class brainstorms a shared design, such as a class pet toy. Students take turns role-playing different users giving feedback on needs and likes. The class votes on design adjustments based on input.

Design a simple survey to understand what users would like in a new product.

Facilitation Tip

In the Role-Play User Feedback activity, assign roles clearly so students practice responding to feedback with specific design adjustments.

What to look for

During a design activity, ask students to identify who their 'user' is for the product they are designing. Then, ask them to state one specific thing they learned about their user's needs that influenced their design choice.

• Remember
• Understand
• Analyze
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness
• Decision-Making

Activity 04

• Outdoor Investigation Session
• 20 min · Individual

Individual: Needs vs Wants Cards

Students receive cards with features for a lunchbox design and sort them into 'designer wants' or 'user needs' piles. They justify one choice per pile in a quick share. Collect sorts for class patterns.

Explain how considering the user helps create a better solution.

Facilitation Tip

For Needs vs Wants Cards, model sorting one card aloud before students begin to clarify the difference between essentials and preferences.

What to look for

Provide students with a picture of a common object, like a backpack. Ask them to write two sentences describing a need a user might have for this backpack and one question they would ask a user to find out more.

• Remember
• Understand
• Analyze
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness
• Decision-Making

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers approach this topic by building empathy first, then connecting it to design decisions. Move from concrete experiences (interviewing a peer) to abstract reasoning (why certain features matter). Avoid rushing to solutions; instead, guide students through cycles of asking, listening, and iterating. Research in elementary design thinking shows that young learners develop deeper understanding when they test ideas with real users and reflect on surprises.

Students will describe at least two distinct user needs, connect those needs to design choices, and explain why user input matters. They will use empathy maps, surveys, and role-plays to gather and apply insights about real users in their classroom community.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During User Empathy Maps, watch for students assuming their own needs represent the user’s needs.

  After pairs share their maps, bring the class together to compare differences between their own preferences and those of their partner, prompting students to revise their maps with new insights.

• During Simple Survey Design, watch for students writing questions that assume all users think the same way.

  After groups share their surveys, ask the class to identify questions that might lead to biased answers, then revise them together to include open-ended prompts like 'Tell me about...'.

• During Needs vs Wants Cards, watch for students treating all characteristics as equally important.

  Use a gallery walk of sorted cards to highlight how needs (like 'easy to carry') differ from wants (like 'sparkly color'), and facilitate a class vote on which category influenced their design most.

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Methods used in this brief

• Outdoor Investigation Session