IE 545

Human Factors Engineering

Fall Term 2009

Basic Information

Catalog Description

Analysis and design of systems considering human characteristics, capabilities and limitations. Analysis and design of displays, controls, tools, and workstations. Human performance analysis. Human factors research methods. 4 credits.

Meeting Times and Locations

Lecture:    TR 0830-0950 in BAT 250    Lab:     F 1400-1550 in BAT 250

Prerequisites

ST 314 or equivalent

Instructor

Ken Funk, Associate Professor of Mechanical, Industrial, and Manufacturing Engineering

• E-mail: funkk@engr.orst.edu
• Website: http://web.engr.oregonstate.edu/~funkk/
  
• Phone: 1-541-737-2357
• Office: 212 Rogers Hall
• Office Hours: TR 10:00 - 11:45 (or if the office door is open, or by appointment)
  

Text

Wickens, C.D., J.D. Lee, Y. Liu, and S.E. Gordon Becker (2004). An Introduction to Human Factors in Engineering, 2nd edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Course Learning Outcomes

1. Describe in writing the meaning and importance of human factors engineering, with reference materials.
2. Describe in writing and/or by illustrations human sensory, cognitive, and physical capabilities and limitations relevant to the design of human-machine systems, with reference materials.
3. Correctly apply human-machine system design principles to develop written and graphical design specifications, with reference materials.
4. Select and correctly use appropriate human-machine system analysis and design tools, with reference materials.
5. Recognize and make effective recommendations in written and/or graphical form to correct human factors deficiencies in existing human-machine systems, with reference materials.
6. Describe in writing and/or by illustrations the human-machine systems engineering process, with reference materials.
7. Correctly apply the human-machine systems engineering process by developing analysis documents and design specifications for a simple human-machine system, with reference materials.
8. Design, conduct, and document a human factors experiment or other human factors study approved by the instructor.
   

Requirements and Policies

Readings, Class Meetings

Readings, as assigned in the course schedule below, should be completed before class. In most class meetings, time will be devoted to discussion and students should be prepared to ask and answer questions about the assigned materials. Laboratory sessions will generally focus on the project described below.

Examinations

The midterm examination will cover all material through the preceding class or laboratory session. The exam will be closed book, closed notes, except that students may bring to the exam and use one 8.5” x 11” sheet of notes (both sides) for each lecture and each lab session. The final examination will cover material from the class after the midterm examination through the end of the term. The exam will be closed book, closed notes, but one note sheet may be used for each class meeting the exam covers

Human-Machine Systems Engineering Project

Students will work in teams of three or four to develop and evaluate a user interface, tool, workstation, or other human-machine system. Several projects will be proposed by the students and the instructor,  students will be asked for their preferences, and, to the extent possible, students will be assigned to preferred projects.

Stages in the human-machine systems engineering (HMSE) process will be covered in the labs and the students will apply that information to the work on their projects. Several work products will be prepared by each team during the term, evaluated by the instructor, and returned to the team. Returned work products will be revised by the team and incorporated into the final report (see below).

HMSE design must result in at least two design alternatives for evaluation. These need not be completely different designs but must include some significant differences in design elements. A formal evaluation comparing the two designs with respect to human performance will be conducted according to accepted human factors research practices, on the scale of a pilot study, and using persons outside the class as participants. Prior to designing and conducting the evaluations, all team members must complete Training in the Ethical Use of Humans in Research (the CITI Course) and must submit a copy of the certification of completion to the instructor. All evaluation experiments must comply with the principles covered in that training.

Each team will submit a final report, by the time specified in the schedule, consisting of the following sections, with work products (see above) incorporated into the text and/or appendices:

• Executive Summary (not more than one page)
• Background and Statement of Need
• Objectives
  
• Process Model
• FMEA
• Final Requirements
• Design Specifications
• Mockups/Prototypes
• Evaluation
• Conclusions and Recommendations
• Appendices (as necessary)
  

Grading

Coursework

Grading Scale

Any questions or concerns about the grading of specific work must be brought to the attention of the instructor within one week of when the graded work is returned.

Academic Honesty

This statement is provided in compliance with Oregon State University policy. Academic dishonesty is prohibited, it is considered a violation of the OSU Student Conduct Regulations, and any instances of it will be dealt with accordingly. Academic dishonesty includes cheating (the intentional use of unauthorized materials, information, or study aids), fabrication (intentional falsification or invention of any information), assisting in dishonesty (intentionally or knowingly helping or attempting to help another commit an act of dishonesty), tampering (altering or interfering with evaluation instruments or documents), and plagiarism (intentionally or knowingly representing the words or ideas of another person's as ones' own). Any questions regarding academic honesty should be referred to the instructor or to the OSU Student Conduct & Mediation page, from which the above definitions were derived.

Course Schedule (subject to change)

Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Membership

Students who find the topic of this course particularly interesting are encouraged to join the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society as student affiliates. The annual student fee of $35 is a bargain. See http://www.hfes.org/web/Membership/membership.html). The instructor is a member and would be happy to endorse student applications.

Resources

• Lecture Slides
• HMSEM Workbooks
• HMSEM Workbook V1.3
• HMSEM Workbook V1.3 with ECSF Requirements
• IDEF0 Models (zip files containing .AI0 and .BAK files)
• Widgets model 
• ECSF Model
• General Aviation Model
• Oregon NextGen Flight Deck Functional Model V1.0
• All Resources