William F. Moroney

A study of out-of-turn interaction in menu-based, IVR, voicemail systems

We present the first user study of out-of-turn interaction inmenu-based, interactive voice-response systems. Out-of-turn interaction is atechnique which empowers the user (unable to respond to the current prompt) totake the conversational initiative by supplying information that is currentlyunsolicited, but expected later in the dialog. The technique permits the userto circumvent any flows of navigation hardwired into the design and navigatethe menus in a manner which reflects their model of the task. We conducted alaboratory experiment to measure the effect of the use of out-of-turninteraction on user performance and preference in a menu-based, voice interfaceto voicemail. Specifically, we compared two interfaces with the exact samehierarchical menu design: one with the capability of accepting out-of-turnutterances and one without this feature. The results indicate that out-of-turninteraction significantly reduces task completion time, improves usability, andis preferred to the baseline. This research studies an unexplored dimension ofthe design space for automated telephone services, namely the nature ofuser-addressable input (utterance) supplied (in-turn vs. out-of-turn), incontrast to more traditional dimensions such as input modality (touch-tone vs.text vs. voice) and style of interaction (menu-based vs. natural language).

Educational and Skill Needs of New Human Factors/Ergonomics Professionals

The Human Factors and Ergonomics Society’s Education and Training Committee and the Early Career Committee identified the need to evaluate the effectiveness of graduate education in the field of human factors/ergonomics and identify areas requiring improvement. Consequently, a survey was constructed for this purpose. Fifty-two new professionals responded to the survey. While most of these individuals come from the traditional fields of psychology and engineering, many represented multiple disciplines including architecture, safety, IT, and kinesiology. New professionals made heavy use of online non-refereed sources as well as professional websites. While no particular topic in their college experience was deemed superfluous, they indicated a need for design experiences, exposure to the processes used in the “hard “ engineering disciplines, how to communicate as a member of an interdisciplinary team. The most common academic areas that the respondents wished had been addressed in greater depth during their educational experience were research methods and statistics, application of knowledge learned, and various aspects of design. The survey also validated the Ergonomist Formation Model of the Board of Certification in Professional Ergonomics (BCPE).

Teaching Undergraduate Human Factors: The Need, Activities, and Benefits

In this article, we outline the need for and role of undergraduate human factors education, describe several activities for teaching human factors, and identify the benefits associated with offering the course. The results of a survey of psychology undergraduates (N = 111) revealed that they were unfamiliar with, yet interested in, human factors issues. A human factors course can inform students about the profession, meet their interests, and provide a variety of useful skills. We present 6 successful hands-on activities for teaching about human factors. Students reported that they enjoyed these activities and gained a greater understanding of the principles. Students also noted that the course increased their knowledge about the profession and provided new perspectives for examining systems and applying the principles.

Employers’ Expectations for Education and Skills of New Human Factors/Ergonomics Professionals

This paper reports the results from a survey administered to individuals in several companies whose responsibilities included either hiring or supervision of new human factors/ergonomics professionals. The survey asked about the knowledge and skills expected from new professionals entering the workplace. It was based on the survey previously administered to new professionals about their experiences in their first human factors jobs. The results both replicate and complement the findings of the previous survey. Many critical skills, such as communication skills, are not specific to the discipline. However, in over half of the Ergonomist Formation Model subdomains the respondents rated new professionals’ preparedness as only adequate. The open-ended questions allowed for a review of specific challenges and the responses echoed those of the new professionals’ responses last year. Application of the knowledge gained in college to practical design tasks was reported lacking in the new professionals’ skill set. Skills to effectively interact in multi-disciplinary and cross-functional teams were found wanting in both surveys. Results from both surveys offer a useful and cross-validated review of the current demands new professionals are facing, and a mandate to educators to develop human factors curricula in response to them.

Effects of cover letter subject line and open-ended question response area on responding to an internet survey

To ensure the validity of the data and conclusions derived from internet questionnaires, researchers must understand the implications different questionnaire design decisions have for their data. This paper describes an internet-based survey in which the text of the email cover-letter subject line and the size of response area provided for open-ended question responses were manipulated. This study showed that the offer of a food incentive in the subject line yielded fewer responses. Meanwhile, a larger (six line) text box yielded significantly more words than a smaller (one line) text box, but the larger text box did not yield any increase in the number of topics addressed in the open-ended response data. Finally, open-ended questions soliciting negative comments yielded significantly more words than did questions seeking positive comments.

Archival Human Factors Jobs Database as a Tool for Tracking Trends in Skills and Knowledge Expectations in the Labor Market

To educate the future human factors/ergonomics workforce and meet the demand for new professionals in the field, academic institutions must pay close attention to the ever-changing skills and knowledge expectations in the labor market. These trends are not easy to track, however. Surveys of new professionals about their experiences in their first jobs or surveys of employers about their experiences with new hires suffer from low response rates, nonresponse bias, and the one-time nature of survey research. A better way to track labor market trends is to continually analyze human factors job postings for education and experience requirements specified in them. This paper describes development of a database for that purpose. We also discuss ways of analyzing unstructured text data in the database. The results of analyses of these data include summary statistics of frequencies and their correlations, clusters of similar jobs, and a continually updated mathematical model to classify jobs in the database. These results will be subjected to longitudinal analyses when the database contains sufficient data.

Student Perceptions of their Educational and Skill Needs in the Workplace

The Human Factors and Ergonomics Society’s Education and Training Committee and the Early Career Committee identified the need to evaluate the effectiveness of graduate education in the field of human factors/ergonomics and identify areas requiring improvement. Consequently, a survey to determine the expectations of current students was developed. Fifty-eight students, from a variety of colleges and universities, completed the survey. The findings of this survey were contrasted with finding of an earlier survey, which focused on new professionals (individuals with less than five years experience in the field). Considerable overlap between the groups was noted. Of particular interest was the reliance of both groups on material obtained through the Internet and through social networks. Both groups indicated a need for applied research methods and statistics, application of knowledge learned, and various aspects of design. The ability to write specifications and requirements documents for a wider business audience was also recognized. Both students and new professionals emphasized the need for properly supervised internships, which focus on developing their skills in human factors/ergonomics and provide them with opportunities to work as team members and improve their interdisciplinary communication skills.

Developing Criteria for Recognizing Excellence in Undergraduate Human Factors Education

The purpose of this panel is report on the work of the Undergraduate Program Recognition Committee and to encourage discussion among attendees on the proposed criteria developed by the committee. The paper and the panel discussion will provide an overview of the graduate program accreditation process, report on the work of the Special Task Force on Undergraduate Program, and propose criteria that can be used to recognize the various types of human factors programs that currently exist.

Placement Opportunities for Human Factors Engineering and Ergonomics Professionals In Industry, Government/Military and Consulting Positions

During the period from November 1997 through September 1998, the Placement Service of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society distributed announcements describing 249 new positions available for human factors engineers and ergonomics professionals. This paper describes placement opportunities for HFE and ergonomics professionals in industry, government /military and consulting positions (N=205). The attributes of the position descriptions examined include: degree requirements, industrial sector, areas of expertise, required work experience, salary, geographic location, job description and skills required. Sixty percent of the positions describe the masters degree as the minimum requirement. The area of expertise most frequently requested (67.8%) was HCI, with test and evaluation (specifically usability testing) being specified for 48.3% of the positions. Consulting, computer software, computer hardware and aviation/aerospace were the four leading industries offering positions. The geographical areas with the most jobs were the California and the Northeast. The most frequently cited (27%) primary area of responsibility was software design.

Undergraduate Human Factors Education: Could it be Utilized and Marketed Better?

This panel session addresses the concern that undergraduate education in human factors has not been utilized or marketed effectively. Specifically, the panelists propose that an undergraduate course or program is a means by which to inform people about the human factors area, to prepare undergraduate students for employment with a bachelors degree, and to enhance the working students skills needed in the workplace. Additionally, the use of undergraduate education as a proactive means to introduce and attract individuals to the field of human factors is presented.