A review of the application of ergonomics in instructional design

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Ergonomics can help instructional designers to develop projects compatible with students' needs, capabilities, and limitations. OBJECTIVE: We intend to verify the application of ergonomics in instructional design methods, methodologies, techniques, and recommendations. METHODS: We searched journal articles in the following databases: Compendex, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Web of Science. Based on two inclusion criteria: (1) whether the article presents methods, methodologies, techniques, or recommendations for the instructional design; (2) whether the article addresses issues of ergonomics, we found 17 studies published from 1988 to 2013 in 16 journals. RESULTS:The main ergonomic concept addressed in the reviewed studies was usability, followed by accessibility, and user-centred design. Most articles suggest guidelines for embedding ergonomics in instructional design. CONCLUSIONS: We found that future research could explore topics, such as user experience, design thinking, service design, and organisational ergonomics to improve instructional design practice. The number of studies found in this review demonstrates that scientific research should explore the application of ergonomics in instructional design methods.

Ergonomics Applied to the Development and Evaluation of Insoles for Protective Footwear

“…Human factors and ergonomics (HF/E) are terms with worldwide acceptance that describe the study of human characteristics and abilities to improve human interaction with the physical, social, and organizational environment towards the improvement of the performance and well-being of the self [1,2]. Systems may include a work system, where the human is the worker and the environment is the work, or a product system, where the human is the user of the product, and the environment is the product to be used.…”