Overview
This unit introduces you to the discipline of human factors and how a knowledge of human strengths and limitations, both cognitive and physical, can lead to better safety outcomes. This unit addresses end-user design issues and human variability in occupational contexts. You will explore human factors principles and learn to assess human interaction concerns using a variety of human factors methods. You will also develop skills to make human factors design recommendations to enhance human performance.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Pre-requisite study of 24 credit points.
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 1 - 2020
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes – in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University’s Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback – Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from Have Your Say survey
The pre-lecture videos are an excellent preview to the weeks learning, they make learning and revision easy.
Continue to provide students with the weekly pre-recorded lecture series.
Feedback from Have Your Say survey
The group assessment was challenging and a practical way of learning.
Students will continue to be supported throughout the teamwork assignment, as group work at distance can be challenging.
- Apply knowledge of the discipline of human factors including physical, cognitive and organisational ergonomics in a variety of contexts
- Analyse work systems and equipment design in accordance with user needs, capabilities and limitations
- Demonstrate the use of human factors assessment tools for addressing human interaction problems within various occupational contexts
- Develop teamwork and project management skills through the application of human factors assessment and problem solving.
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
1 - Portfolio - 25% | ||||
2 - Written Assessment - 25% | ||||
3 - Group Work - 50% |
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
1 - Communication | ||||
2 - Problem Solving | ||||
3 - Critical Thinking | ||||
4 - Information Literacy | ||||
5 - Team Work | ||||
6 - Information Technology Competence | ||||
7 - Cross Cultural Competence | ||||
8 - Ethical practice | ||||
9 - Social Innovation | ||||
10 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures |
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | |
1 - Portfolio - 25% | ||||||||||
2 - Written Assessment - 25% | ||||||||||
3 - Group Work - 50% |
Textbooks
Introduction to Human Factors
First edition (2017)
Authors: Stone, Nancy J., Chaparro, Alex, Keebler, Joseph R., Chaparro, Barbara S., and Mcconnell, Daniel S
CRC Press
Web Web
ISBN: 9781315153704
Binding: eBook
Introduction to Human Factors and Ergonomics
Fourth Edition (2017)
Authors: Bridger, Robert
CRC Press
Web Web
ISBN: 9781498796118
Binding: eBook
Additional Textbook Information
Both supplementary eTextbooks are available for download from the CQUniversity library.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: Harvard (author-date)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
e.crawford@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Introduction to Human Factors
Chapter
Chapter 1: Introduction to Human Factors
Events and Submissions/Topic
- Do the Belbin Team Role Test
- Introduce yourself in the Introduction & Teamwork forum as per instructions
Tip: Read instructions for Assessment Item 1 carefully
Module/Topic
Human Factors Research
Chapter
Chapter 2: Research methods
Events and Submissions/Topic
- Explore effective teamwork on the internet
- Start forming teams of four
Tip: Google Scholar is a useful alternative to the Library Databases to find HF research
Module/Topic
Physical Ergonomics I
Chapter
Work Physiology (Wickens et al. 2014)
Events and Submissions/Topic
Tip: Use the current Harvard Reference Style Guide located in the Unit Profile
Human Factors Portfolio Due: Week 3 Friday (27 Mar 2020) 11:59 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Physical Ergonomics II
Chapter
Chapter 9: Anthropometry and Biomechanics
Events and Submissions/Topic
Tip: If you are not yet in a team by Friday night you will be placed in a team
Module/Topic
Cognitive Ergonomics I
Chapter
Chapter 3: Vision (Section 3.4)
Chapter 6: Attention, Memory, and Multitasking
Events and Submissions/Topic
Tip: Watch the tutorial on HF principles for poster design
MSD Risk Poster Due: Week 5 Thursday (9 Apr 2020) 11:59 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
- Keep your eye out for usability problems
Tip: It is useful to help each other. Use the Peer Review forum to ask your peers to review your team contract. Do the same for them. You could also use this forum for all aspects of your work.
Module/Topic
Human Factors in Design
Chapter
Chapter 5: Methods of Evaluation
Events and Submissions/Topic
Tip: Decide on the usability problem to fix.
Team Contract Due: Week 6 Friday (24 Apr. 2020) 11:59 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Cognitive Ergonomics II
Chapter
Chapter 8: Controls (Section 8.5)
Events and Submissions/Topic
Tip: Add to your workbook regularly for best results
Tip: Conduct preliminary analysis to understand the needs, limitations and capabilities of your user population
Module/Topic
Environmental Ergonomics
Chapter
Chapter 10: Environmental Design
Events and Submissions/Topic
Tip: Conduct secondary analysis to define the problem
Module/Topic
Organisational Ergonomics I
Chapter
Chapter 11: Human Error
Events and Submissions/Topic
Tip: Evaluate redesign options
Module/Topic
Organisational Ergonomics II
Chapter
Chapter 11: Reducing Errors (Section 11.7)
Events and Submissions/Topic
Tip: Upload the proposal and 'save' (not submit) to check the TurnitIn score. Adjust as necessary.
Team Proposal Due: Week 11 Friday (29 May 2020) 11:59 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Human Factors and Safety
Chapter
Chapter 15 (Bridger 2018)
Events and Submissions/Topic
Tip: Each team member should read through the proposal to ensure it flows well and is compelling. Imagine an entrepreneur is looking to fund your project.
Module/Topic
Future Trends
Chapter
Chapter 12: Future Trends in Human Factors
Events and Submissions/Topic
Tip: Look for the email with the link to the Self & Peer Assessment survey
Design Project Due: Week 12 Friday (5 June 2020) 11:59 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
1 Portfolio
Purpose
The purpose of this portfolio is to give you an opportunity to build some of the underpinning skills that support technical skills within Human Factors (aka Ergonomics) that you will need to employ in your subsequent assessment items. Underpinning skills include: getting to know each other, communication (verbal and visual), information literacy (academic writing, research and referencing), collaboration, critical thinking, teamwork, and IT competence.
Instructions
There are three tasks that must be completed in Moodle and then submitted for assessment as a single document in the form of a portfolio. The three tasks are as follows:
Task One: Personal introduction
Introduce yourself in the Introduction & Teamwork forum. Include in your introduction: 1) where you live, 2) what line of work you do, 3) your team role preferences (based on the results from the Belbin Team Role Test provided to you in Moodle), and 4) based on what you have learned about yourself and teamwork, offer one way you will contribute to an effective teamwork effort.
Task Two: A visual representation of 'Effective Teamwork' (no larger than one A4 page)
Create and upload a document that visually represents effective teamwork. You can select a medium of your choice, such as: a sketch note, mind map, rich picture, diagram, process chart, or blue print, or some other visual means. Post your document with a short note in the Introduction & Teamwork forum to share and discuss with your classmates.
Task Three: Review and discuss Human Factors research
You are required to review one research article that no-one else has reviewed for one of the main domain areas of Human Factors, i.e. physical, cognitive, organisational, or environmental. A forum for each of these domains is set up in the assessment block for your convenience. It is recommended that you develop your review off-line before posting it in the associated forum. When you are ready to post your review, go to the relevant domain forum: start a new topic, add your review, and provide the citation of the article in the topic header: e.g. (Smith 2020). This will make it easier for other students to know which articles have been reviewed. In 150 words or less, your post should include:
- The research article review (study aim, people investigated/impacted, methods, results and conclusions)
- A complete reference and publication number (at the end of the review)
- The attached article (pdf)
In the other three forums, reply to another student's review and discuss the topic at hand in a meaningful way in under 100 words. To be meaningful, the discussion needs to extend the topic. You can do this in a number of ways, such as:
- relating information from another source, or
- illustrating the point with an example.
Ensure you have a contribution in each of the domain forums and in total for assessment (1 Review + 3 Reply discussions).
NOTE: all reviewed articles must be a published peer-reviewed journal article. Therefore, do not review chapters, books, white papers, conference papers, workbooks, handbooks, and the like. However, these items are acceptable in a reply post where appropriate.
Week 3 Friday (27 Mar 2020) 11:59 pm AEST
Week 5 Friday (10 Apr 2020)
Out of a possible score of 100, the marks awarded for the Human Factors Portfolio are as follows:
• Your introduction (where you live, what you do for work, team role preferences, one way you will contribute to effective teamwork) 20 marks
• Your illustration that represents 'Effective Teamwork' (free choice: sketch, mind map, rich picture, diagram, concept map, blueprint...) 20 marks
• Human Factors research posts (Review - 30 marks, Reply One - 10 marks, Reply Two - 10 marks, Reply Three - 10 marks)
- Develop teamwork and project management skills through the application of human factors assessment and problem solving.
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Information Technology Competence
- Ethical practice
- Social Innovation
2 Written Assessment
Purpose
An important skill of safety science professionals is to identify work tasks that present Musculoskeletal Disorder (MSD) risks. This assignment is about developing your understanding of the principles of assessment for human-task interactions while at work.
Instructions
You are required to identify a manual handling task at work (or one at home that can be applied to a working environment) that involves a static two-handed lift. That is a task that does not involve stepping. You are required to conduct three task assessments using the following human factors analytical tools, namely: 1) a Hierarchical Task Analysis, 2) the Revised NIOSH Lifting Equation and the Rapid Entire Body Assessment. From the findings of your study you are to offer redesign recommendations to reduce the MSD risk identified. Your work is to be presented in poster abstract format. The poster is to be suitable for display at a conference to inform delegates of the physical task you have assessed. Your poster should contain the following:
- The context of the workplace or other setting,
- details about the person who is at risk,
- a description of the task being performed,
- the risk factors found from the analysis,
- evidence of analysis competence,
- a discussion about the significance of the risk,
- task redesign recommendations, and
- a reference list containing scholarly articles.
Week 5 Thursday (9 Apr 2020) 11:59 pm AEST
Week 6 Friday (24 Apr 2020)
Poster content (100 marks)
- Contextual detail of workplace or other setting and the worker involved - 20 marks
- Demonstrates competence when assessing physical tasks - 20 marks
- Risk factors are identified and the significance of their risk discussed - 20 marks
- English expression, spelling, grammar, and references - 20 marks
- Applies Human Factors principles for poster design - 20 marks
- Apply knowledge of the discipline of human factors including physical, cognitive and organisational ergonomics in a variety of contexts
- Analyse work systems and equipment design in accordance with user needs, capabilities and limitations
- Demonstrate the use of human factors assessment tools for addressing human interaction problems within various occupational contexts
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Social Innovation
3 Group Work
Purpose
This project has has three main objectives: 1) to develop leadership and project management skills relevant to design projects, 2) to develop design thinking and user-centred design skills, and 3) to develop reflexive practice.
Instructions
You are required to submit the following items:
- Team Contract
- Team Concept Proposal
- Individual Workbook and Self & Peer Assessment
Team Contract (20 marks)
As a team, you are to develop a team contract to establish lines of communication and rules of process. A template will be provided on Moodle for you to use as well as instructions for forming teams. In 1000 to 1500 words, the contract should contain:
- Team profile and contingencies
- Communication plan
- Schedule of milestones
- Issues resolution plan
- All team members to agree and sign the contract
Team Concept Proposal (30 marks)
As a team, your task is to find a usability problem, more specifically a human-machine interaction problem. You are to take a user-centred approach to assess and resolve the problems found. To assess the problem you will use various human factors analytical tools. Based on findings and knowledge of human needs, capabilities and limitations, your team is to propose redesign changes to improve use of the problematic product. In 3500 words, the proposal should include:
- Title page
- Executive summary
- Table of contents
- Introduction
- User population
- Methods used
- Results and discussion
- Problem definition
- An evaluation of redesign options
- Justification and details of chosen concept
- References
- Appendices
The proposal should be presented in CQUni Harvard Style:
- Single document
- 1.5 line spacing
- Numbered sections
- Total file size cannot exceed 10 MB.
It is up to the individual team members to negotiate how the final proposal will be written. It is highly recommended to have one person curate (put it together) the final document. After which, all team members should review the entire document to ensure it flows well and is persuasive to a prospective entrepreneur. Unless there are exceptional circumstances, all team members will receive the same grade for team submissions.
Individual Workbook (50 marks)
As an individual team member you are to keep a record of work done for the team effort. The workbook is to contain project work done by you and to show how you have contributed to the team effort. Each contribution should be accompanied with either a descriptor, explanation of how your work contributes to the project, and/or a personal reflection. Students must demonstrate the ability to: 1) be a self-starter, 2) be a team player, 3) empathise with the user, 4) identify design trade-offs, 5) co-design, and 6) to apply human-centred design and design thinking principles to a human-machine interaction problem. A workbook template will be provided on Moodle to assist you. In addition to the workbook, you will be asked to complete a short Self & Peer Assessment to rate the performance of yourself and your team members. The results from this survey may be used to moderate your workbook grade (up or down), to provide a more holistic account of your team performance. A link to the survey will be sent to you via your student email two weeks before the due date, and one week later as a reminder.
Week 12 Friday (5 June 2020) 11:59 pm AEST
The Team Contract is due Friday of Week 6, The Team Proposal is due Friday of Week 11, The Individual Workbook and Self & Peer Assessment is due Week 12.
Exam Week Friday (19 June 2020)
Team grade (50 marks), Individual grade (50 marks)
Team Contract (20 marks)
- Team profile and contingencies - 5 marks
- Communication plan - 5 marks
- Schedule of milestones - 5 marks
- Issues resolution plan - 5 marks
Team Redesign Proposal (30 marks)
- Integrates principles of human needs, capabilities and limitations - 5 marks
- Analyses the interaction problem including the environment of use - 5 marks
- Develops a suitable problem definition statement and success criteria - 5 marks
- Systematically evaluates potential concept solutions - 5 marks
- Develops a design concept that meets the problem definition from a human perspective - 5 marks
- Format is consistent with a professional design proposal - 5 marks
Individual Project Workbook (50 marks)
- Demonstrates an ability to be a self-starter (initiative, reliability, time management) – 10 marks
- Demonstrates an ability to be a team player (respectful, positive, communicable, and supportive) – 10 marks
- Demonstrates the ability to empathise with the user and to identify design trade-offs – 10 marks
- Demonstrates an ability to co-design to solve a human interaction problem (participation, cooperation, ideation, and contribution) - 10 marks
- Demonstrates an ability to apply human-centred design and design thinking to a human-machine interaction problem - 10 marks
- Self and Peer Assessment survey - 10 marks
Note: If applicable, the Self and Peer Assessment may also be used to moderate the marks assigned to the team proposal.
- Apply knowledge of the discipline of human factors including physical, cognitive and organisational ergonomics in a variety of contexts
- Analyse work systems and equipment design in accordance with user needs, capabilities and limitations
- Demonstrate the use of human factors assessment tools for addressing human interaction problems within various occupational contexts
- Develop teamwork and project management skills through the application of human factors assessment and problem solving.
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Team Work
- Information Technology Competence
- Cross Cultural Competence
- Ethical practice
- Social Innovation
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.