The Ohio State University  |
Cognitive Ergonomics
Cognitive ergonomics website: http://csel.eng.ohio-state.edu
Research and educational activities at Ohio State concerned with cognitive human factors include faculty, staff and students in several programs. All of these programs have a strong design focus and offer graduate programs in this area.
Graduate students interested in Cognitive Human Factors can enroll in any of the following Departments at Ohio State. Details on graduate programs in specific Departments are provided at the links below.
- Courses in Human Center Design at OSU (http://www-iwse.eng.ohio-state.edu/ISEFaculty/smith/recomcourses.htm)
- Cognitive Systems Engineering ( http://csel.eng.ohio-state.edu), Industrial and Systems Engineering Department
- Communication ( http://www.comm.ohio-state.edu/), School of Communication
- Computer Science ( http://www.cse.ohio-state.edu/), Department of Computer Science and Engineering
- Cognitive Psychology ( http://www.psy.ohio-state.edu/programs/cognitive/), Department of Psychology
- Industrial Design ( http://design.osu.edu/index.html), Department of Industrial, Interior and Visual Communication
- Occupational Therapy ( http://amp.osu.edu/ot/), School of Allied Medical Professions
- Physical Therapy ( http://amp.osu.edu/pt/), School of Allied Medical Professions
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The Ohio State University also has two Centers with interests in cognitive human factors and human-centered design that have strong ties to the Institute for Ergonomics:
- Advanced Center for Computing in the Arts and Design (http://accad.osu.edu/)
- Center for Cognitive Science (http://www.cog.ohio-state.edu/)
Physical Ergonomics
Physical Ergonomics website - http://biodynamics.osu.edu/
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The research and educational programs available at Ohio State provide faculty, staff, and students with exciting opportunities to study state-of-the-art issues in physical ergonomics and biomechanics. Both basic and applied research is conducted, at the Masters and Doctoral level. The educational programs in physical ergonomics and biomechanics are primarily housed in the Department of Industrial, Welding, and Systems Engineering ( http://www-iwse.eng.ohio-state.edu/). However, interdisciplinary efforts often occur with the Department of Biomedical Engineering ( http://bmew.bme.ohio-state.edu/bmeweb3/), other engineering programs, and the College of Medicine ( http://medicine.osu.edu/).
Within the Institute, individuals study a wide range of physical ergonomics and biomechanics issues in the Biodynamics Laboratory ( http://biodynamics.osu.edu/) one of the premier ergonomics labs in the country. Students have the ability to learn about the various joints in the body (e.g., low back, hand/wrist, knee, shoulder) and their:
- Anatomical and physiological characteristics
- Muscle activity patterns (using electromyography)
- Kinematic and kinetic properties
- Tolerances to loading, and
- Susceptibility to injury.
The research program also provides students with a strong knowledge of experimentation, analysis, and biomechanical modeling.
The physical ergonomics program emphasizes the application of this research to real-world problems. Students are able to use their knowledge and apply it directly to occupational settings, with the goal of reducing workplace injuries. Many research studies (which originate in the Biodynamics Laboratory (http://biodynamics.osu.edu/) have involved and continue to require collection and analysis of biomechanical and ergonomics data directly from the industrial environment.
Because of the multi-factorial nature of ergonomics, the Institute for Ergonomics offers a human-centered approach for study. That is, in addition to the physical ergonomic research opportunities described here, the student can expand his or her knowledge of the field by incorporating the cognitive elements of the human-workplace interaction, since the Institute is affiliated with programs in psychology, computer science, industrial design, and physical therapy, to name a few. This affords students the opportunity to tailor their research to their particular interests.
Click here for a sample of courses offered for those interested in physical ergonomics.