Courses

The human-machine systems curriculum will train you to work on teams with people with disabilities and with professionals from multiple disciplines.  The curriculum includes the five core courses described below.  The core curriculum prepares you for research on one of our IKTeams, immersion experiences, and participation in our community of convergence practice.  These courses count as credit towards the various degree programs that support the traineeship in human-machine systems. 

Human-Machine Systems Fundamentals A & B (3 credits each)

Human-Machine Systems Fundamentals A and Human-Machine Systems Fundamentals B are two courses that can be taken in any order.  These courses teach cross disciplinary teamwork, strategies for partnering with people with disabilities in research, and basic skills from each discipline (engineering, computer science, physical and occupational therapy, urban studies, exercise science, and psychology).  The course is run by multiple faculty in the program but students take the responsibility for actively teaching their peers the basics of their own disciplines. 

Human-Machine Systems Research Methods (3 credits)

Students learn about design, data collection, and analysis of both quantitative and qualitative studies.  Topics include statistical study design, sample size determination, hypothesis testing, post hoc analysis, and qualitative research methods.

Transdisciplinary Perspectives (1 credit)

This course, taught by Urban Studies faculty member Nick Zingale, inspires students to do research that transcends disciplines to solve
human-machine systems problems.  The course provides an introduction to transdisciplinary theory, perspectives, & processes and teaches tools & techniques for successful transdisciplinary research in human-centered technology. 

Disability, Empathy, and Technology (3 credits)

This course fosters a student's ability to build relationships with people with disabilities.  It teaches the specific empathy skills of encountering others with genuineness, perspective taking, affective sharing & responding, and switching between empathic & analytic modes of thinking.  The course features interactive sessions with professionals and members of the disability community.  Students practice their skills through multiple visits to the homes of people with disabilities.  The course is taught by engineering faculty member Eric Schearer.