Ergonomic Analysis of Work Activity and Training: Basic Paradigm, Evolutions and Challenges

Ergonomic Analysis on Work Activity and Training

“…Within this framework, "Activity" has been used as a central concept to understand work specificities. Hence, Daniellou and Rabardel [2] synthesized some major theoretical contributions defining Activity as being:…”

“…In our early series of conferences, our main research themes included methods and theoretical frameworks that could be applied to training design and assessment as well as the assessment of the ergonomist's interventions and the preventionist's and trade unions training. Each triennial symposium gave us the opportunity to select papers providing synthetic views on the subject that would eventually be published in a book [2,3] or in special issues [5][6][7][8]. Naturally, our understanding of the said themes and topics has evolved over the last 18 years [2], but the current interest for vocational training stems from the fact that in the work environment, formal and informal training still play a key role in the implementation and support of many technical and orga-nizational changes.…”

“…Each triennial symposium gave us the opportunity to select papers providing synthetic views on the subject that would eventually be published in a book [2,3] or in special issues [5][6][7][8]. Naturally, our understanding of the said themes and topics has evolved over the last 18 years [2], but the current interest for vocational training stems from the fact that in the work environment, formal and informal training still play a key role in the implementation and support of many technical and orga-nizational changes. While training programs are often designed to help operators adapt themselves, studies based on the ergonomic analysis of work have shown that operators may hope for another status allowing them to apprehend changes provided that the learning activity and work remain at the core of their training.…”

The entry of women in predominantly male professions: when training supports the search of alternative ways of organizing work time

“…In the scope of this perspective, the EAWT symposiums (see namely Lacomblez, Bellemare, Chatigny, Delgoulet, Re, Trudel & Vasconcelos [4]) continuously organized in the IEA Congresses showed that a training course does not gain from being prescriptive, since the theoretical and abstract nature of the skills considered at the time, rarely articulate with the reality in which the trainees later find themselves, and fulfill the intended meaning. A training course is, therefore, enriched: by articulation with the reality of a work activity which is known to the trainees; and by alternating moments of data collection related to concrete work situations and moments for reflection on such data.…”

From cognitive reliability to competence? An evolving approach to human factors and safety

“…In this research tradition, experienced workers are described as constantly assessing upcoming situations and anticipating possible future actions (de Montmollin 1984) both in low technological tasks, e.g. like that of partystructures installers or of traffic agents (Lacomblez et al 2007), and in highly automated context, e.g. air traffic control (de Terssac 1992).…”