Human Factors in Engineering

Learning Outcomes

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 importance of physical considerations (e.g. anthropometrics, vibration, motion sickness) and their implications for design.
• The cognitive capability of humans in terms of situation awareness, decision making, and communication.
• The importance of research ethics in the context of Human Factors studies.
• 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 system view of errors and accident analysis.
• The role automation in modern sociotechnical systems.

Transferable and Generic Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

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

Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

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

Subject Specific Practical Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

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

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

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.

Resources & Reading list

General Resources

Reading list. Extensive reading lists will be provided at the end of each session

Assessment strategy

A specimen exam paper will be available to the first cohort of students undertaking the module following these revisions to enable them to understand the level at which they will be assessed.

Formative

Formative assessment description

Summative

Summative assessment description

Referral

Referral assessment description

Repeat

Repeat assessment description

Repeat Information

Repeat type: Internal & External