Interaction with end-users in design and technology education: a systematic review

Abstract

This paper is a systematic literature review of works focused on user-centred design practices and their potential application in pedagogical contexts in design and technology (D&T) education. It is a response to the increasingly complex demand of allowing students to develop so-called 21st-century skills within a D&T curriculum, which is often constrained by time, resources, and policy restrictions. This review highlights a range of studies that have been completed in various countries and phases of education, which enabled students to develop empathy with end-users whilst designing specifically for (and in some cases with) them. A Preferred Reporting Items of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) model was used to extract works published concerning established inclusion criteria. The articles were analysed according to their relation to user-centred design in a formal education setting and categorised based on the focus of each study. NVIVO was used to code the included literature to establish themes and to support analysis. The literature highlights many advantages to students in engaging in user-centred practices, both contributing towards improved design outcomes as well as improved social and emotional skills. It presents a need to further explore user-centred design methodologies in schools, feasibly through the lens of 21st-century skill development.