Mar 28, 2024  
2021-2022 Undergraduate Academic Catalog 
    
2021-2022 Undergraduate Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

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IE 3621 - Ergonomics

3 lecture hours 2 lab hours 4 credits
Course Description
This course introduces students to the capabilities and limitations of humans and how that relates to product and job design. Includes physical and cognitive aspects of work, as well as micro- and macro- ergonomics concerns. (Students enrolling in this class may not enroll in SS 464 ). (prereq: MA 262  or equivalent)
Course Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  • Understand how people fit into technological systems
  • Recognize the capabilities and limitations of human perceptual-motor capabilities
  • Recognize the capabilities and limitations of human cognitive functioning and why people make errors
  • Explain the negative effects that poor work system design and poor product design have on humans
  • Recognize the human indicators of fatigue and stress
  • Appreciate the importance of organization and job design factors for performance and satisfaction
  • Define the ethical application of human factors in designing products and processes
  • Recognize ergonomic deficiencies in different environments (i.e., office, manufacturing, and classrooms)
  • Evaluate and generate ergonomic solutions to the aforementioned ergonomic deficiencies
  • Present project information during class presentations as well as in a formal technical report
  • Write reports that describe human performance

Prerequisites by Topic
  • None 

Course Topics
  • Introduction to and history of human factors and ergonomics, effectiveness and cost effectiveness of ergonomics, human factors investigations
  • Human information processing and usability; vision and visual display design; auditory and olfactory display design; touch and tactile displays and controls
  • Basic anatomy, physiology, and biomechanics; physical workload, heat stress, and cold stress
  • Anthropometry and design, work posture and design
  • Manual materials handling and design; repetitive motion injuries and hand tool design; vibration; automation
  • Ergonomics of computer workstations, design of manufacturing environments and maintenance programs
  • Training and cognitive task analysis; task, organization, and job analysis; shift work
  • Accidents, human error, and safety
  • Macro-ergonomics: job and organization design; engineering ethics

Laboratory Topics
  • The course includes a two-hour lab each week where the students will be engaged in demonstrating their understanding of the lecture topics.
  • Lab time will also be used to work on the course project

Coordinator
Dr. Leah Newman



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