Integration of Human Factors,Job Design,and Writing into One Course

Abstract

There are pressing needs to enhance the quality of undergraduate engineering instruction, including human factors engineering. Specific curricular and philosophical issues include: 1) integration of work measurement and human factors topics, 2) applications driven laboratories, 3) open-ended design problems, and 4) reinforcement of technical writing skills. In summary, the end goals of this laboratory development are innovative job design and evaluation workstations, which can provide students with real-world, open-ended problems.

Two different types of workstations have been implemented: a workstation appropriate for typical blue-collar assembly work and a workstation appropriate for white-collar computer driven work. The white-collar workstation simulates a modern, computer-driven office job, with such factors as speed, accuracy, noise, illumination, etc. influencing productivity. The blue-collar workstation is centered on a typical carburetor assembly found in the automotive industry. The large number of fairly intricate parts, the highly repetitive and rapid assembly process, and the need for power driven tools all are thought to be contributing factors to the high incidence of cumulative trauma disorders in U.S. industry.