Ask Jon

by Jon Hull

Dear Jon,

I’m a first year HF/E student and I just found out I can’t afford to go home during the winter break. I’m stuck in the Bay area and don’t have any idea of what to do. Since I won’t be in school for 6 weeks, I am going to have a lot of new found free time on my hands. Do you have any suggestions of what to do?

Lonely on Lombard

Dear Lonely,

As always, the yahoo group is your friend. Several of your classmates will be here over the break as well, so watch the list for parties. If you don’t see anything that you like, then feel free to create your own activity and post it to the list. It doesn’t have to be human factors related, but that always helps. Want to see the new Bond movie? Why not invite a group to see if he holds his gun ergonomically? Does he have a neutral wrist position while snapping the bad guy’s neck? Hmm… maybe that is why they switch Bond actors so often.

Thanks,
Jon

Is it too late to join a committee?

Helpful in Hayward

Dear Helpful,

It is never too late to lend a hand! Just contact the head of the committee you wish to join. May I recommend the newsletter committee? Just send me an email at jhull (at) gbis.com

Thanks,
Jon

Do you have something you want to ask Jon? Just email him at jhull (at) gbis.com

December 21st, 2006 Posted by sjsuhfes | issue_3.1 | no comments

1989

by Hillary Beth Houston

The year was 1989. Perhaps you were partying away your college years like my ex-roommate’s somewhat creepy, too-old-for-her boyfriend. Or perhaps you were in middle school, never dreaming that when you grew up you actually wouldn’t be a professional video game player. Or perhaps you were, like me, a chubby little five-year-old sitting in your favorite old blue recliner, watching TV not even realizing that your future career was about to slap you in the face.

I can’t recall now whether it was the Popples, My Little Pony, or the Care Bears, but it was on a VHS tape. At the age of five, much like now, I could comprehend only about five functions of the VCR: Play, Stop, Fast Forward, Rewind, and Pause. I typically did not use the VCR by myself, but on this particular day, I had the whole living room to myself, which means, of course, that I had total control of the television. Being as such, when I wanted to go to the bathroom, I simply paused the program at my will. This was simple enough for me, even at five. I knew what “pause” meant, the button said “pause”, and furthermore, I had memorized the only five buttons I had ever used. It was when I came back that problems began to arise.

When I returned to the living room, I hopped up in my chair and grabbed the VCR remote. Ready to play my program again, I hit the “play” button, which seemed like the obvious choice to me. Much to my dismay, nothing happened. So, I pressed “play” again, this time a little harder. When still nothing occurred, I tried holding the button for longer, pointing it more accurately at the VCR, and, like any frustrated five-year-old would, pressing the button over and over again.

I was just beginning to think that I might never see the end of the show when for some reason I decided to hit the “pause” button again. Much to my surprise, pressing the “pause” button made my program play again. I was astounded, but now satisfied, and went back to watching my show. At the conclusion of my show, my brother invaded my TV haven to watch a show of his choosing. Upon having my TV controlling power revoked (read: my brother took the remote from me), I left the room. But before I left, I remembered my trouble with the VCR and warned my brother, “The remote is broken,” I said, “If you want to pause it and then play it, you have to push “pause” and not “play.”

“It isn’t broken,” scoffed my brother, “That’s just the way it works.”

Being raised in the sheltered environment that was my Oklahoma home, I had not yet learned any swear words with which to express my feelings. But if you have ever been supremely angry at a product in your home, you may insert your own swear words here. Now, I wish I could tell you that this was the moment I decided to go into human factors and save the world from evil products, but that actually happened much later. I spent the next 15 or so years never thinking about that VCR remote or any other product that I couldn’t work. (For the record, it doesn’t bother me that the “pause” button un-pauses the program, but that the “play” button didn’t play the program.) Like most other people who have encountered a badly designed product, I either memorized how to complete my desired task or didn’t and practiced until the 18 button combination that I needed to set my alarm clock until it seemed natural.

The moral of this story is two-fold. One: If you want to play your VHS tape after you have paused it, and pressing the “play” button doesn’t work, you might try pressing the “pause” button. Two: the world is not waiting for human factors. People will go on designing products, and consumers will keep buying and using them, with or without us.

Just a friendly FYI.

December 21st, 2006 Posted by Dave Law | issue_3.1 | no comments

Remembering the Conference

by Roger Santos

Through the week of October 16-20th, people from all over the country gathered in San Francisco for the 50th Anniversary HFES Conference. Held at the Hilton in San Francisco, the conference consisted of workshops, special events and exhibits that exposed everyone to world of Human Factors and Ergonomics. Businesses, researchers, teachers and students turned out to make the conference a great success. To get a picture of what the conference was like I talked to a couple of students who attended the conference on various days, and here’s what they had to say.

The main areas of the conference that the students visited were the exposition area (where businesses displayed future products), the student panel (where students talked about their internship experiences), and various workshops. There was also a student lounge where they were able to take a break from all the happenings and share experiences. “This was my first conference and I can’t imagine what it would have been like without the Student Lounge,” remarked one student who found the student lounge a great place to meet new people and make contacts.

The conference also included an exposition area that gave people a sneak peak at devices businesses were bringing to market. One device was an eye tracking device that tracked eye movements as they scanned a computer display. Another device was a ergonomic mouse that was used by taking one’s thumb and controlling a mouse with a tracking ball.

Another part of the conference that students found to be extremely helpful was the student internship panel. The panel shed light on how to land an internship, keep an internship and make the most of it. The take home message for the students was to get involved in the HFES community and network. Panelists said that beyond doing well in school and getting recommendations from professors, the most important advice they could give to students looking for an internship was for them to meet new people and network. The student lounge was one such area where students had an opportunity to do this.

Students also had the opportunity to learn about public speaking and how to explain the human factors field to others. One student said, “Deborah Boehm-Davis’ ‘Art of Speaking’ presentation was excellent. It was about the Human Factors of giving a good presentation, and all her recommendations had a solid justification. It was definitely something I will be using throughout my career.”

However, one suggestion students offered for the next conference was to bring it to San Jose, so they can avoid the 2 hour train commute.

Sorry guys, maybe in a another 50 years.

December 21st, 2006 Posted by Dave Law | Uncategorized, issue_3.1 | no comments

Spring 2007 Registration

by D’Anne Harp

Registration? Already? Here’s the cheat sheet for what you need to know:

Enrollment Dates

As a fully matriculated graduate student, you should be able to enroll for the Spring 2007 semester between November 8-December 18, 2006. In the words of Dr. Andre, “the minute you can register, you should register. If you don’t get in to a course, you should send an e-mail to the professor and ask to be put on their wait list or to be allowed in.”

I strongly recommend that you check up on your enrollment date sooner than later. Follow this secret path to help you through the process:

First, log into My SJSU:
https://cmshr.sjsu.edu/psp/HSJPRD/?cmd=login&languageCd=ENG.

• When you are logged in, click on Self Service>Enrollment>Enrollment Dates
• Go to the Select Term field and select Spring 2007.
• Click Change.

If all goes well, the magic trolls will show you your enrollment dates. Remember, we are competing for seats with undergraduates for some of our classes, so enroll early to get the classes you need to graduate!

Course Recommendations:

As always, you should focus on getting your core courses done as soon as possible. The following Core Courses are being offered in Spring ‘07:

• DSID 226 Designing for Ergonomics
• KIN 266 Motor Learning
• ISE 202 Design of Experiments
• ISE 290 HFE Seminar
• ISE 298 Project (Requires permission from Dr. Corker)
• ISE 299 Thesis (Requires permission from Dr. Corker)

Dr. Andre’s HFE Seminar is now numbered ISE290, and should be taken as soon as it is offered. Also, Dr. Emily Wughalter has returned to teach the Motor Learning (KIN266) class! Dr. Wughalter’s class and teaching style have been widely praised by her former students. Sign up today and take advantage of this opportunity to be in Dr. Wughalter’s class!

PSYC220 is also a highly recommended elective, as it helps you prepare for your project/thesis and fulfills the writing requirement.

What’s Offered Next Semester:

Special thanks to Kirsten Peters for doing most of the research for this chart!

December 21st, 2006 Posted by Dave Law | issue_3.1 | 3 comments

The Student Evaluation of Course Experience (SECE)

by Janice Tam

Ever show up to a class and realized it was not at all what you were led to believe from the course description? Don’t you wish you could get some insight from previous students about what they thought of a course before you sign up? Well, now you can!

The student chapter is testing out a new student-oriented evaluation of all HF/E courses (core and electives). In short, this will be similar to the SOTEs, but the results will be posted on the student chapter website for every HF/ student to access.

What are some of the things that you can find out about potential courses? We will cover aspects that are important to student needs.

For example:

What’s the format of the course?

• Lecture style (bring some note-taking materials!)
• Mediated discussion style (bring some issues to discuss!)
• Mostly student presentations (bring some covert entertainment!)

What is the method of evaluation?

• Projects
• Midterms/Finals
• Research paper

In addition, we will also include a little about the professor teaching the course. For example:

• Does he or she seem knowledgeable?
• Does he or she seem approachable?
• Does he or she explain concepts clearly?
• Does he or she answer questions well?

In order to make this happen we need all of our current students to help out in the effort. At the end of the term, we will be sending out a survey (via Survey Monkey) to students enrolled in classes. Please fill them out!

December 21st, 2006 Posted by Dave Law | issue_3.1 | no comments

Join the Special Ops Team

by Dave Law

For National Ergonomics Month, the student chapter announced the creation of the SJSU HFES “Special Ops” Team. Don’t worry, it’s not the kind of Special Ops where we overturn rogue governments and hunt down terrorists (like I enjoy doing on weekends). Instead, we will be meeting to discuss ways to enhance our careers in Human Factors. You’ve worked hard learning all about HFE, but it won’t mean anything until you can convince someone to listen to you! Sessions will include:

Tutorials

• Develop an effective presentation (using HF principles)
• Use PowerPoint to develop compelling slides (taught by Dr. Andre)
• Create a simple website for an online portfolio
• Defending yourself from skeptics of HFE
• Hone your ‘elevator speech’, i.e. explain what you do in 45 seconds or less

Public speaking

• Student presentations on topics of interest (i.e. you pick the topic. All are invited!)
• Presentations to educate the public about HFE by presenting to local clubs such as IDSA, Marketing Club, Psych Club, high schools, and the career center

The overarching goals for this team are to build our skills as professionals, and also to step up our efforts to spread the merits of HFE to the world. This is an opportunity to hone your presentation skills in a safe, supportive environment, and then to apply those skills in a live, practical presentation setting.

Email davehlaw@gmail.com to join, or visit
http://sjsuhfes.pbwiki.com/SpecialOps for more info.

December 21st, 2006 Posted by Dave Law | issue_3.1 | no comments

Join the Special Ops Team

by Dave Law

For National Ergonomics Month, the student chapter announced the creation of the SJSU HFES “Special Ops” Team. Don’t worry, it’s not the kind of Special Ops where we overturn rogue governments and hunt down terrorists (like I enjoy doing on weekends). Instead, we will be meeting to discuss ways to enhance our careers in Human Factors. You’ve worked hard learning all about HFE, but it won’t mean anything until you can convince someone to listen to you! Sessions will include:

Tutorials

• Develop an effective presentation (using HF principles)
• Use PowerPoint to develop compelling slides (taught by Dr. Andre)
• Create a simple website for an online portfolio
• Defending yourself from skeptics of HFE
• Hone your ‘elevator speech’, i.e. explain what you do in 45 seconds or less

Public speaking

• Student presentations on topics of interest (i.e. you pick the topic. All are invited!)
• Presentations to educate the public about HFE by presenting to local clubs such as IDSA, Marketing Club, Psych Club, high schools, and the career center

The overarching goals for this team are to build our skills as professionals, and also to step up our efforts to spread the merits of HFE to the world. This is an opportunity to hone your presentation skills in a safe, supportive environment, and then to apply those skills in a live, practical presentation setting.

Email davehlaw@gmail.com to join, or visit
http://sjsuhfes.pbwiki.com/SpecialOps for more info.

December 21st, 2006 Posted by Dave Law | Uncategorized | no comments

From the Editor

by Jon Hull

We have gotten a late start on the newsletter this year because of the conference, but this issue promises to be a good one. There are many talented and entertaining writers on the newsletter committee this year. My goal as editor is to give the newsletter an approachable and personal feeling, while keeping the polish of a professional newsletter.

The committee has delivered, writing with both voice and humor. The articles are both informative (D’Anne’s spring registration guide) and entertaining (Hillary’s account of VCR trouble back in 1989).

We have several exciting things in the pipeline as well. There are many interesting articles on deck, and the executive council is hard at work on a new content management system which will allow everyone to contribute to the newsletter without having to wait for the next issue. Stay tuned!

December 21st, 2006 Posted by Dave Law | issue_3.1 | no comments

What research databases should I use for Human Factors research?

The SJSU library has recommended databases for research in most majors… except ours of course. Thus a quick look through the related fields of psychology, computer science, aerospace engineering, general engineering, and kinesiology gives the best ideas.

Some specific databases that are particularly useful (note you need your library ID and PIN to access these directly):

• For HCI-related topics: ACM Digital Library
• For Psychology-related topics: PsycINFO note this is not a full-text resource
• Broad topics, including back-issues of Human Factors: Academic Search
• Another great source outside of the library is Google Scholar.

December 21st, 2006 Posted by sjsuhfes | FAQs | no comments

How do I find a job in the industry while in school?

Job Resources: http://www.engr.sjsu.edu/hfe/resources_4.php

First step is to join the sjsuhfes at yahoogroups.com mailing list, and the BayCHI mailing list as well. Many students will mail out job openings to the yahoo list and a weekly mailing of jobs goes out to the BayCHI list. You should also take a look at the many links you’ll find on the resources page.

December 21st, 2006 Posted by sjsuhfes | FAQs | no comments