When introducing design methods, perhaps it would be a good idea to focus instruction purely on the product at first. What table, matrix, or whatever should they make? What criteria should that thing adhere to? Explanation as to why those rules apply, and what role the method can and/or cannot play in a design process seem to fall mostly on deaf ears at first contact.
Make the thing. Do it again in a different course. Reflect on the process of making and using it. Learn the theoretical considerations then instead of beforehand. Concrete application before abstract explanation. The other way ’round feels logical to teachers, but may simply not be very effective. You haven’t created a ‘time to tell’ yet (c.f. Daniel Schwartz)