Annual Meeting

HFES 2010:
The Latest Research, Great Networking Opportunities, and More!

Register today and book a hotel room for the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society's 54th Annual Meeting, to be held September 27-October 1 at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco, Embarcadero Center. The technical program includes research, application, and theoretical work on a wide range of HF/E topics covering all technical and research areas represented by the Society's 23 Technical Groups.

Practice-Oriented Presentations

     In addition to the many presentations on research and theory, more than 100 focus on the practice of HF/E. Here are just a few of those papers and their abbreviated abstracts:

• The Current Bottleneck for Computer-Based Culture Training - Who Cares About Etiquette?

  Peggy Wu and Christopher Miller
  Wednesday, September 29, 2010, 1:30 to 3:00 p.m.

  Current computerized training systems for students who must prepare for cross-cultural interactions place emphasis on language training, which is only part of the equation in effective communication. Knowledge about culturally dependent social norms directly influences the interaction outcome. A dynamic, customizable, computationally tractable model for the code of conduct, or etiquette, can alert us of the specific communication protocols of groups of interest, and can prevent overgeneralizations that can be detrimental to the end goal. The authors have adapted a sociolinguistic model of human-human interaction for use in language and culture training.

• Visualizing Innovative Uses of Technology and Devices for Engaging College Students in Active Learning

  Carolyn Sommerich, Richard Sesek, Nancy Stone, Sharon Joines, Tonya Smith-Jackson and Eric Wiebe
  Thursday, September 30, 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon

  Subject matter experts often do not formally acquire expertise in teaching methods. This panel session is designed to provide current and aspiring instructors with tools to enhance their pedagogic skills. Several new ideas and examples will be presented for using technology and devices to appeal to the visual learner in every student.

• Tele-Ergonomics: A Novel Approach to Computer Workstation Ergonomic Assessment and Modification

  Nancy A. Baker and Karen Jacobs
  Thursday, September 30, 1:30 to 3:00 p.m.

  This paper describes the process of developing the Telerehabilitation Computer Ergonomics System (tele-CES). This program will allow ergonomically trained health professionals to remotely assess the computer workstation, which will eliminate several barriers to access that computer operators experience, and, based on the assessment, generate explicit participant-specific workstation modification recommendations. The tele-CES will be developed as a collaboration between ergonomically trained health professionals in multiple locations in the United States, telerehabilitation experts, and consumers.

• Chronic Disease Management: Improving Continuity of Care With Human Factors Engineering

  Laura Lin Gosbee
  Thursday, September 30, 1:30 to 3:00 p.m.

  The management of chronic disease by patients in the home care setting can involve a varied and complex set of tasks. The author uses food allergy, a chronic and potentially life-threatening condition, as a case study to explore the role that human factors engineering can play in improving patient continuity of care.

• Training Requirements of a Video Game-Based Cognitive Intervention for Older Adults: Lessons Learned

  Laura A. Whitlock, Anne Collins McLaughlin, and Jason C. Allaire
  Friday, October 1, 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon

  To examine the potential benefits of a complex online video game as a cognitive intervention for older adults, the authors developed a training and support program whose goal was to equip participants to handle the challenges of the game while maximizing their mental effort - an unusual aim. The training program was multimodal and encompassed both in-person and remote methods.

View the complete online technical program to see the full range of HF/E work to be presented at the meeting.

Early Morning Madness

     Don't miss the Early Morning Madness sessions to see 25-second previews of full talks, providing an overview of the day's presentations to help you decide which ones to attend. Madness sessions take place on Tuesday from 7:00 to 7:45 a.m., and Wednesday through Friday from 7:15 to 8:00 a.m. If you are an author and wish to participate in the Madness sessions, click here.

Sign Up for Workshops

     In addition to the technical program, the 2010 Annual Meeting features 13 half- and full-day hands-on workshops on HF/E topics:

• A "Whys" Approach to Back Injury Prevention
• The Impact of Culture on User Experience
• Macrocognition Metrics and Scenarios: Design and Evaluation for Real-World Teams
• Communications Analysis for Assessing Collaboration
• Cognitive Crash Dummies: Predictive Human Performance Modeling for Interactive System Design
• Human-Centered Systems Engineering: How to Design, Develop, and Validate Human-Centered Products, Processes, and Services
• Human Performance Modeling and Simulation
• Sitting in the Hot Seat: How To Be an Effective Human Factors/Ergonomics Expert Witness
• Workshop on Falls: Walkway and Stairway Evaluations
• Questionnaire Design
• Online Usability Testing: Moving Beyond the Lab
• Task Structure Modeling and Flow Analysis: From Verbal Data to Practical Implications
• Design Creation and Development: Design Chautauqua 2010

All workshops take place on Monday, September 27, and space is limited. See the Registration Information brochure for details, or go directly to online registration.

Usability and HCI Day

     The Computer Systems Technical Group has partnered with the Internet Technical Group and the 2010 Host Committee to bring you a full day of events devoted to usability and human-computer interaction. On Wednesday, September 29, don't miss these sessions:

• Head to Head: Remote Usability Testing Takes On Live Usability Testing in the HFES Ultimate Fight Challenge
• Harvesting Innovation in the Industry: Prescriptions for Breakthrough Products
• Blasphemy or Pragmatics? When NOT To follow User-Centered Design Techniques

Enjoy Social Events and Network With Top Professionals

     The Gala Opening Reception on Monday, September 27, offers an opportunity to join friends and colleagues to enjoy beverages and delicious food. If this is your first time at an HFES Annual Meeting, be sure to attend the First Timers' and Fellows Reception immediately preceding the Gala Opening Reception. Take advantage of the opportunity to meet some of the field's leading professionals in an informal setting.

     Registered attendees and guests are invited to attend the Opening Plenary Session on Tuesday, September 28, 8:00-10:00 a.m., featuring the keynote address by retired Captain Chesley B. ("Sully") Sullenberger, the US Airways pilot who masterfully landed Flight 1549 on the Hudson River on January 15, 2009. Admittance is by ticket, which is included in your registration bag or available through purchase via the online registration page or on site at the Registration Counter.

Events and Activities Designed for Students

     Monday, September 27, features a full-day program for students. During Student Career and Professional Development Day, recent graduates and successful professionals from high-profile companies will offer insights and guidance on career development. The sessions are designed to be very interactive - questions and discussion are encouraged!

     There's also a Student Reception, to be held on Tuesday, September 28, from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m., and throughout the week the Student Lounge offers a relaxed atmosphere for networking and social interaction. Click here for more information about the Student Lounge.

On-Site Career Center and Exhibits

     Throughout the week, the on-site Career Center provides opportunities for employers to post job openings and review résumés, and for job seekers to post résumés and search for jobs. Check the Career Center Web page for details. And be sure to visit the exhibits, which include books, journals, software tools, workplace aids, and more.

Some Technical Tours Still Available

     A range of technical tours offers the opportunity for attendees to visit local facilities and see firsthand how HF/E practices and programs are being implemented in these settings. Although the Google and IDEO tours are already sold out, you can still book a seat for Autodesk, NASA Ames Research Center, and the Walt Disney Family Museum. See the Registration Information brochure for details or go directly to online registration.

Follow the Annual Meeting on Facebook and Twitter

     You can read updates and share your experiences at the meeting through Twitter and Facebook. Follow the meeting on Twitter and feel free to tweet using the hashtag "#hfes2010." A Facebook page has also been created - "HFES 2010" - and is linked to the Twitter account. Become a fan of HFES 2010 to stay informed, ask questions, or share your experiences.

Register Today!

     Register by August 16 to take advantage of early registration discounts of up to $100 (discounts not applicable for workshop-only or student registrations). Secure online registration is available and will remain open until the last day of the meeting. Mail and fax registrations will be accepted through 5:00 p.m. Pacific time on September 10.

Back to the Table of Contents for the August 2010 HFES Bulletin

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