Sub-plan makes life user-friendly

Something as simple as putting a logo in the right corner rather than the left corner or determining the size of the cursor on a screen can make or break the success of a company’s Web site. University of Houston-Clear Lake’s applied cognitive psychology program teaches future usability or ergonomics professionals how to make their employers’ technology more user-friendly — and sometimes even safer.

“How items should be designed to make them more effective is the focus of study in this sub-plan,” says Camille Peres, assistant professor of psychology and coordinator of the applied cognitive psychology sub-plan. “For instance, a graduate of this program may look at how computers or other electronic programs or devices can be designed to better incorporate the user’s needs and abilities. This is called the user centered design process.”

In only its second year at the university, the sub-plan provides an option for those pursuing a Master of Arts in General Psychology and trains students how to apply user-centered design, to improve the usability and effectiveness of technology. The program crosses all industries including space-related business such as NASA, aerospace contractors, and the petro-chemical industry.

“Our program is essentially a human computer interaction program,” explains Peres. “Some of the research being conducted in UHCL’s program is looking at such things as the ergonomic impact of software design and how the amount of clicking someone does with a software program could lead to carpal tunnel syndrome. Students will also get experience with more practical problems like the usability of a Web site, which can include the links attached to a Web site, the type size, and the color contrast.”

If they like, students may also have the opportunity to work on the interface between humans and other technology such as how alarms should be designed so people will be able to respond to the alarms quickly and accurately.

Peres, who coordinates the applied cognitive psychology sub-plan and, along with Assistant Professor of Industrial Hygiene and Safety Magdy Akladios from the School of Science and Computer Engineering, the human factors/ergonomics certificate, believes that the future is bright for graduates of the program. These graduates will go on to get positions as usability engineers or any of the other titles associated with ergonomics and the user-center design field. A faculty member at UH-Clear Lake since 2005, Peres notes that the addition of this sub-plan fills a critical niche for many companies who use interactive Web sites for their products and services.

“We believe that this sub-plan will become more and more popular among graduate students, and students completing the program will find that many business and companies who rely on technology for their business will seek them for critical roles within their companies,” adds Peres.

For more information about the sub-plan and the human factors/ergonomics certificate, visit http://www.uhcl.edu/appliedcognitive, e-mail Peres, peressc@uhcl.edu, or call at 281-283-3412.

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