UVic     Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

COURSE OUTLINE

SENG412 – ERGONOMICS
Summer/2007

 

 

Instructor:                                                          Office Hours:

       Dr. Alexandra Branzan Albu                            Days: Monday, Thursday                                                             

       Phone: 721-8681                                           Time: 3:00-4:00 pm

       E-mail: aalbu@ece.uvic.ca                              Location: EOW 321

 

Lectures:                                                                            

                                                                                            

       Days: Mondays, Thursdays                            

       Time:        1:30 pm -3:00 pm                       

       Location:   ECS 124                                      

 

Required Text:                                                   

       Title: An Introduction to Human Factors Engineering                   

       Author: C. D. Wickens, J. D. Lee, Y. Liu, S. E. Gordon Becker       

       Publisher: Pearson-Prentice Hall                                

       Year: 2004                                                                    

 

References:

Additional readings will be posted on the course web site. These readings are mandatory.

 

Assessment:

       2 Assignments:            20 %

       3 Mid-terms:               45 %                         

       Project:                       35 % (max. 60% unless approved otherwise)

 

Mid-terms:  

There will be three midterms in this course worth 15% each to be done in class (note: no final exam). The proposed dates for the midterms are: May 31, June 21, and July 23. Collectively, the three midterms are worth 45% of your final grade.  Students must pass the combined mark of the midterms to pass the course.

 

Assignments:

 

Assignment

Weight

Assigned Date (tentative)

Due Date

(tentative)

1

10%

May 14

May 24

2

10%

June 21

July 5

 

Project:

There will be one design project completed in small groups of students (approx. four students per team).  The project topic will be made available at the beginning of the term.  Students are expected to contribute equally to the project.  A description of each student's participation will be one of the report's requirements and as such will have a bearing on the grade.  The description of each student's input will need to be validated by the other members of the team. 

There will be several phases to each project:

  • Requirements gathering
  • Iterative design and prototyping
  • Evaluation
  • Final Report

The project will be worth 35% of the final grade.  There will be three separate deliverables as well as a presentation for the class project.  The project presentations will be held during the 2nd last week of classes and the report will be due at the end of term (exact date to be determined).

 

The final grade obtained from the above marking scheme will be based on the following percentage-to-grade point conversion:

90 ≤   A+ ≤ 100

85 ≤   A   <   90

80 ≤   A-  <   85

75 ≤   B+ <   80

70 ≤   B   <   75

65 ≤   B-  <   70

60 ≤   C+ <   65

55 ≤   C   <   60

50 ≤   D   <   55

35 ≤   E   <   50       Fail, conditional supplemental exam* - for undergraduate courses only.

          F   <   35       Fail, no supplemental exam.

          N                  Fail, did not write examination or otherwise complete course requirements by the end of the term or session; no supplemental exam.

*   The rules for supplemental examinations are found on page 76 of the current 2005/06 Undergraduate Calendar.

For courses taken in

Application Deadline for Supplemental Exam

Supplemental Exam Date

January – April

June 30

First week of classes in September-December term

May – August

October 31

First week of classes in January-April term

September – December

February 28

First week of classes in May-August term

     Deferred examination schedules use the same dates as supplementals in the table above.

 

Late Assignments: Late assignments will not be accepted without a doctor's note.

Cheating: Students caught cheating will receive a failing grade in this course.  Assignments are to be completed individually -- they should not be discussed with your peers. Also, in the course project collaboration between different teams is strongly discouraged and will be penalized.

To pass the course: Students must pass the combined mark of the midterms to pass the course.

Coursework Mark Appeals: All marks must be appealed in writing (not by email) within 7 days of the mark being posted.

Plagiarism: Submitted work may be checked using plagiarism detection software. Moreover, if material is reused from other sources it should be appropriately referenced (failure to do so will result in a failing grade in the course). Cheating, plagiarism and other forms of academic fraud are taken very seriously by both the University and the Department. You should consult http://web.uvic.ca/calendar2004/FACS/UnPr/UARe/PoAcI.html
for the UVIc policy on academic integrity.  Note that the university policy includes the statement that "A largely or fully plagiarized assignment should result in a grade of F for the course".

Attendance: According to university policy, students are expected to attend all classes. Important notices and material will be made available in class that will not be otherwise made available, it is a student’s responsibility to have a fellow student take notes if they cannot attend a lecture. 

Assignments and Exams: may be refused a passing grade if they are deficient in English. Please see the UVic policy for further information on this university policy:  http://web.uvic.ca/calendar2003/GI/AcRe/EoStA.html

 

Syllabus

This course explains the need for engineers and other professionals to understand how knowledge of human strengths and limitations, both mental and physical, can lead to a better system design. The knowledge and methods to accomplish this goal are embodied in the study of ergonomics, or human factors engineering.

As a result of taking this course, students will be able to:

-        understand and apply the iterative user-centered design paradigm

-        perform a correct task and user analysis prior to the design or redesign of a product

-        apply human factors principles to their own design projects

-        explain the basic human systems of cognition and perception (vision and hearing) and how that affects engineering design

-        design displays and controls which properly respond to human attributes

-        design human computer interfaces for information processing and control

 

Posting of Grades

The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering will no longer post grades.  Students may access their grades via the Internet at http://www.uvic.ca/reco/ and selecting WebView (Student Records On-Line).

 

Guidelines on Religious Observances

1.  Where classes or examinations are scheduled on the holy days of a religion, students may notify their instructors, at least two weeks in advance, of their intention to observe the holy day(s) by absenting themselves from classes or examinations.

2.  Instructors will provide reasonable opportunities for such students to make up work or missed examinations.

3.  Students will cooperate by accepting the provision of reasonable opportunities for making up work or missed examinations.

4.  The University Secretary's Office will distribute a multi-faith calendar to each academic unit annually.

 

Commitment to Inclusivity and Diversity

The University of Victoria is committed to promoting, providing and protecting a positive, supportive and safe learning and working environment for all its members.

 

Standards of Professional Behaviour

You are advised to read the Faculty of Engineering document Standards for Professional Behaviour at http://www.engr.uvic.ca/policy/professional-behaviour.html which contains important information regarding conduct in courses, labs, and in the general use of facilities.

 

Cheating, plagiarism and other forms of academic fraud are taken very seriously by both the University and the Department.  You should consult http://web.uvic.ca/calendar2005/FACS/UnIn/UARe/PoAcI.html for the UVic policy on academic integrity.