Abstract
Our profession has reached out to a wide audience with articles, books, and workshops about Human-Centered Design (HCD), Usability, and Ergonomics. Should we be teaching aspects of Human Factors and Ergonomics (HFE) to lay audiences? Education can help us in getting our ideas accepted, improve how team members work with us, and extend the reach of HFE. Is there value in teaching HFE methods, principles, and guidelines? Will laypersons be able to actually start applying HFE principles and guidelines without learning the underlying theory? Will they have the experience and pragmatics to properly apply guidelines? When we simplify our knowledge and skills to teach them to others, do we run the risk of trivializing our profession?
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