Abstract:

This case study paper examines how four students in an undergraduate Human–Computer Interaction (HCI) course developed critical collaborative and socio emotional skills while working on a semester-long, team-based design project. Drawing on mixed data from reflective journals, self- and team-evaluation metrics, and project performance scores, the study highlights how meaningful growth in communication, leadership, empathy, and self-regulation often emerges not through polished deliverables or grades, but through the messy, affective, and relational dimensions of teamwork.

The cases—two HCI–oriented female students (Student-A, Student-B) and two typical technically minded computer science (CS) male students pursuing software engineering and consulting (Student-C, Student-D)—illustrate four distinct developmental arcs. Student-A begins the course overwhelmed by workload, uneven group commitment, and fear of disappointing her team. Through cycles of frustration, initiative taking, and gradual self regulation, she moves toward effective leadership, ultimately expressing pride in her ability to coordinate, motivate, and communicate effectively. Student-B provides a contrasting interpersonal trajectory: originally balancing empathy with over-accommodation, she confronts instances where she dominated discussions or ignored emerging tensions. Through apology, recalibration, and boundary setting, she demonstrates a shift toward healthier, more intentional co-regulation of her team’s collaborative climate.

The experiences of Student-C—a student with special accommodations due to autism and self-characterized low emotional intelligence (EQ)—illustrate another transformative pattern frequently unseen in grade based evaluations: a technically confident student initially frustrated by the ambiguity of project work and negotiation demands inherent in collaborative environments, who gradually becomes more reflective, receptive to peer feedback, and proactive in communication. His reflections reveal how interpersonal conflict—when scaffolded by instructor interventions—can trigger deeper understanding of collaborative processes. Student-D, meanwhile, offers a contrasting pattern centered on managing uneven participation, shifting workloads, and the emotional demands of leading a team through setbacks. Early reflections describe exhaustion and fading participation; later entries show renewed accountability, recognition of peer support, and strengthened commitment to the team's shared goals. Across cases, students’ growth was not strongly correlated with grades—quantitative performance metrics remained relatively stable, while qualitative reflections revealed profound transformations in identity, emotional awareness, and collaborative competence.

For educators, these cases underscore that soft skill development requires intentional design, not luck. When courses embed regular reflection, affect safe communication norms, opportunities to renegotiate roles, and diverse modes of participation, students not only produce better quality work—they learn how to work with others in ways that endure beyond a semester’s coursework. This study shows that in project-based learning (PBL) environments, the most meaningful learning often happens outside formal assessments: in the emotional labor, interpersonal negotiations, and self-realizations that shape students into more capable, reflective learners and professionals.

Keywords:

Case study, design, project-based learning, collaborative learning, self-regulated learning.