Problem Identification and User Research

Active learning works for problem identification and user research because students must practice listening to real voices to understand needs beyond their own assumptions. When they craft surveys, conduct interviews, and analyze feedback, they move from abstract ideas to concrete evidence that shapes meaningful solutions.

• Grade 10
• Computer Science
• 4 activities
• 30 min–50 min

Learning Objectives

1. Analyze a community problem to identify its core challenges and key stakeholders.
2. Design methods for gathering user requirements and feedback through surveys and interviews.
3. Explain how user research findings directly inform the initial stages of software development.
4. Evaluate the effectiveness of different user research techniques for a given problem scenario.

Expert Panel

⏱ 30 min·Pairs

Pairs: Empathy Interview Practice

Pairs role-play: one student acts as a user facing a problem like accessing online homework, the other as researcher with 5 prepared questions. Switch roles after 10 minutes, then share key insights with the class. Focus on open-ended questions to uncover needs.

Prepare & details

Analyze a community problem to identify its core challenges and stakeholders.

Facilitation Tip: During Empathy Interview Practice, model open-ended questions first, then have students practice active listening by paraphrasing responses before asking follow-ups.

Setup: Panel table at front, audience seating for class

Materials: Expert research packets, Name placards for panelists, Question preparation worksheet for audience

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Expert Panel

⏱ 45 min·Small Groups

Small Groups: Problem Tree Analysis

Groups select a community issue, draw a tree with roots as causes, trunk as core problem, and branches as effects. Brainstorm stakeholders at each level. Present trees and discuss research methods needed to verify elements.

Prepare & details

Design methods for gathering user requirements and feedback.

Facilitation Tip: For Problem Tree Analysis, provide a concrete example of a poorly defined problem and guide students through breaking it down into causes and effects before they attempt their own.

Setup: Panel table at front, audience seating for class

Materials: Expert research packets, Name placards for panelists, Question preparation worksheet for audience

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Expert Panel

⏱ 50 min·Whole Class

Whole Class: Survey Design Challenge

Class brainstorms a software idea, then collaboratively designs a 10-question survey using Google Forms. Pilot the survey on the group, analyze responses in real time, and refine based on feedback.

Prepare & details

Explain how user research informs the initial stages of software development.

Facilitation Tip: In the Survey Design Challenge, give a sample of poorly written questions to analyze as a class before students draft their own from scratch.

Setup: Panel table at front, audience seating for class

Materials: Expert research packets, Name placards for panelists, Question preparation worksheet for audience

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Expert Panel

⏱ 35 min·Individual

Individual: Stakeholder Persona Creation

Students research a problem online, create 2-3 user personas with demographics, needs, and pain points. Share in a gallery walk for peer feedback on research depth.

Prepare & details

Analyze a community problem to identify its core challenges and stakeholders.

Facilitation Tip: When creating Stakeholder Personas, require students to use real demographic data to avoid vague assumptions about their users.

Setup: Panel table at front, audience seating for class

Materials: Expert research packets, Name placards for panelists, Question preparation worksheet for audience

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Teaching This Topic

Teach this topic by making research feel immediate and necessary. Avoid abstract lectures about user-centered design; instead, ground every concept in a real community issue students care about. Research shows that when students collect real data from peers, they internalize the importance of diverse perspectives. Be cautious of letting students rush to solutions without first validating problems with research, as this undermines the entire process.

What to Expect

Successful learning looks like students articulating diverse perspectives in empathy interviews, mapping root causes in problem trees, and designing targeted research tools that reveal hidden user needs. By the end, they should confidently connect feedback to software requirements and defend their choices with evidence.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During Empathy Interview Practice, watch for students who assume they already know users' needs and skip asking open-ended questions.

What to Teach Instead

Pause the activity and have the interviewer rephrase their first question to avoid leading language, then model how to ask 'Tell me about a time when...' to uncover deeper experiences.

Common Misconception

During Problem Tree Analysis, watch for groups that define problems as single events without tracing root causes.

What to Teach Instead

Hand each group a sticky note with 'Why does this happen?' and require them to add at least two layers of causes before moving to effects.

Common Misconception

During Survey Design Challenge, watch for students who create questions that only confirm their own biases about user needs.

What to Teach Instead

Provide a checklist of neutral phrasing techniques and have students swap surveys with another group to identify leading or judgmental questions.

Assessment Ideas

Exit Ticket

After Empathy Interview Practice, provide each student with a scenario where a user describes a frustration. Ask them to write one follow-up question that would reveal the deeper cause of that frustration.

Discussion Prompt

During Problem Tree Analysis, have groups present their maps and ask peers: 'Which stakeholder needs did you notice were missing from the tree, and why are they critical to solving this problem?'

Quick Check

After the Survey Design Challenge, collect drafts and ask students to highlight where they used open-ended versus closed questions, then justify their choices in a one-sentence rationale.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge students to conduct a follow-up interview with a real stakeholder from their chosen problem and refine their survey based on new insights.
• For students who struggle, provide sentence starters for empathy interviews and pre-structured problem trees with partial examples.
• Deeper exploration: Have students compare their problem trees with peers and identify which stakeholders they may have overlooked.

Key Vocabulary

Stakeholder	An individual, group, or organization that has an interest in or is affected by a project or software. This includes end-users, developers, and administrators.
User Requirements	The specific needs and expectations that end-users have for a piece of software. These are gathered through research and directly influence design.
User Research	The systematic investigation of users and their needs, behaviors, and contexts. This research informs the design and development of products and services.
Empathy Mapping	A collaborative visualization used to articulate what a user knows, thinks, feels, and does in relation to a product or service. It helps teams understand user perspectives.