Students Perform Usability Testing for Industry Clients  

This paper describes how undergraduate students at Mercer University designed and performed hands-on usability tests on seven different products from a wide range of outside clients. Though the projects were challenging and quite difficult for undergraduates, they resulted in significant learning for students and important usability data for the clients. The professor describes the course design and discusses the clients and projects, and three undergraduates report their experiences serving on project teams as project leader, usability specialist, and technical specialist.

Davis, Marjorie T., Corley S. Brown, Erik T. Lindborg and Katherine T. Watson. STC Proceedings (2004). Articles>Education>Usability>Testing

Training Teachers and Serving Students: Applying Usability Testing in Writing Programs    

Teachers often test course materials by using them in class. Usability testing provides an alternative: teachers receive student feedback and revise materials before teaching a class. Case studies based on interviews and observations with two teaching assistants who usability tested materials before teaching introductory technical writing demonstrate how usability testing can make novice teachers more confident about and help them predict student experiences with their assignments. By helping to train teachers, usability testing can also help better serve students.

McGovern, Heather. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication (2007). Articles>Education>Usability>Testing