Human Factors Specialists'Education and Utilization Results of a Survey (1992) / Chapter Skim
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4 The Education of Human Factors Specialists
4 The Education of Human Factors Specialists
Pages 48-69
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From page 48... ...
SCOPE AND QUALITY OF EDUCATION Where Do We Learn What We Do? Respondents were asked, for each of 52 activities or tasks, whether they performed the activity as part of their current job and if so where they learned about it (formal education, continuing education, company training, personal study, on-thejob experience, other)
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From page 49... ...
ED UCATION TABLE 4.1 Source of Knowledge About Performing Human Factors Activities and Tasks (percentage) 49 Activity or Task Job Performs Received Has in Current Formal Edu- On-The-Job cation in It Experience Prepare/conduct oral presentations Prepare/contribute to written reports Apply human factors criteria/principles Analyze tasks Prepare/contribute to project proposals Evaluate reports of others Specify user requirements Interpret test and evaluation results Design data collection procedures/questionnaires Review/summarize prior literature Interpret research results Verify conformance to human factors specifications Specify/perform data analysis Collect field data Plan/coordinate evaluations Specify evaluation objectives Design human-equipment interfaces Develop criterion measures Develop hypotheses/theory Design workspace layouts Design evaluations Design software-user interface Interpret engineering drawings Assess mental workload Prepare instruction/procedure documents Develop/conduct computer simulations Assess physical workload Prepare software specifications Prepare/review design drawings Define instructional requirements Specify training objectives Assess training effectiveness Collect laboratory data Collect error/accident data Prepare design mockups Conduct training Develop analytical models/methods Design training aids Develop training content/methods Write/debug computer programs Perform safety analyses Analyze effects of environmental stressors Assess performance risks Design simulation systems 90 85 85 81 80 79 78 72 68 67 64 63 61 60 57 56 55 54 52 49 48 48 47 47 47 46 45 45 45 44 43 42 40 39 38 37 36 36 35 32 31 30 27 24 34 42 39 34 22 29 30 35 34 36 38 19 38 24 20 19 22 22 31 21 20 16 18 20 13 15 18 13 12 14 11 13 24 12 9 12 18 10 11 18 9 13 63 58 50 51 57 54 53 43 41 37 36 42 30 40 39 38 36 35 29 31 32 32 31 27 32 24 27 30 31 29 28 28 23 27 26 25 21 24 22 16 21 22 7 18 7 15
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From page 50... ...
There are also activities for which the percentage of respondents receiving formal education is a little higher than would be expected given the percentage of respondents actually performing them: Specify/perform data analysis, Develop hypotheses/theory, Collect laboratory data, Develop analytical models/methods, and Write/debug computer programs. The pattern is clear and not surprising to the panel: formal education tends to stress theoretical issues and laboratory research, while in practice evaluation studies are emphasized.
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From page 51... ...
and supervisors (N = 241) who obtained their highest degree in the last 5 years responding to how well their formal education prepared them for their first human factors job.
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Error/accident analysis, Human reliability analysis, Products liability law, 4. Computer input tool design, Human/computer dialogue design, Speech recognition/synthesis, Teleoperators, 8.
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ED UCATION TABLE 4.2 Quality Ratings of Topic Coverage by Human Factors Specialists and Supervisors 53 Percentage Receiving How Well Topic Formal Educationa Was Covered Topic in the Topic (1 to 7 Scale) Transportation systems 74 4.1 Process control 73 4.6 Experimental design 71 5.8 Univariate statistics 71 5.5 Computer program languages 69 4.6 Multivariate statistics 67 5.2 Facilities design 67 4.5 Perception 64 5.4 Learning 64 5.2 Visual processes 64 5.0 Oral presentation 64 5.0 Cognitive processes 63 5.1 Auditory processes 58 4.7 Survey methods 55 4.6 Laboratory instrumentation 54 4.8 Attention 53 4.9 Analytical models 53 4.8 Task analysis 53 4.8 Technical writing 52 5.0 Time and motion study 49 4.7 Physical environmental effects 49 4.5 Physical measurement 47 4.5 Motor abilities 46 4.5 Group dynamics 45 4.7 Subjective measurement 45 4.7 Group problem solving 45 4.6 Motivational and reward structures 43 4.7 Workload analysis 43 4 7 Computer simulation 43 4.3 Psychometrics 42 4.7 Physiological measurement 40 4.6 Operations research 39 4.8 Work station design 36 4.6 System requirements analysis 36 4.6 Health and safety 36 4.5 Design guidelines 36 4.4 Project management 35 4.5 Team performance 34 4.9 Design checklists 33 4.5 Manufacturing and quality control 32 4.7 Control design 32 4.5 Cost estimation 31 4.4
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Anthropometry 31 4.3 Human needs analysis 31 4.3 Function allocation 30 4.5 Panel display design 30 4.5 Computer architecture 29 4.4 Work physiology 29 4.2 Design walk throughs 27 4.4 Use of mockups 26 4.5 Manual control theory 26 4.1 Artificial intelligence 26 4.1 Software tools 25 4.3 Handtool design 25 4.1 Biomechanics 25 4.0 Computer display design 24 4.6 Organizational impact analysis 23 4.3 Usability evaluation 22 4.4 Aging 22 3.8 Communication systems 21 4.2 Error/accident analysis 20 3.9 Human reliability analysis 20 3.8 Speech recognition/synthesis 20 3.7 Human-computer dialog design 20 3.7 Instructional systems design 19 4.4 Handicapped 18 3.8 Maintainability 18 3.7 CAD/CAM 17 4.3 Robotics 17 4.1 Office automation 17 4.1 Negotiation 16 4.5 Aerospace systems 15 4.3 Products liability law 15 3.9 Command and control 13 4.3 Computer input tool design 13 3.9 Teleoperators 7 3.1 MANPRINT, etc. 5 4.1 Mean 37 4.5 Standard deviation 17.8 0.4 aIncludes only those who received degrees since 1984.
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EDUCATION PROGRAMS A questionnaire form was mailed to each of 59 U.S. education programs listed in the Directory of Human Factors Graduate Programs in the United States and Canada (Human Factors Society, 1988~.
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Across all programs, 33 percent reported some type of link with other departments. Among the engineering programs reporting links to other departments, 82 percent listed psychology first.
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20 15 2 10 o a a ahoy Afar Ha/ an_ 1^ Pre 1960 1960s 1g70s Decade of Eslabbshment 1 980s FIGURE 4.2 Disldbution of programs by decade established and a~habon. TABLE 4.4 Degrce Requirements of Programs in Human Factors j7 Pasterns Requirement Engineering Psychology OC10~ Engineering Psychology Mead number of Unix Squirmers 11.1 10.7 Percentage requiring: Minor Thesis Cal expedence P~mge Aim optional thesis 27.8 26.4 21 57 17 35 o 92 33 30 86 27 8 14 31 100 62
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The largest number of core faculty in a psychology program was 12. For each core faculty member listed, the survey asked for the number of off-campus professional meetings attended last year at which a paper was given or a session was chaired.
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Although not significant, the mean rating of adequacy was lowest for libraries and highest for computer hardware. 100 u' E o ~75 o c,, 50 ._ Library Computer Software ~ Computer Hardware 1 2 Totally Inadequate Mean Rating of Adequacy FIGURE 4.3 Ratings of adequacy of program resources.
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From page 60... ...
when asked whether the support their program has received from the university increased at a rate above average, average, or below average compared with other university programs over the past few years, 31 percent indicated above-average, 49 percent average, and only 20 percent below-average increases. It appears that the support received by human factors programs is increasing at an average or above-average rate.
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From page 61... ...
These statistics suggest that university programs are only skimming the surface of potential contacts with business and government. When asked about the advantages of adjunct professors, respondents cited specialized expertise, contact with real-world problems and issues, the cost-effectiveness of hiring adjuncts, and the fact that the use of adjuncts frees up regular faculty for other things.
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62 HUMAN FACTORS SPECIALISTS ' ED UCATION AND UTILIZATION TABLE 4.6 Topic Coverage in Required or Elective Courses (percentage of programs) Required Elective Not Topic Course Course Covered Univariate statistics 83 15 2 Experimental design 83 15 2 Visual processes 81 17 2 Auditory processes 79 19 2 Work station design 79 17 4 Cognitive processes 79 15 6 Analytical models 76 15 9 Oral presentation 75 7 18 Anthropometry 74 17 9 Environmental effects 72 26 2 Work physiology 70 28 2 Motor abilities/limits 70 28 2 Perception 69 27 4 Task analysis 69 22 9 Control design 67 24 9 Attention 67 24 9 Panel display design 67 22 11 Hand tool design 64 19 17 Workload analysis 63 28 9 Computer display design 60 31 9 Function allocation 60 27 13 Design guidelines 58 24 18 Multivariate statistics 57 37 6 Computer program languages 57 30 13 Psychophysics/subjective measures 56 42 2 Health and safety 54 30 16 Biomechanics 53 36 11 Learning 49 40 11 System requirements analysis 48 43 9 Design checklists 48 26 26 Human needs analysis 46 36 18 Facilities design 46 35 19 Computer input tool design 46 29 25 Psychological measurement 45 41 14 Lab instrumentation 44 30 26 Human-computer dialog design 42 42 16 Human reliability analysis 42 36 22 Physical measurement 42 33 24 Technical writing/illustration 41 33 26 Time and motion study 40 36 23
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14 16 70 Command and control 13 38 49 Artificial intelligence 11 72 17 Instructional systems design 11 34 55 Organizational impact analysis 7 33 60 Teleoperations 7 33 60 Computer architecture 7 31 62 Negotiation 5 25 70 Mean 41.2 33.3 24.2 Standard deviation 22.6 12.2 17.7
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From page 64... ...
It appears that engineering programs are covering TABLE 4.7 Differences in Topic Coverage in Required Courses Between Engineering and Psychology Programs (percentage of programs) Topic Engineering Psychology Engineering Greater Than Psychology: Work station design 92 58 Anthropometry 88 53 Work physiology 84 53 Hand tool design 84 31 Environmental effects 83 53 Computer programming language 76 42 Biomechanics 76 22 Facilities design 58 26 Operations research 58 4 Manufacturing/quality control 52 5 Process control 46 11 Computer simulation 40 10 Motivation and reward structure 35 5 Cost estimation/budgeting 29 5 Artificial intelligence 20 0 Psychology Greater Than Engineering: Perception Attention Psychological measurement 46 41 32 67 90 Note: The table lists only differences that reached significance.
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From page 65... ...
It appears that considerable diversity exists to allow people to pursue specific specialties. Respondents were asked if their program has responded to three specific areas: Defense Department initiatives such as MANPRINT, societal issues such as elderly and disabled people, and technical developments such as advanced manufacturing, robotics, and artificial intelligence.
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From page 66... ...
66 HUMAN FACTORS SPECIALISTS' EDUCATION AND UTILIZATION TABLE 4.8 Student Performance of Various Activities as Part of Their Classwork (percentage of programs) Activity Prepare/conduct oral presentations Collect data in laboratory settings Analyze tasks Specify/perform statistical tests Collect data in field settings Design data collection procedures/questionnaires Write/debug computer programs Design workspace layouts Prepare/contribute to proposals Evaluate reports written by others Design human-equipment interfaces Assess physical workload Interpret test and evaluation results Analyze effects of environmental stressors Develop analytical models/methods Develop/conduct computer simulations Assess mental workload Design software interfaces Verify design conformance to human factors specifications Perform safety analyses Develop criterion measures Collect error/failure/accident data Specify evaluation objectives Assess effectiveness of training Develop/analyze fault trees Conduct network analyses Prepare instructions/procedural documents Prepare engineering drawings Plan/coordinate evaluations Prepare/review design drawings to human :factors specifications Prepare design mockups Prepare specifications for software Design training aids Perform human-reliability analyses Assess performance risks Prepare product warnings Perform failure-mode-et:~lects analyses Conduct training Prepare training course materials/aids Conduct root cause analyses Mean Standard deviation Students in Program Do as Part of Course Work 88% 85 85 81 73 71 71 69 69 67 65 65 65 62 58 54 54 48 46 44 42 42 35 33 31 27 27 27 27 25 25 25 25 25 23 23 23 21 13 10 46.2 22.3
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From page 67... ...
The Human Factors Society accreditation program was mentioned by five programs, predicting that the effect would standardize, formalize, and strengthen human factors education. One program predicted that small programs would suffer because of accreditation.
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From page 68... ...
reported that they read periodicals regularly. The Human Factors Society Journal and Bulletin, mentioned by 28 percent of the respondents, were the most frequently mentioned periodicals.
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From page 69... ...
88 81 68 58 55 47 26 25 25 24 24 21 one sort or another were the next most frequently mentioned, but these were cited by only 6 percent of the respondents. The number of different periodicals that were mentioned was staggering, including defense-oriented publications, industry trade magazines, psychology journals, business magazines, and industrial engineering and design publications.
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