Navigating Complexity: Implementing a "Buckets and Lenses" Approach to Cultivate Adaptive Thinkers in HCI

This article describes a Teachable Moment we refer to as the "Buckets and Lenses" approach, which aims to shift student thinking from rigid categorization ("bucket thinking") to a more flexible, nuanced perspective ("lenses thinking") that better aligns with the interdisciplinary field of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). Given HCI's amalgamation of diverse disciplinary concepts, students often struggle with the application of "fuzzy" concepts, leaning on their prior educational experiences that favor definitive labeling over exploration and context-dependent application. This approach challenges students to re-frame their engagement with HCI concepts, encouraging open-ended exploration and the embracing of ambiguity. By illustrating the method's application through classroom examples, such as discussions on the "waves" and "paradigms" of HCI and the role of sketches and prototypes in the design process, this paper highlights a strategy for fostering an adaptive mindset. This Buckets and Lenses approach is a pedagogical strategy that we have found helpful for enhancing HCI students' cognitive flexibility and promoting a deeper, more critical engagement with the field's inherent complexities.