Activity 01
Stations Rotation: Peer Prototype Testing
Prepare stations with each group's prototype and test sheets. Small groups visit a station, one student tests while others observe and note feedback using prompts. Rotate every 10 minutes, then share key insights in a class huddle.
Design a simple test plan for a prototype.
Facilitation TipDuring Station Rotation, provide a simple timer for each station to keep rotations smooth and ensure all students get equal testing time.
What to look forProvide students with a short scenario describing a user testing session. Ask them to identify two potential sources of bias in the feedback collection and explain why they are problematic.
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Activity 02
Role-Play Pairs: Designer and User
Pair students: one presents prototype, the other acts as user following a scripted task. Switch roles after 5 minutes, recording feedback on sticky notes. Pairs discuss and sort notes into useful and unhelpful piles.
Explain how to collect unbiased feedback from users.
Facilitation TipIn Role-Play Pairs, give students role cards with clear expectations so the designer practices listening and the user completes tasks independently.
What to look forAfter conducting a user test, have students swap their feedback notes. Each student reviews their partner's collected feedback and writes one sentence identifying a 'useful' piece of feedback and one sentence identifying an 'unhelpful' piece, explaining their reasoning.
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Activity 03
Feedback Sorting Game: Small Group Challenge
Provide printed feedback cards (some specific, some vague). Groups sort into 'useful' or 'unhelpful' columns, justify choices, then create improvement ideas from useful ones. Share one example per group.
Differentiate between useful and unhelpful feedback.
Facilitation TipFor the Feedback Sorting Game, prepare two labeled bins (Useful and Unhelpful) to make categorization visual and discussion-ready.
What to look forAsk students to write down one question they would ask a user after they have tested their prototype. Then, ask them to explain why this question is designed to elicit useful, unbiased feedback.
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Activity 04
Whole Class: Test Plan Brainstorm
Project a prototype example. Class co-creates a test plan on chart paper, votes on best questions, then tests in buddy pairs. Debrief adjustments needed.
Design a simple test plan for a prototype.
Facilitation TipDuring the Whole Class Test Plan Brainstorm, record all student ideas on the board without editing to model open-ended creativity.
What to look forProvide students with a short scenario describing a user testing session. Ask them to identify two potential sources of bias in the feedback collection and explain why they are problematic.
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Generate Complete Lesson→A few notes on teaching this unit
Teaching user testing works best when you model unbiased observation and specific feedback yourself. Avoid telling students what to look for—instead, guide their attention with open-ended prompts during trials. Research shows that students learn evaluation skills more deeply when they teach their peers, so rotate roles to reinforce reciprocal learning.
Successful learning looks like students designing clear test plans, observing peers without prompting, and distinguishing useful feedback from vague comments. By the end of the activities, they should confidently categorize feedback and articulate how it informs next steps in their design process.
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
During Feedback Sorting Game, watch for students who assume all positive comments are useful and all negative comments are unhelpful.
Guide students to focus on feedback details by asking them to underline the specific parts of each comment before sorting. Use the game’s bins to reinforce that useful feedback includes reasons, while unhelpful feedback lacks specifics.
During Role-Play Pairs, watch for designers who direct users with step-by-step instructions instead of letting them explore naturally.
Use the role cards to remind designers to stay quiet after giving the initial task. After the test, prompt pairs to discuss how directing users might hide real usability issues.
During Station Rotation, watch for students who dismiss feedback if it conflicts with their own ideas.
Have students write down one piece of feedback from each station on sticky notes, then review them as a class to identify patterns. Use this to normalize critique as a tool for improvement rather than personal rejection.
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