13079 (v.2) Cognitive Ergonomics 603

Area:	School of Psychology
Credits:	25.0
Contact Hours:	5.0
Lecture:	1 x 1 Hours Weekly
Other:	1 x 2 Hours Weekly
Practical:	1 x 2 Hours Weekly
Prerequisite(s):	13082 (v.2) Ergonomics Theory and Practice 652 or any previous version
Syllabus:	A solid foundation in the understanding of the mental characteristics of humans and the design of artefacts and environments to match these characteristics. The perception, attention, mental workload, decision making, learning, memory and manual control processes underpinning human mental capacities and limitations are explored. The consequences of appropriate and inappropriate interactions with artefacts are examined in application areas such as display design, control-display compatibility, human computer interaction, shift work, safety and human error.

Unit Outcomes:	On successful completion of this unit students will be able to - Evaluate and improve the mental match between people and the tasks, machines, jobs, systems and environments with which they interact. Analyse the function of important features of human information processing. Define the consequences of mental mismatches. Describe how environmental characteristics impact on human mental characteristics. Evaluate design guidelines for typical human machine interaction issues.
Text and references listed above are for your information only and current as of September 30, 2003. Please check with the unit coordinator for up-to-date information.
Unit References:	Casey S., (1999), Set Phasers on Stun and other True Tales of Technology and Human Error, 2nd ed., NY, Aegean. Norman, D., (1998), The Psychology of Everyday Things, London, MIT Press. Wickens C.D., (1992), Engineering Psychology and Human Performance, 2nd ed., NY, Harper Collins. Rogers Y., Sharp H. and Preece J., (2002), Interactive Design, NY, Wiley. Chmiel N., (1998), Jobs, Technology and People, London, Routledge.
Unit Texts:	Dul J. and Weerdmeester B., (2001), Ergonomics for Beginners, 2nd ed., London, Taylor and Francis. Wickens C.D., Gordon S.E. and Liu Y., (1998), An Introduction to Human Factors Engineering, New York, Longman.