ABSTRACT
This article offers perspectives on adopting smart home technology into usability testing for technical and professional communication (TPC) courses. Usability is a valued skill for technical communicators. However, usability testing methods have their problems as pedagogical tools. Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices and Smart Home Technology (SHT) may offer instructors tools to overcome some of those problems. This article details advantages and concerns associated with using SHT for curricular usability testing.
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank the Center for Science, Technology and Society at Missouri University of Science and Technology for funding that helped to make possible the research discussed in this article.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.
Additional information
Funding
Notes on contributors
David Wright
David Wright is a Professor of Technical Communication at Missouri University of Science and Technology. His teaching and research interest include technology diffusion, digital communication, game studies, and usability studies.