Usable Tours: Transforming the Usability Lab into an IT Learning Zone
http://www.stcsig.org/usability/newsletter/0401-tours.html

Marasco, Davis
Usability Interface
2004

Abstract:

The Product Usability Design Group (PUDG) at IBM (IBM UK, Ltd., Hursley Park) was faced with a problem; we were constantly requested to run events for school children who visit the site and yet had nothing prepared to offer. The Usable Tour was our creative solution to this challenge. This was a series of user-centered design flavored activities which put a different spin on IT and taught the students something about usability techniques all while giving them hands-on experience with the Usability Lab and its equipment. The event was a success—the kids 'learned new things to do with computers,' and the PUDG team had successfully developed an off-the-shelf tour that can be used the next time they're requested to run an activity.