PSY 743 Ergonomic Performance Assessment (i.e., Human Factors Methods)
1:30 – 2:45 pm T TH, Poe 205
Instructor: Douglas Gillan, Poe 640D, 515-1715, doug_gillan@ncsu.edu, Office Hours by
Appointment
Course Prerequisites: (1) Graduate student status
Student Learning Outcomes (i.e., Course Objectives): Factual Knowledge: (1) Basic concepts in
human factors methods and measurement; (2) In-depth expertise on selected topics; (3)
Application of knowledge to real-world problems.
Skills: Develop ability to conduct selected methods
Texts/Readings:
(1) Readings will be available on Moodle site for this class
Schedule:
Topics (dates are approximate)
Readings
I. Design Process
(Aug 18)
Folder titled “Overview”
A. Waterfall
B. Design Cycle
II. Data Collection
(Aug 23, 25)
A. Observational
Folder titled “Observation”
1. Naturalistic
On-line reading: http://informationr.net/ir/5-3/paper76a.html#one
2. Controlled
3. Wizard of Oz
B. Interrogative
Folder titled “Interrogation”
1. Interview
2. Questionnaire
3. Focus Group
C. Archival
III. Analysis
A. Task analysis
(Aug 30, Sept 1)
1. POVTA
Folder titled “Task analysis”
2. User Analysis, System analysis
Folder titled “User analysis”
B. Cognitive analyses
1. CTA
(Sept 6, 8)
Folder titled “CTA”
2. Mental Models (Sept 13, 15)
Folder titled “Mental models”
C. Error Analysis
(Sept 20, 22)
Folder titled “Errors”
D. Cost Justification
(Sept 27, 29)
Folder titled “Cost justification”
IV. Macrocognitve Process Assessment
A. Situational Awareness (Oct 4, 11, 13)
Folder titled “SA”
B. Workload
(Oct 18, 20)
Folder titled “Workload”
C. Naturalistic Decision-Making (Oct 25, 27)
Folder titled “NDM”
D. Team Work
(Nov 1, 3)
Folder titled “Team work”
V. Usability Engineering
A. Scenario-Based Design (Nov 8, 10)
Folder titled “Scenarios”
B. Heuristic Methods
(Nov 8, 10)
Folder titled “Heuristic evaluation”
C. Website Design and Evaluation (Nov 15, 17)
Folder titled “Web”
D. Universal Usability (Nov 15, 17)
Folder titled “Universal usability”
VI. Products
A. Guidelines, Requirements
(Nov 22)
Folder titled “Guidelines”
B. Prototypes, Simulations, Models (Nov 29, Dec 1)
Folder titled “Prototyping”
Final Exam (TH, 12/8, 1:00 – 4:00 pm) –Project
Presentation(s)
PSY 743 Syllabus
Online Sources of Information
(1) Federal Aviation Agency Website: www2.hf.faa.gov/workbenchtools
(2) Jacob Nielsen’s website USEIT: www.useit.com
(3) Bad Design Website: www.baddesigns.com
(4) Society for Technical Communication: http://www.stcsig.org/usability/
(5) European Union: www.usabilitynet.org
(6) U.S. Government: usability.gov
(7) Usability Professionals Association: upaassoc.org
(8) Web pages that suck: http://www.webpagesthatsuck.com/
(9) Inclusive design toolkit: http://www-edc.eng.cam.ac.uk/betterdesign/
(10) Survey of cognitive engineering methods and uses:
http://mentalmodels.mitre.org/cog_eng/index.htm
(11) ACT-R: http://actr.psy.cmu.edu/
p. 2
Organizing Principles for Class
• The class will be in a seminar style
* Do the readings for each section before we cover that section
-- Think about the readings
* Come to Tuesday class prepared to discuss the readings and your thoughts about them
-- If you aren’t prepared to discuss the topic, you will learn much less from the course
• We will engage in active learning exercises each week
* Active learning activities will involve applying the methods that you have learned for a
given week and presenting your application during the Thursday class.
* You will be given a large amount of creative freedom to develop your own active learning
activity. The only requirements are (1) that it applies the method that we are covering in class
that week, (2) that it helps you learn how to perform the method in a realistic setting, and (3)
that you are prepared to discuss it in class.
* Prepare a brief (typically, one page) written description of your interaction with the method
to be uploaded to a website that we will develop for the class. We will develop the format for
the written descriptions on the first day of class.
• Grades will be based on participation in seminar sessions and active learning exercises, quality of
the written descriptions, and quality of the final project, which is designed to encourage you to
integrate the knowledge acquired in the class
Days on Which Class Will NOT Be Held:
-- Thursday 10/6 (Fall Break)
-- Thursday 11/24 (Thanksgiving)
Grading:
Graded Activities
(1) Seminar participation (360 points)
(2) Active learning exercise participation (360 points)
-- Grading will follow this scheme:
Outstanding effort: 20 points
Very good effort: 15 points
Average effort: 10 points
Poor or no effort: 0 points
PSY 743 Syllabus
p. 3
(2) Project participation, presentation, and report (280 points)
-- The project topic will be negotiated during the first few weeks of class
-- Written summary of your project activities and findings of analysis due on the day of the
final
-- Group project presentation in lieu of finals
Here is the idealized grading distribution:
Grade
Points
A
900 – 1000
B
800 – 899.9
C
700 – 799.9
D
600 – 699.9
F
Below 600
The course is designed so that the idealized grading distribution can be used. My expectation is that
everyone will be able to earn an A.
Project: A handout on the project will be distributed separately from the syllabus.
Policy on incomplete grades:
An IN grade will be assigned only for work that has been interrupted by a serious, unanticipated
and uncontrollable event (e.g., illness, death in the family, accident) that is not due to negligence by
the student. An IN grade will not be assigned as a substitute for a failing grade or to allow you to
avoid receiving a failing grade.
Attendance Policy / Making up Assignments:
Attendance: Your contribution to class discussion is critical both for accomplishing your own
course objectives as well as contributing to the development of others in the class.
What is an Excused absence? An excused absence requires an acceptable and well-documented
excuse. UNACCEPTABLE excuses include other exams or papers due the same day, desire to
leave town for recreational purposes, and so on. Pending adequate documentation, ACCEPTABLE
excuses include illness, family emergency, a team trip (with prior notification), out-of-town job
interview (with prior notification). For more details about excused and unexcused absences, you
may wish to review:
http://www.ncsu.edu/provost/academic_policies/attend/reg.htm
The synergy and success of the course is greatly dependent on the involvement of each individual
student brings. It is important that you read and develop ideas regarding the reading assignments as
well as integrate the materials from each lecture in the class activities and assignments. The
expectation is that each person will come to class prepared and ready to discuss the topic of the day.
Assessments will be based on attendance and actual products produced for class assignments.
Making up assignments: All work should be completed and submitted by the announced date. For
late assignments, the grade will be reduced by 5% for work that is 1 to 3 days late, and will be
reduced by 2% of the grade for every additional 3 day period after that. If you know in advance that
you will miss an assignment, contact me well in advance to make alternative arrangements. If you
miss an assignment because of a last-minute illness or injury, contact me the same day to make
alternative arrangements.
PSY 743 Syllabus
p. 4
NC State policy on Working with Students with Disabilities:
" Reasonable accommodations will be made for students with verifiable disabilities. In order to take
advantage of available accommodations, students must register with Disability Services for
Students at 1900 Student Health Center, Campus Box 7509, 515-7653. For more information on
NC State's policy on working with students with disabilities, please see the Academic
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities Regulation (REG02.20.1)"
Please tell me immediately so that I can begin to make the appropriate arrangements.
For more details on NC State’s policy on working with students with disabilities, see the following
web site:
http://www2.ncsu.edu/ncsu/provost/info/hat/current/appendix/appen_k.html
Also refer to the following web site that describes NC State’s Disability Services for Students
(DSS) program
http://www2.ncsu.edu/ncsu/stud_affairs/counseling_center/dss
Academic Honesty Policy
This class will follow the NC State University Code of Student Policy Conduct (POL11.35.1). The
Code of Student Conduct Policy describes the University policy on academic integrity and can be
found at http://www.ncsu.edu/policies/student_services/student_discipline/POL11.35.1.php
Honor Pledge: "I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid on this test or assignment." My
understanding and expectation is that your signature on any test or assignment means that you have
followed the Honor Code by neither giving nor receiving unauthorized aid. If you are caught
giving or receiving help in graded activities without having received authorization to do so, or if
you are caught in any other violations of the University’s Academic Integrity Policy, you will be
prosecuted accordingly. For more details on the NC State’s academic honesty policy, see:
http://www.fis.ncsu.edu/ncsulegal/41.03-codeof.html.