Learning by Doing: A Studio-Based Approach to Teaching Ergonomics and Human Factors

This paper describes the development of a studio-based approach for teaching ergonomics and human factors to undergraduate engineering students. Studio-based methods in engineering education draw on the concept of a “design studio” as the basis for learning and applying fundamental skills and knowledge through a series of directed exploration and design projects under the guidance of the course instructor. The use of these methods for teaching foundational courses in ergonomics and human factors is especially promising, as laboratory experiences and design projects are often an integral part of the course. The first course to implement these methods was Ergonomics and Work Measurement in the spring semester of 2010. The author’s experiences and lessons learned will be described, as will the evaluation methods and preliminary results.