IS 2035 Human Factors in Systems Design

Fall 2002

Thursday 6:00-8:50 PM SIS 411

Description

This course provides an introduction to human factors research and applications with emphasis on mature areas such as sensation and perception and manual control. Each class will introduce some concrete human factors problem and explore theory and application relevant to solving it. The term long conceptual design assignment is intended to help maintain focus on applications to design.

Text

Wickens, Chris & Justin Hollands (1999). Engineering Psychology and Human Performance. NJ: Prentice Hall.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Assignments

Forty-two points of a possible 100 will be based on the completion of 6 assignments. These assignments range from task analyses to problem sets and are intended to supplement the text and lectures.

Presentations

Two weeks at the end of the semester have been reserved for student presentations providing an in-depth examination of some area of human factors technology or research. Presenters will prepare a half hour+ PowerPoint presentation to acquaint the class with current activity in the area. Presentations are expected to contain both tutorial material (problem background, history, & approaches) and a review of the most recent research & technology in the area. A presentation on automotive automation for example, might begin with an introduction to sensors and ubiquitous computing, discuss cruise control and airbags in this context, outline automation plans from auto manufacturers, then introduce results/problems from scientific studies such as gps registration (matching roads) or the “passing problem” for adjustable cruise control. Presentations will count 29 points toward the final grade.

Final Exam

An exam contributing the remaining twenty-nine points will be given on the last day of class (12/12). The Final Exam may contain multiple choice, short answer, or brief discussion questions and may include problems and analyses covered in class and assignments.

Policies

Late Assignments
Assignments are due at the beginning of class on the days indicated on this syllabus. I accept no responsibility for tracking or grading late assignments. If you choose to turn in a homework assignment at any time other than by the beginning of the designated class meeting you do so at your own risk. It is your responsibility to retain a copy and verify through the online gradebook that any late assignment has been received and graded.
End of Semester
In order to receive a grade for this session, all assignments must be submitted by the beginning of class on Monday 12/12. Students with missing assignments at this time will receive an incomplete, ‘G’ grade, for the session. Change of grades for students submitting late work will be submitted after January 20.
Special Needs
Students with disabilities who require special accommodations or other classroom modifications should notify the instructor and the University's Office of Disability Resources & Services (DRS) no later than the 2nd week of the term. Students may be asked to provide documentation of their disability to determine the appropriateness of the request. DRS is located in 216 William Pitt Union and can be contacted at 648-7890 (Voice), 624-3346(Fax), and 383-7355(TTY). Students who must miss an exam or class due to religious observances must notify the instructor ahead of time and make alternative arrangements.

Class Schedule

8/29 Introduction (ch1)
Making a better alarm clock
PROBLEM: What makes "simple" devices difficult to operate?
What is Human Factors?
Overview of Topics

9/5 Sensory Input (ch 2, ch 6)
Separating what we see from what we think
PROBLEM: Measuring performance when errors are inevitable
sensation & psychophysics
for example of method of limits and method of adjustment select "ponzo illusion"
Signal Detection & inferring sensitivity 
For alternate exposition select "signal detection" button

Audition
How we hear and how to take advantage of it
PROBLEMS: Predicting intelligibility of speech over a noisy channel,
localizing sounds for a VR finder
physiologic basis
perception
displays
noise
*assignment Signal Detection Problems

9/12 Vision (ch 3)
How we see and how to take advantage of it
PROBLEM: Choosing colors, fonts, blink-rates, ambient lighting, etc. to make a screen easy to read
physiologic basis (ch 5 83-96)
perception (ch 6 108-121, ch 7 132-152)
Adaptation & aftereffects Stereo vision & some nice Juliez stereograms 
lighting Vision & VDTs
Vision & Problems with Computers
PROBLEMS: Are we safe? What does it take to make color graphics portable?
eyestrain & irradiation
posture & RSI
color & color correction
Fonts, resolution, & legibility Cleartype
**Product evaluation & task analysis due
Design Report : Audition, attention, localization, noise

9/19 Reaction Time (Ch 2 44-49 & Ch 9)
People aren't good switches
PROBLEM: What are the worst conditions for human information processing?
Information Theory (ch 2 44-49)
Reaction Time (ch 9)
visual search
*assignment reaction time instructions, program, table
**Signal Detection Problems & Experiments due

9/26 Visual Displays (ch 3 & 4)
Using perception instead of thought
PROBLEM: Let's design a network control management interface
Conventional Displays
Integrative Displays (outside sources)
MSOCC case study
**Reaction time experiment due
Design Report Vision, display resolution, choice of fonts, color Reaction time, lags & interference, design for automaticity

10/3 Controls (ch 4, 5, & 9)
Controling really complex systems
PROBLEM: Building something usable out of standardized parts
Conventional Controls
Three Heuristics
NPP control rooms (slides)
Smith & Mosier design guidelines from MITRE, and vendor design guidance site from IBM
Design Report Visual displays, integrative displays & meaningful graphics for small devices

10/10 Manual Control (ch 10)
Analyzing our movements
PROBLEM: Let's design a control system for navigating/manipulating objects in 3-D
Fitts law & control design
Manual Control & Tracking
Elementary Control Theory
operator models
Tracking Handout 
*assignment Fitts law 

10/17 Midterm

10/24 HIP & Ecology (ch 5, 7 & 11)
Difficulty is in the world, not in your head
PROBLEM: How can we predict how difficult something will be?
HIP & memories review
Mental Workload
Isomorphs & difficulty
Expertise & automaticity
motor & perceptual skills "as cognition"
HCI
What's different about computers?
PROBLEM: Let's design a visualization for a stock portfolio
GOMS modeling (handout)
Direct Manipulation
Algorithm Animation & Visualization
GOMS text editor model assigned look at Kieras' GOMS toutorial
**Fitts law experiment due
Design Report Controls & control design, discrete & continuous

10/31 “New” Technologies (Ch 5 & 6)
How we hear and how to take advantage of it
PROBLEMS: Predicting intelligibility of speech over a noisy channel, localizing sounds for a VR
Language comprehension
Speech Perception
Recognition & Design
Navigation
Virtual Environments
Visualization

11/7 Advanced automation & mixed-initiative control

11/14 Human Error & Reliability (Ch 12)
Why people can't program VCR's
PROBLEM: Figuring out where people are likely to make mistakes
Case Studies: TMI, Bhopal, & network failures
Models of Error ( Norman vs. Swain)
THERP in detail
assignment VCR reliability analysis
**GOMS modeling assignment due

11/21 Decision Making (Ch 8)
Are we bad decision makers or just bad at estimating probabilities?
PROBLEM: Let's design a DSS for picking stocks
Normative Decision Making
Decision Making Biases
Diagnosis & Repair
**VCR reliability analysis due
Design Report Reliable design & error tolerance

12/5 Review

12/12 Final Exam