Module overview
The success of an engineering system depends not only on its technical performance, but also on how well it meets the needs, capabilities and limitations of the people who use it. From aircraft cockpits and healthcare technologies to consumer products and industrial workplaces, human factors play a vital role in designing systems that are safe, effective and intuitive.
This module introduces the principles of human factors engineering and explores how engineers design technologies, environments and organisations around the people who interact with them. You will examine how physical, cognitive and organisational factors influence human performance and develop the ability to evaluate engineering systems from a user-centred perspective. Along the way, you will strengthen your skills in critical analysis, systems thinking and evidence-based design.
By the end of the module, you will understand how human factors contribute to the safety, usability and performance of engineering systems, equipping you to incorporate human-centred design principles into a wide range of engineering applications.
Aims and Objectives
Learning Outcomes
Transferable and Generic Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- The use of creativity and innovation in problem solving.
- Learning, studying and researching independently.
- Reporting your work effectively.
- Time management.
- Collating, synthesising and prioritising information.
Subject Specific Practical Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Design a Human Factors study.
- Apply anthropometric data in design.
- Make use of Human Factors methods for the processes of design and evaluation.
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
- Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of various Human Factors methods.
- Critically appraise key Human Factors theories.
Knowledge and Understanding
Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
- 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 experimental design process in the context of designing a Human Factors study.
- The selection and application of Human Factors methods for design, modelling and/or evaluation of socio-technical systems
- The effect of environmental elements (e.g. visual, acoustic, thermal) on humans and implications for design.
- The importance of physical considerations (e.g. anthropometrics, vibration, motion sickness) and their implications for design.
- The role automation in modern sociotechnical systems.
- The system view of errors and accident analysis.
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
Syllabus
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
Learning and Teaching
Teaching and learning methods
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.
| Type | Hours |
|---|---|
| Preparation for scheduled sessions | 10 |
| Completion of assessment task | 40 |
| Lecture | 28 |
| Follow-up work | 45 |
| Supervised time in studio/workshop | 2 |
| Wider reading or practice | 25 |
| Total study time | 150 |
Resources & Reading list
General Resources
Reading list. Extensive reading lists will be provided at the end of each session
Assessment
Assessment strategy
This module will be assessed via a single piece of coursework made up of a number of mini-assignments that relate to the course content delivered throughout the semester.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.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Coursework | 100% |
Referral
This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Set Task | 100% |
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.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Set Task | 100% |
Repeat Information
Repeat type: Internal & External