Lesson : Computer Ergonomics
Objectives: The students will be able to:
1. Use imperatives to produce a set of appropriate recommendations on the
health risks related to the use of technology in terms of threats to physical and
psychological well-being;
2. Watch a video for key information, distinguishing 8-10 fundamental ergonomic
rules for better work performance;
3. Design the most comfortable workstation for future IT activity, using the Simple
Future and Future Progressive tenses;
4. Evaluate computer workstation applying the learned ergonomic principles.
Materials required: blank papers, felt-tip-pens, post-it notes, Internet connection,
Interactive board, computer, flipchart paper, adhesive paper, video, worksheets
(Appendix 8, Appendix 9, Appendix 11), sets with domino cards (Appendix 10).
Number of hours: 2
Evocation
Activity 1.
• Work in pairs. Study the definitions (Appendix 8).
Find and underline target vocabulary words and use them to write your own
definitions of ergonomics. Record the words on a poster or on the board for a
whole-class display, or, ask students to generate a word cloud, using the website
https://wordart.com.
Realization of meaning
Activity 2.
Reciprocal Teaching Working in small groups, students read the text Computer
ergonomics (Esteras, 2007; p. 30) and complete the tasks according to their roles.
Allocate a role to each student:
– Summarizer
– List main ideas.
– Questioner
- Generate questions, related to the main ideas.
– Clarifier
- Answer the questions posed and clarify the meaning of any words or phrases
that are unclear. Search the internet for additional information.
Activity 3.
Matching elements Exercise 10.1 enumerates some tips for a user-friendly
workstation (ibidem; p. 31). Make students match the numbers in the picture to
the correct tips in the checklist.
Reflection
Activity 4.
Video watching • Invite students to watch the video: Ergonomic video on the
website https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcZMfSFzFwM Divide it into 3 parts.
Stop at each part and ask students to do the exercises on ergonomic advice
(Appendix 9). Watch Part 1. (0:00-0:28) •
Exercise 1. Matching elements Watch Part 2. (0:29-1:14) •
Exercise 2. Arranging elements Watch Part 3. (1:15-2:10) •
Exercise 3. Gap-fill sentences (avoid, adjust, place, raise, bend, make sure, put,
keep, add, place, and take).
Activity 5.
• Explain that students are going to play a game of dominoes where they
match sentence halves to make full sentences. Teach: shuffle, deal (cards).
• Divide students into groups of three or four. Give each group a set of
domino cards. Students shuffle the dominoes and then deal them out so that
everyone has an equal number. One student puts a domino down. The next
student tries to make a sentence by adding a domino before or after the first
domino. If they can't, the next student should try.
• The first student to put down all his/her dominoes is the winner. Check that
their answers are correct (use the order of cards on the original worksheet as
your answer key) (Appendix 10).
Extension
Activity 6.
• Insert a photograph that represents you using your computer at your
workstation. List areas of improvement based on the learned ergonomic
principles (Appendix 11).
Activity 7.
• Design an ICT classroom with 15 networked PCs, Internet access and
peripherals, taking into consideration all the necessary safety precautions
presented below: room conditions: space, desks, chairs, lighting devices and
windows; ergonomic devices; electrical safety: layout of cables and connectors,
hotspots for a wireless network; notice boards and posters with health and safety
recommendations. Use any familiar means/ways to represent your work (picture,
poster, diagram, tables, 3D image, etc.).
Present your product to the class.
