by
HF/E Student Connection
Volume 2, Issue 1 (October 2005)
Editors
Jim Beno jim@jimbeno.net
Joey Elyacy jelyacy2002@yahoo.com
Events Editor
Joey Elyacy jelyacy2002@yahoo.com
Columnists
Joey Elyacy jelyacy2002@yahoo.com
Cartoonists
Theresa Davis ter_davis@yahoo.com
Jamie Kravitz wehojk-hfe@yahoo.com
Program Committee
Jim Beno jim@jimbeno.net
Michal Cohen michal.cohen@gmail.com
Theresa Davis ter_davis@yahoo.com
Joey Elyacy (Interim Chair) jelyacy2002@yahoo.com
Jose Luis Garcia-Chico jgarciac@email.sjsu.edu
D’Anne Harp dharpinfo@yahoo.com
Cassy Rowe cassy@cassyrowe.com
Student Chapter President
Jim Beno jim@jimbeno.net
Faculty Advisor
Dr. Anthony D. Andre andre@interface-analysis.com
A Publication Of
San Jose State University
Human Factors & Ergonomics Society (HFES) Student Chapter
Web Site: http://www.sjsuhfes.org
Copyright © 2005, SJSU HFES Student Chapter Program Committee
January 8th, 2007
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by Cassy M. Rowe
Hey students! The San Jose State University HFES Student Chapter has some really cool and exciting events lined up for the Fall 2005 semester:
Ergonomic Showroom Tour
The first big event is a tour of an ergonomic showroom in the East Bay. Paul Blaubach of Office Relief has scheduled some time for us to go and view his ergonomic goodies. Make sure you reserve your spot by contacting Cassy Rowe (cassy@cassyrowe.com) before November 1.
| When: |
Friday, November 4, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. |
| Where: |
436 Mccormick Street
San Leandro, CA 94577
Map to Office Relief (opens in new window) |
| What: |
This showroom is a large warehouse with tons of ergonomic devices, office furniture and the latest technologies in our field. There are lots of cool input devices just waiting for you to take a look at and play with. This is a great opportunity for those interested in product design and physical ergonomics. And it’s a good place to get some ideas for your thesis or project! Celebrate National Ergonomics Month by coming to this great event! |
| To Sign Up: |
Contact Cassy Rowe (cassy@cassyrowe.com) or respond to the e-mail you received as a student chapter member by November 1. We will send out a follow-up e-mail to all those signed up with confirmation details. If you’re a chapter member, lunch is on us. Not a member of the student chapter? Contact Mayuko Ueda (maueda@gmail.com) to sign up! |
Student Ergonomics Booth
Furthermore, in honor of National Ergonomics Month, the SJSU HFES Student Chapter will setup a student ergonomics booth on campus in early November.
| When: |
Wednesday, November 16, 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. |
| Where: |
Table 10 (Corner by outdoor Cafeteria tables)
Between Student Union and Art Buildings, San Jose State University |
| What: |
The primary goal is to educate students on campus about ergonomic issues they may not be aware of. For example, ergonomic professionals and students will inform students about best practices for sitting in a classroom, working at a computer desk, using a laptop, carrying a backpack, and holding a cell phone. Recommendations will be provided in a visual and interactive manner. For instance, students will be able to play with ergonomic aids, wear a backpack, sit at a desk, work in front of a computer, etc.
The secondary goal is to educate students about National Ergonomics Month, ergonomics in general, HFES, and the SJSU HFES Student Chapter. Interested students (perhaps those majoring in industrial design, engineering, or psychology) will be invited to join HFES and the student chapter. |
| To Help Out: |
Want to help out with this event? The student chapter needs the help of all its members, and any interested students, with best practices research, poster and flyer design and production, equipment and props acquisition, booth duty, and more. Please contact Jim Beno (jim@jimbeno.net) to see what help is required for this important event! |
January 8th, 2007
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by Jose-Luis Garcia-Chico
About a dozen students trekked to Orlando, Florida in September for the 2005 HFES Annual Meeting. How was Florida? It was a lot of fun, and very informative. We were lucky, too. For the second year in a row, the HFES conference was spared a direct hit by a hurricane.
This year was my first HFES conference, so I dedicated most of my time to attend the technical sessions. Do not be surprised. Sometimes the stuff outside is more interesting than some guy’s research presentation. However, this time I found them quite interesting.
Lots of Research
The main reason was that I learned a lot about how human factors was applied to aviation, which is my main area of interest. Aviation is a huge area of work for human factors professionals. It may be too much to cover for a conference, but you at least got an idea of how important the field is to our domain.
And if you are a United States citizen, the Department of Defense (DoD), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Lockheed Martin, and many other companies are there as potential employers.
But aviation was just one of numerous fields that were covered. Research presentations covered: aerospace systems, aging, cognitive engineering and decision-making, communications, computer systems, demonstrations, education, environmental design, forensics, health care, human-performance modeling, individual differences in performance, industrial ergonomics, macro-ergonomics, Internet, perception and performance, product design, safety, surface transportation, system development, test and evaluation, training, virtual environments, and more. Wow!
Thesis or Project Ideas
The HFES annual meeting is a great opportunity to help with your project or thesis. Looking for a topic? Most of the presentations are the first step in a line of research that’s waiting for someone else to come in and continue it.
Already have a topic? You can get some good ideas about how to design your research experiment, and what methods you might employ. I believe that this is even more likely than finding a topic.
Need advice? At the conference, you can connect with professionals who may be able to join your thesis committee. Remember that one of your committee members does not have to be a faculty member.
Outstanding Student Chapter
Did you know that the SJSU HFES Student Chapter was recognized as an outstanding student chapter of the year? Kalmi Maheshwari, the former president, and Jim Beno, the current president, received this award during the student reception. If you want to check out the pictures of this event, and many others from the social activities that we had, check out the Photo Gallery on the web site.
Employment Opportunities
A big opportunity at the conference is to have an interview with a company that’s hiring. Look at this list: Apple Computer, Symantec, Microsoft, Harley Davidson, Lockheed Martin – all of them were interviewing people for open positions. Here’s how it works. They post a description of the position on a board, and you leave your resume (be prepared with multiple copies of your resume to distribute). Then they make an appointment with you during the conference and interview you. Sometimes it is in a room, and sometimes it’s during lunch or over breakfast. Is that not great? You can have five or six interviews in only two days, and with companies from all over the country.
Student Volunteers
If you’re a student on a budget, you can volunteer to help with one session, or to conduct a tour, and your conference fee will be partially reimbursed. This is highly recommended, not because of the savings, but because it allows you to interact with more people, and is a lot of fun! Remember this option next time. I encourage you to do it.
Next Year: San Francisco
The HFES Annual Meeting next year is October 16-20 in San Francisco. This is the 50th anniversary of the event, and it’s right here in the Bay Area! The SJSU HFES Student Chapter, and all the students in the program, should be actively involved with this conference.
There are many things you can do. First, the annual meeting is a great place to present your research papers and posters. Second, the SJSU HFES Student Chapter will be helping to plan and coordinate conference activities. Stay tuned, as you will definitely be hearing from us, and asking for your help!
January 8th, 2007
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Support for students working on a thesis as their culminating experience
by Jamie Kravitz
After hearing so many tales of students spending four, five, or even seven years to complete their thesis, and being determined to finish my schooling in two years, I thought that perhaps it would be a good idea to create some structure around the otherwise free-form thesis-writing process. Students taking the project option now have a weekly class. Might not students taking the thesis option benefit from something similar?
Thus was born the idea of the “Thesis Salon,” a regular group meeting for students actively working on their thesis. The idea was to have a time when we can support each other in the process, so it’s not such a solitary endeavor. While working with our advisors is the primary guidance we receive, the Salon allows us to bounce ideas around, get feedback on writing, share tips, kvetch and commiserate with each other, and have some food and drink at the same time.
So far this semester we’ve been meeting every two weeks. Most of us are in the first phase of the process: developing our proposal (the introduction and methods section). Jim Beno is refining his idea about mental models and interfaces. Jamie Kravitz is focusing on computer interfaces of the future and how work tasks can shape them. Jose-Luis Garcia-Chico is developing an angle on working with an aerospace error data project he’s been working on at the HAIL lab. And Joey Elyacy, a little further along in the process, is looking at how search engine facilities like boolean operators and search terms may yield more relevant results. (Mayuko Ueda jokingly called the Salon the “J”-club, because all our names begin with J).
The Thesis Salon has a Yahoo! group that we use for communication, but also as a place to trade files, and post links and resources. We are open to all students involved in the thesis process, even if you’re further along than we are (in fact, we’d welcome input from those with more experience). If you’re interested in stopping by, but haven’t yet decided whether you’re doing thesis or project, let us know.
With decreasing opportunities for students to do a thesis at SJSU, the Thesis Salon is an attempt to make sure that those of us on that path have support to make steady progress and bring the thesis to a successful conclusion.
Interested in Thesis Salon? Contact Jamie Kravitz (wehojk-hfe@yahoo.com) for the next meeting date, time and location.
January 8th, 2007
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by Mayuko Ueda
The culminating experience part of the Human Factors/Ergonomics program offers students two options: the project option, and the thesis option. The project option is now the default option for students, and takes the form of regular classes that students enroll in.
The project option was instituted last semester (Spring 2005) as an alternative to the thesis option. The new project option aims to guide students throughout the semester by providing assignments such as determining project topic, identifying user and system needs, and conducting task and risk analysis.
In their first semester, students compile their assignments so that they have their project plan ready for the next semester. As part of the class requirements, students obtain the Microsoft Project software to plan out the overall process of the project in terms of the timeline.
The coursework is not overwhelming. The experienced advice and support of the faculty (Dr. Kevin Corker and Dr. Ilana Westerman) has been very beneficial to the students, and kept them on schedule. The class consists of lectures on topics such as how to conduct field ethnographies, perform a task analysis, recruit participants, and employ other human factors-related methods.
Student project topics include kiosks at hotels and travel destinations, speech recognition, and error analysis on shift changes between nurses.
One major drawback with the project class this semester is that you have students at different stages of their project. The project levels range from students finishing their projects this semester, to those who are beginning to think about topics they want to do.
There is some pressure to come up with a topic as soon as possible. Students are expected to have a topic in mind before they even enroll in the class. Students do not have the luxury to spend considerable time researching to see what topics interest them, especially if they have other commitments.
Overall, there are certain things that students like and dislike. Things they like include the overall organization of the class, plus the two advisors (Dr. Corker and Dr. Westerman). Things they don’t like include finding the time needed to work on their projects on a regular basis, because the class moves at a very fast pace.
January 8th, 2007
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October is National Ergonomics Month
by Jim Beno
National Ergonomics Month Activities
October is National Ergonomics Month! In recognition of this, the student chapter has a number of activities in motion.
First, don’t miss the Ergonomic Showroom Tour on November 4, where you can learn about and play with a number of cool ergonomic devices. If you haven’t signed up for this yet, please contact Cassy Rowe (cassy@cassyrowe.com) by November 1. We’ll provide lunch for student chapter members!
Second, we’re going to setup a Student Ergonomic Education Booth on campus in early November. It’s going to be interactive, and will inform students on how to best sit at a classroom desk, work on their computer, and carry a backpack. To pull this off, we need the help of all the student chapter members! Contact me at jim@jimbeno.net and let me know how you’ll get involved: best practices research, poster/flyer design and production, equipment and props acquisition, booth setup/teardown, booth duty and student education.
Outstanding Student Chapter of the Year
A number of SJSU students attended the HFES Annual Meeting in September. This year, our student chapter was recognized as outstanding chapter of the year! Both Kalmi Maheshwari, last year’s president, and myself, received the award on behalf of the chapter.
Committees: How to Get Involved
We were recognized for the momentum we’ve shown, and our potential. But to live up to these expectations will require the active involvement of all student chapter members. The events, membership, newsletter, and web site committees have big plans, but they need your help. If you’re not on a committee, please join one by contacting the current chairperson:
January 8th, 2007
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by Joey Elyacy
TUESDAY SOCIAL NIGHT
Tuesdays, 8:30 p.m.
Hotel DeAnza lounge
http://www.hoteldeanza.com/
Tuesday night means strong drinks at Hotel DeAnza! Students generally head over to the hotel lounge around 8:30 p.m. after ISE 217. Please join us to talk shop, complain about end-of-semester projects, or just hang out for fun! Call Jamie Kravitz at 323-646-8579 to confirm before heading over.
BAYCHI MEETING
Tuesday, May 10, 7:00 - 9:30 p.m.
PARC Auditorium, Palo Alto, CA
http://www.baychi.org/program/
During this meeting, Scott Berkun, a project management and product design consultant, will speak on “What To Do When Things Go Wrong: Saving Design Train Wrecks.” We’ve all been on projects where bad things happen, or where decisions are made, despite our protests, that we know will lead to disaster. But what can be done? How can teams recover from big mistakes? This talk looks at the organizational, political, and process failures that lead to design disasters, and focuses on ways to both avoid and recover from tough project challenges. The speaker encourages you to bring your own stories of tough projects, and to share your experiences in trying to save them, or in running for cover.
UPA 2005
June 27 - July 1
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
http://www.upassoc.org/conferences_and_events/upa_conference/2005/
The 2005 International UPA Conference will take place June 27 - July 1, 2005 at The Fairmont Queen Elizabeth hotel in downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The theme for this year’s annual conference is “Bridging Cultures.” Come together to celebrate usability in the research, design, and testing of hardware, software, documents, and commercial products. It is about understanding your own values and how values differ in other cultures or even just in other people within your culture. Once you are able to honor and recognize your differences, you can begin to act upon the similarities and embrace the diversity that multi-cultural companies, teams and projects provide. Build a cultural bridge for your team by recognizing the strength that diversity provides.
HCI INTERNATIONAL 2005
July 22 - 27
Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada
http://www.hci-international.org/
HCI International 2005, and its affiliated conferences, provides an international forum for the dissemination and exchange of scientific information on theoretical, generic, and applied areas of HCI, usability, internationalization, virtual reality, universal access, and cognitive ergonomics. There will be six modes of communication: plenary presentation, parallel sessions, demonstration and poster sessions, tutorials, exhibitions and meetings of special interest groups. The six-day conference will start with three days of tutorials. The tutorials will begin on Friday, 22 July 2005. A total of 26 tutorials will be offered (both half-day and full-day) at introductory, intermediate, and advanced levels covering the entire spectrum of the 9 tracks and 7 conferences.
January 8th, 2007
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Intelligent User Interfaces Conference
San Diego, January 2005
by Jamie Kravitz
I learned a new phrase in San Diego: “embodied conversational agents”, or “ECAs.” According to the MIT press, “embodied conversational agents are computer-generated, cartoon-like characters that demonstrate many of the same properties as humans in face-to-face conversation, including the ability to produce and respond to verbal and nonverbal communication.”
Many of the lectures and demonstrations at the conference featured these artificially intelligent devices that interacted with humans in a multimodal fashion. These lectures included a talk by Justine Cassell, creator of REA, an artificial real-estate agent who is apparently the biggest star in the world of ECAs. There were less sexy ones, too, like a fancy-pants thermostat, and the “intelligent” bathroom mirror that let you shave and program the lights over the toilet at the same time (I kid you not!).
To tell the truth, I was in a little over my head. The focus of the conference was pretty heavily into artificial intelligence (AI), and many of the attendees were hardcore computer/AI types. However, there were several panels specifically focusing on usability and other issues that relate to interaction design.
It was good exposure to the whole issue of multimodal input, as many of the programs, objects and gadgets on display used natural language, gestural input, and various types of tactile input.
Some of the presentations and posters I found particularly interesting: using geometric pattern matching to recognize stylus input with an on-screen keyboard; embedding hidden messages in background music that could only be perceived by people who were sensitized to hear it; a program for generating walking directions in a confusing building; and the conference-honored “outstanding paper,” which used an intelligent algorithm for media allocation, determining whether text, graphics, or voice (or combo) would be most suitable for the request the user made.
On the usability front, Barry Smyth from University College Dublin talked about privacy and personalization. He noted that while personalization can increase the usability of products, there is a trade-off with regard to privacy. There was also a panel discussion entitled “The Usability Crisis in High-Tech Home Products,” which was intended to spur discussion of how intelligent user interfaces could help products with poor usability.
Interestingly, it was not clear to me that some of the “intelligent” solutions offered made the products any more usable. In some cases, like the intelligent bathroom mirror, they seemed to add a lot of functionality, but were no more user-friendly than the poorly designed products they were supposed to replace.
The conference was small, with only one track, so there was ample opportunity to meet with others in the field and connect with the presenters. While a little esoteric, there was plenty of interesting information for HCI-oriented human factors people, and interesting glimpses of cutting-edge research in the artificial intelligence community.
January 8th, 2007
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HF/E Questions and Answers
by Joey Elyacy
ENGLISH WRITING REQUIREMENT
Question: “How can I meet the English writing proficiency requirement for the HF/E program?”
Answer: The English writing proficiency requirement can be met in three ways. According to Dr. Kevin Corker, these ways are:
1. Having taken or passed an upper-division undergraduate technical writing course, or a course in which 60 percent of its grade rested upon a writing assignment (to be evaluated by Graduate Studies for acceptability).
2. Having taken or passed an SJSU graduate technical writing course, such as 200 W or PSYC 220 (which satisfies the technical writing requirement). If you intend to take 200 W, the writing skill test (WST) has to be taken before you are eligible to enroll. If you score high enough, it may dismiss the requirement all together.
3. Publishing in a peer-reviewed journal, in which you are the sole author. Also, having written a book or a chapter in a technical field.
For those who need to add a class to meet this requirement, this is a very good reason to take PSYC 220. The course not only teaches you how to write a technical paper, but provides a great way to learn the different types of experimental designs.
For further clarification on the above methods, please contact Dr. Corker. You may also refer to the “Competency in Written English” chapter of the Graduate Student Handbook:
http://www2.sjsu.edu/gradstudies/forms/5competency.pdf
INTERNSHIP CREDITS
Question: “How can I substitute internships for class credits?”
Answer: Internships cannot take the place of an elective course in the HF/E program. Students may request permission to enroll in a one- to three-credit ISE 298 for an internship. If approved, this credit is considered appropriate for the student’s program, but not for the 30-credit degree requirement.
Dr. Corker points out that it is worthwile for each student to seek out internships to complement their graduate program. However, the policy on credits that count toward the degree is unchanged.
TOTALLY RANDOM
Question: “How many usability engineers does it take to change a light bulb?” (Vajira N., San Jose, CA)
Answer: Well, this question is a break from the more serious tone of the previous ones. What do you think? The answer is none. They get the users to do it.
HAVE A QUESTION?
If you have any questions regarding Human Factors/Ergonomics, student interests, or even just a light-hearted query, please e-mail your questions to jelyacy2002@yahoo.com. If your question is picked, it will appear in the next issue of the newsletter.
January 8th, 2007
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