Adapting User Interface Design Methods to the Design of Educational Activities

Clayton Lewis, Cathy Brand, Gina Cherry, and Cyndi Rader

Department of Computer Science
and Institute of Cognitive Science
University of Colorado, Boulder CO 80309
{clayton, brand, gina, crader}@cs.colorado.edu

ABSTRACT
We have adapted the programming walkthrough technique to help design computer-supported educational activities in elementary school science. We present examples from a case study which illustrate ways in which design of an educational activity is similar to and different from design of a user interface. We have found that the walkthrough approach is useful in this new setting, and that it sheds new light on the general task-centered orientation to design.

KEYWORDS: analysis methods, children, design techniques, educational applications, end user programming, task analysis.