Using Problem-Based Learning (PBL) in an Undergraduate Ergonomics Course

Ergonomics courses typically cover a range of topics related to the design and organization of workplaces to optimize human performance and well-being while minimizing injury risk and discomfort. This study introduces the PBL application steps to attract attention to the importance of noise not only in workplaces but also in daily life. The driving question is determined as “How can we assess and minimize the perceived daily noise exposure of people to sustain hearing health?”. Then, the students are asked to evaluate the PBL activities at the end of the term. Among the students who completed all activities, 60% strongly agreed, 32% agreed that PBL contributed to the understanding of the subject, and only 8% stated that PBL didn’t make a significant contribution when learning the topic of concern. The PBL framework developed for “noise” has the potential to be enhanced and adapted for other topics in this course.