Computer Science · Grade 10

Active learning ideas

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.

• Ontario Curriculum Expectations
• CS.HS.D.1
• CS.HS.D.2

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

Activity 01

• 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.

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.

What to look for

Provide students with a brief description of a common school problem (e.g., lost textbooks, inefficient club sign-ups). Ask them to list three potential stakeholders and one question they would ask each stakeholder to understand the problem better.

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

Activity 02

• 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.

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.

What to look for

Present a scenario where a software team rushed into development without user research and encountered major issues. Ask students: 'What specific problems might this team have faced, and how could initial user research have prevented them?'

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

Activity 03

• 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.

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.

What to look for

Give small groups a hypothetical software project idea (e.g., a study group finder app). Ask each group to outline two specific user research methods they would use and explain why those methods are appropriate for gathering initial requirements.

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

Activity 04

• 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.

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.

What to look for

Provide students with a brief description of a common school problem (e.g., lost textbooks, inefficient club sign-ups). Ask them to list three potential stakeholders and one question they would ask each stakeholder to understand the problem better.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

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.

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.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

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

  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.

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

  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.

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

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

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Methods used in this brief

• Expert Panel