LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY

CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMNENT AND INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

IE 4461 Human Factors Engineering
Spring 2011, 3 Credits

Class: M & W: 12:40-1:30 pm, 3142 Patrick Taylor Hall
Labs: T: 3:10-6:00 pm, 3412 Patrick Taylor Hall

Instructor: Dr. Laura H. Ikuma Office Hours:
Office: 3135A Patrick Taylor Hall Mon & Wed 11:00 am Noon
Office telephone: (225) 578-5364 Tues 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Email: likuma@lsu.edu and by appointment

Teacher Assistant: Saif Al-Qaisi Office Hours:
Office: 3412 Patrick Taylor Hall Thurs 11:00 am 1:00 pm
Email: salqai1@lsu.edu and by appointment

Catalog Description: IE 4461(3) Human performance in human-machine systems, including information processing, display
and control design, workplace design, and environmental effects on worker performance.

Course Objectives
1. Students will learn principles of ergonomics including how to match the work, tools, and workplace to the physical,
physiological, biomechanical, and mental capability of a worker.
2. Students will learn about human anatomy, metabolic monitoring, strength measurements, anthropometric
measurements, and visual and hearing tests.
3. Students will learn about cognitive ergonomics including workload and stress, visual displays, controls, decision
making and errors, and workstation design.

Textbook: B. Mustafa Pulat, "Fundamentals of Industrial Ergonomics", 2
nd
ed. Waveland Press Inc. IL, 1997.
References: Current technical articles and library sources.

Final Grade is weighted as follows:
Lab Reports 15%
First Exam 20%
Second Exam 20%
Final Exam 25%
Project 15%
In-class assignments/quizzes 5%
100%

Grade Scale: A: 100% - 90%, B: <90% - 80%, C: <80% - 70%, D: <70% - 60%, F: <60%. Grades will not be curved: in other
words, there are no limits on the number of As, Bs, Cs etc. that I give.

Late/Missed Work policy: Assignments are due at the beginning of the class period and must be printed or handwritten (no
emailed assignments will be accepted). Assignments may be turned in late with the following schedule of penalties:

After class starts 11:59 pm of due date: One letter grade off
One day after due date: Two letter grades off
Two or more days after due date: Assignment not accepted

There will be no make-ups for any in-class assignments or laboratories that are missed without a valid excuse. No make-up
exams will be given without a written, valid excuse. You must contact me within 24 hours of an exam and provide a written,
valid excuse (defined by the University) to reschedule an exam. Your exam will be rescheduled ideally within a week, but be
aware that make-up exams will be different from the rest of the class.

Classroom policies: Attendance in class will enhance your learning experience, therefore I expect everyone to attend all
classes and to come prepared for discussion. If you arrive late, please enter quietly from the back of the room. During class,
please turn off all cell phones and laptops (unless you have a tablet that can lay flat). As an open learning environment, it is
expected that students will have diverse opinions and comments during discussion. All contributions are valuable and are to
be respected.

Technology: If you need to use a calculator for exams, the calculator must not be able to store data prior to the test (i.e.
course notes, formulas, etc.) or be able to communicate with other equipment inside or outside the classroom. Outside of the
classroom, you may use Microsoft Excel or other spreadsheet software to perform calculations.

We will use Moodle to list homework assignments, store course documents such as the syllabus and schedule, and post
grades and announcements of upcoming quizzes, tests, and assignments. I may occasionally email the class with
announcements, and these will be sent to your LSU email address.

Class notes will be posted on Moodle by noon the day before class. You are expected to print your own notes and bring them
to class.

Accommodations: Please contact me as soon as possible if (1) you have or think you may have a disability or medical
condition which may affect your performance, attendance, or grades in this class and for which you wish to discuss
accommodations of class related activities or schedules, (2) you may require medical attention during class, (3) you may
need special emergency evacuation preparations or procedures, or (4) you need accommodations for any other reason (for
example, religious observances). Disability accommodations must be documented through the Office of Disability Services,
112 Johnston Hall, (225) 578-5919.

Honor Code: Every person is worthy of trust, and I expect honesty from each student in completing all assignments. Exams
will be completed individually with no references from outside sources. If you have questions about the honor code as it
pertains to this class, ask me. A copy of the student code of conduct may be found at
http://appl003.lsu.edu/slas/dos.nsf/$content/Code+of+Conduct?OpenDocument

Tips for Success: Below are some suggestions of things you can do to increase your success in this course.
- Come to class, every class. If you absolutely must miss class, get notes from another student.
- Read the book chapters and take notes. The book complements class activities and may explain difficult concepts
in a different manner. Pay attention to definitions, theorems, and example problems.
- Work problems outside of the homework sets.
- Use office hours to ask questions about homework, concepts, etc. Dont wait until the day before the test to figure
out what you dont understand!
- Devote a couple of hours each week to reading, studying, and working problems for this class. Cramming at the
last minute will result in lower learning levels than spreading your study time over the entire semester.







Schedule (subject to change with notification from the instructor)
Week Date Topic Reading (textbook)
1 Jan. 17-21
Introduction and History of Ergonomics
The Ergonomics Function
Martin Luther King Holiday: No class Mon.
(Jan. 17)
Ch. 1, 2
2
Jan. 24-28
Jan. 25 last day to drop without W
Jan. 27 last day to add courses or
change sections
Research Methods, Ethics of experiments
with human subjects
12.11, Supplemental reading
3 Jan. 31- Feb. 4 Engineering Anthropometry Ch. 5
4 Feb. 7-11 Physical Ergonomics Ch. 3
5 Feb. 14-18 Physical Ergonomics Ch. 3
6 Feb. 21-25
Work Area Design, Human-Machine
Systems Design
Ch. 6, 7
7 Feb. 28-Mar. 4 Design of Work Environment Ch. 9
8 Mar. 7-11
Mardi Gras Holiday: Mar. 6-9 (12:30 pm)
Information Ergonomics
Exam Review, Ch. 4
9 Mar. 14-18 Information Ergonomics
Exam Mon. March 14 (Ch.
1-3, 5-7, 9, 12.11,
Supplemental reading)
Ch. 4
10 Mar. 21-25 Information Ergonomics Ch. 4
11
Mar. 28-Apr. 1
Apr. 4 last day to drop courses
Apr. 4 last day to request rescheduling
final exam (if 3 or more in 24 hours)
Design of Displays and Controls, Design of
Products and Information Aids
Ch. 10, 11
12 Apr. 4-8
Error & decision making, Design for special
populations
Ch. 12
13 Apr. 11-15 Industrial Safety and Health Ch. 13
14 Apr. 18-22 Spring Break: No classes
15 Apr. 25-29 Work Analysis Checklist
Ch. 14
Exam Wed April 27: (Ch. 4,
10-13)
16 May. 2-6 Job Design Ch. 8
FINAL EXAM: SATURDAY, MAY 14, 12:30 - 2:30 PM