A successful approach in the teaching of Usability: Occupational Safety and Hygiene

Usability is a key topic in Ergonomics, which is directly related with the effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction of human-system interactions. In the context of Industrial Engineering these features may have impacts not only on productivity but also on occupational safety, since errors can result in incidents and accidents. User-Centred Design is a framework that promotes a systematic application of scientific principles in the design of human-system interactions. Teaching Usability to students of Industrial Engineering and Management program applying a learn-by-doing approach helps reaching the objective of developing competencies, knowledge and attitudes in these future professionals, regarding this field of Ergonomics. The paper describes and gives some insights on the benefits of the teaching-learning methodology adopted on a course offered by the Faculdade de Ciencias e Tecnologia, analyses the results of the last four years and discusses some observed trends. Finally it presents some conclusions, noting some consequences of the introduction of this thematic in the Industrial Engineering and Management program.