Oregon State University
School of Mechanical, Industrial, and Manufacturing Engineering

IE 546, Human-Machine Systems Engineering

Spring Term 2012

Description | Learning Outcomes | Instructor | Readings | Class Meetings | HMSE Project Exams | Grading | Academic Honesty | Schedule | Resources | HFES

IE 546 is a graduate-level course presenting a human-centered systems approach to engineering more effective and safer systems. The course is organized around guided team projects of substantial significance and complexity.

OSU Catalog Description

Development of safe, high performance human-machine systems. System/function/task analysis, function allocation, design, mockups and rapid prototyping, human factors test and evaluation. PREREQ: IE 545 (recommended).

Learning Outcomes

After completing this course, students should be able to

1. clearly describe the human-machine systems engineering process;
2. develop and manage requirements for a human-machine system, based upon a Statement of Need, analyses, and human factors principles and guidelines;
3. analyze the system, processes, and tasks to understand the system and write formal requirements;
4. design processes, workstations, human-machine interfaces, and procedures to meet requirements;
5. implement models, mockups, or prototypes according to design specifications; and
6. evaluate models, mockups, or prototypes with respect to the requirements and general human factors considerations.

Instructor

Dr. Ken Funk
E-mail: funkk@engr.orst.edu
Phone: 541-737-2357
Office: 212 Rogers Hall
Office Hours: MW 0930 - 1050
(or whenever the door is open, or by appointment)

Readings

Chapanis, A. (1996). Human Factors In Systems Engineering. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Class Meetings

Most Monday class meetings will be discussions of the readings assigned for those days, sometimes supplemented by lecture by the instructor.  In preparation for each discussion, each student shall read the assignment and prepare brief written responses to the Study Questions for that reading.  One copy shall be submitted to the instructor at the beginning of class and one copy should be kept for reference during the discussion.

Human-Machine Systems Engineering Project

Students will work in teams to develop and evaluate human-machine systems chosen by the instructor. Assignments for each project phase will be given in class and each team shall prepare progress reports according to the course schedule.

Each progress report shall consist of a one-to-two page cover memo and copies of the work products completed in the period just ending. Lead authorship of the memos shall rotate among team members, with each team member serving as lead author at least once. Each memo shall include the following information.

• Header: To, From (lead author first), Subject, Date.
• Purpose of the memo.
  
• Objectives for the project.
• Progress on the project, since the last progress report.
• Problems encountered.
• Objectives and plans for the next work period, including how to address the problems.

In addition to the written progress report submitted to the instructor in class on the day specified in the schedule, each team shall give a brief oral progress report to the class on that day.  Some of the oral progress reports will be formal, including a slide presentation and some of the oral reports may be informal (no slides required).  A few meaningful handouts may be used to clarify the oral reports.  If handout material is provided to the instructor by 3:00 PM of the day before the presentation, the instructor will make copies for the class.  Otherwise, sufficient copies should be brought by the presenters.

At the end of the term, each team shall prepare a final report containing the following.

• A project summary, containing
  • background information, including a summary statement of need;
  • descriptions of the modeling, analysis, requirements development, design, and evaluation processes; and
  • a description of the final mockup/prototype, detailing how it meets the need.
• Final versions of all work products, including
  • Operational Concept Statement,
    
  • IDEF0 model,
  • FMEA or Task Analysis,
    
  • requirements (verified),
  • mockup/prototype images (e.g., drawings, photos, screenshots)
  • test plan for evaluating the design.

Additional information on the final report will be provided later in the term. Also, each team shall give an oral presentation at the end of the term summarizing the content of the final report.

Additional assignments related to the projects may be made by the instructor, such as literature reviews or technology assessments. Results from these shall be incorporated into appropriate progress reports.

Examinations

Examinations will cover readings and discussions. The midterm examination will be over all of them covered from the beginning of the term through the preceding class meeting. The exam will be closed book, but one 8.5" x 11" sheet of notes (both sides) may be used. 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, but one 8.5" x 11" sheet of notes (both sides) may be used.

Grading

Oral and written progress reports and the final report will be graded on content criteria, including

• completeness – the extent to which the report meets all of the requirements assigned;
• technical accuracy – the extent to which the work uses appropriate methods correctly; and
• timeliness – the extent to which the report was delivered on time.

Written reports will be graded on content criteria and writing criteria, including

• factual accuracy – the extent to which the text is factually correct;
• logic – the extent to which conclusions drawn in the text follow logically from the premises;
• organization – the extent to which the text follows a rational, understandable order;
• clarity – the extent to which the writing makes the content understandable to a reader;
• style – the use of person, voice, and other elements of writing style appropriate to a technical audience;
• wording – the choice of correct and appropriate words;
• sentence structure – syntactically correct and readable sentence construction;
• grammar – the extent to which the writing conforms with accepted rules of English grammar;
• spelling – the extent to which words are spelled correctly;
• punctuation – the use of correct punctuation;
• formatting – the extent to which document formatting (headings and subheadings, text font, face, indentation, bullets and numbering, page breaks, etc.) are used to enhance readability, organization, and clarity; and
• length – whether the length of the document is within the limits set by the instructor.

The grading scale for exams, project deliverables, and totalcourse points is as follows:

Each student is required to submit Study Question answers for each reading.  If a student is missing more than one set, that student's final grade will be lowered one-third letter grade (i.e., one +/- step) for each missing set in excess of one.

Each student is required to submit a Peer Evaluation of his/her team members.  Failure to do so will result in a final grade deduction of one-third letter grad.  Uneven distribution of contribution revealed in Peer Evaluations within a team may result in adjustments to project and/or final grades to account for inequities.

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

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. It includes cheating - the intentional use of unauthorized materials, information, or study aids; fabrication - falsification or invention of any information; assisting - helping another commit an act of academic dishonesty; and plagiarism - intentionally or knowingly representing the words or ideas of another person as one's own. Any questions regarding academic dishonesty should be referred to the instructor or to OSU's Student Conduct and Community Standards office.

Schedule (subject to change)

Resources

• Slides
• Handouts and Supplementary Information
  
• Tools and Other Resources

Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Membership

Students who are interested in human factors engineering and research as a possible career are encouraged to join the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society as student affiliates. The annual student fee of $35 is a bargain. The instructor is a member and would be happy to endorse student applications.

Description | Learning Outcomes | Instructor | Readings | Class Meetings | HMSE Project Exams | Grading | Academic Honesty | Schedule | Resources | HFES

Revised 29 May 2012