Which is easier to learn, a new car or a new program? Why? A car has over 100 settings for the driver to choose from, which is less than the number of menu items in a typical program.

What will be an ideal response?

A new car is easier to learn than a new program. Cars supply immediate feedback to controls. Another reason is that there is great consistency in the placement of controls between cars. The steering wheel is on the left; the turn signals are on a stalk on the left hand side of the steering column; there is a rear view mirror mounted at the top middle of the windshield. Further these controls behave similarly to the analogous controls in other cars.
While we have witnessed strides in creating more consistent interfaces for software such has the Macintosh and Windows 95 standards for look-and-feel, there are as yet very few standard conventions for web sites.
Note: This question may not work well with very young (18-20) students because they may not have sufficient experience with different cars.