Human Factors in Engineering

Learning Outcomes

Subject Specific Practical Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Design a Human Factors study.
• Make use of Human Factors methods for the processes of design and evaluation.
• Apply anthropometric data in design.

Transferable and Generic Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Learning, studying and researching independently.
• The use of creativity and innovation in problem solving.
• Collating, synthesising and prioritising information.
• Time management.
• Reporting your work effectively.

Knowledge and Understanding

Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

• The effect of environmental elements (e.g. visual, acoustic, thermal) on humans and implications for design.
• The system view of errors and accident analysis.
• The experimental design process in the context of designing a Human Factors study.
• The role automation in modern sociotechnical systems.
• The importance of research ethics in the context of Human Factors studies.
• The cognitive capability of humans in terms of situation awareness, decision making, and communication.
• The selection and application of Human Factors methods for design, modelling and/or evaluation of socio-technical systems
• The importance of physical considerations (e.g. anthropometrics, vibration, motion sickness) and their implications for design.

Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Formulate (plan and describe) human factors experiments to evaluate various elements of human performance
• Critically appraise key Human Factors theories.
• Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of various Human Factors methods.

Learning Outcomes

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• B1/M1 Knowledge of (human factors) engineering principles are assessed throughout the coursework assignment, which requires students to apply knowledge of experimental design, physical, cognitive, system, and environmental human factors engineering principles to a broadly-defined problem of design a simulated environment. B2/M2 The coursework assignment requires students to analyze a broadly-defined problem (i.e., human factors considerations for the design of a simulated environment) through the application of (human factors) engineering principles and draw a conclusion on the best way to do this. B5/C5/M5 The coursework assignment requires students to design solutions for broadly-defined problems that meet a combination of societal, user, business and customer needs as appropriate, by designing a simulated environment in which consideration must be made of the end-users via factors such as relevant industry standard, representative sampling. B6/C6/M6 The coursework assignment requires students to apply an integrated or systems approach (i.e., consideration of methodological, experimental, cognitive, system, environmental, and physical human factors considerations) to the design of a simulated environment for a topic area of their choice. B8/C8/M8 The coursework assignment requires students to define the general and study-specific ethical considerations for a simulated environment, justifying any ethical concerns in the design of their simulator. C1 In the coursework assignment students apply (human factors) engineering principles to design a simulated environment of a sociotechnical system. C3/M3 In the coursework assignment students applying Human Factors methods (including HTA, SHERPA, and Accimaps) to model sociotechnical system complexity and critically appraise their outputs

This module provides a detailed overview of Human Factors Engineering, to show how knowledge of the capability of humans can be used for the design of systems and machines and the optimisation of the working and living environment. Engineering students gain a competitive edge as they will be provided with a background knowledge of Human Factors, which is essential to all engineering disciplines, but is not often taught. Contact time in the module might include the following sessions (or similar), with each session including a mix of different delivery modes as decided by individual lecturers in consultation with the module lead:

1) Introduction to Human Factors

2) Human Factors Methods

3) Experimental design (and lab tours)

4) Decision Making and Error

5) Accident Analysis

6) Road Safety and Automation

7) Situation Awareness

8) Anthropometrics

9) Vibration and Motion Sickness

10) Visual environments

11) Thermal environments

12) Acoustic environments

A mixture of classroom-based teaching and learning methods will be used, including lectures, video case studies to facilitate group activities and class discussions. These will be supplemented by short recorded lectures available through Blackboard which will feed into the delivered sessions, self-study, and lab tours.

Formative

This is how we’ll give you feedback as you are learning. It is not a formal test or exam.

Quizzes

• Assessment Type: Formative
• Feedback:
• Final Assessment: No
• Group Work: No

Worksheet

• Assessment Type: Formative
• Feedback:
• Final Assessment: No
• Group Work: No

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Referral

This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.

Repeat

An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.