Validating Undergraduate Human Factors Education Using Interdisciplinary Design Projects

Abstract

Traditional undergraduate and graduate human factors programs provide students with an excellent education in the theories, tools, and methods used by professional practitioners. However, most programs confine students to projects that can be completed in a ‘pure’ human factors environment. Human factors professionals rarely work in a ‘pure’ environment; in most cases they are part of interdisciplinary design teams. Faculty in the Engineering Psychology program at the United States Military Academy worked with other academic departments to develop four interdisciplinary design projects. Seven students in the Engineering Psychology program served as the human factors ‘experts’ on four different semester design projects, which were completed in May 2001. They used their knowledge of human factors methods and practices to enrich the process and products of the design team. Concurrently, they experienced the challenges of working with student-practitioners from other disciplines. Data were collected through interviews and assessment of written products to determine the degree to which participation in the design teams validated the human factors education received by the Engineering Psychology students.