With the rapid advancement and widespread adoption of computer technology, it has become an indispensable component in the development of human society. Therefore, computer science education's focus extends beyond merely teaching students to read and write code; it is crucial to assist them in gaining an accurate and deep understanding of the applications of technology in the real world, its conveniences, and potential risks. Furthermore, it involves exploring how to design, improve, and innovate computer technologies to meet practical demands. Consequently, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) has grown increasingly significant in the curriculum of computer science. However, research indicates that computing students face numerous challenges in learning HCI. To enhance students' ability to experience, discover, and understand user needs, the authors of this paper recommend incorporating diary studies in HCI education. In the field of HCI, diary studies are a method for collecting long-term data on user behavior and experiences in a natural environment. Participants are required to record their daily activities, product usage, encountered issues, and personal impressions over specific periods. This paper will detail the process and steps implemented in our diary studies and present student feedback and evaluations. Through this experience report, we hope to encourage more educators to adopt and refine the diary study methodology in their courses, thereby aiding computer science students in better understanding and embracing the concepts and knowledge of HCI.

Computer Mediation Communication (CMC) applications are utilized to foster closer relationships between individuals. Various shared experience strategy designs were widely applied to technologies in order to enhance communications and interactions in family relationships. However, there needs to be more research on how shared experience approaches work in different family communication patterns. This paper presents insights into the effectiveness of three types of shared experience approaches for different family communication patterns and design considerations for game design from a diary study of Chatterbox Opener, the game we developed for families and couples to enhance communication orientation.

To assist students and educators in more deeply grasping user technology needs in busy outdoor settings, we recommend using diary study assignments adapted from social science and human-computer interaction (HCI) research. This suggestion is based on insights that the field of HCI has expanded from computer use in controlled, indoor environments to technology application research in broader contexts, especially outdoor environments, where diary studies yield important insights. This can be seen in areas like social media, augmented reality, citizen science, and geolocation-based games, where it is difficult to understand the user experience for these areas through short-term, controlled exposure. Instead, educators must encourage students to step out of the classroom and into the real world to observe and experience interactions during multiple-use sessions over an extended time period, which offers students in-depth insights into real-world technology use, thereby setting the stage for them to design more human-focused technology applications and services that better meet user needs. This paper explores the utilization of the diary study methodology within the context of HCI education, examining its distinctive benefits and exposing tradeoffs in its challenges. Benefits discussed in the paper include adaptability to a wide array of user needs and circumstances, the capability to yield profound insights into the application of technology in real-world settings, and effectiveness in uncovering privacy concerns in daily life. Concurrently, we identify some practical challenges and introduce targeted strategies for addressing them, such as maintaining consistent student engagement, devising creative approaches for analyzing data, and encouraging deeper reflective practices among students. In so doing, this manuscript seeks to provide actionable guidance for crafting more impactful and immersive HCI educational initiatives through diary study assignments.