Effect of linearity regulation on ergonomic education sustainability
In Udayana University, Denpasar Bali
I Putu Gede Adiatmika
Center for Ergonomics Studies, Udayana University, Denpasar, Bali, INDONESIA
Ergonomics is still need effort to disseminate among the education management and among the lectures who must continue their study. Understanding of ergonomics as a multidiscipline education was still low and finally affect to the lecturer as candidate who want to study in ergonomics. The problem was come from the home base of program study in the university and the affiliation of the lectures, and the topics of research as a final research to complete the study. This problem occurs from the linearity regulation and understanding of management about this linearity. The problem was occurred in Udayana University as one of the center of ergonomic program in Indonesia. Identification was done to find the source of misunderstanding from many stakeholders and the effect of lack of ergonomic understanding on the program sustainability. Data was collected by interview on some informants, data collection from the program. All data was analyzed descriptively. Result showed that understanding of ergonomics is low. The source of misunderstanding was come from misinterpretation of linearity among management and lectures. Interpretation was different base on their perspective because lack of information. Different interpretation from assessor who assessed the administration of lectures who want to get promotion for higher level is found. The effect on program studies either magister or doctoral program was the decreasing of students in enrollment process and less student to follow the program. The student of magister program was decreased from 12 student on academic year 2010/2011, and became 4, 3, 2, 3 student for academic year 2014/2015. This situation was happen both on master and doctoral program. The situation was is still continue until now, even the linearity regulation has already changed and treats to the sustainability of the ergonomics program in Udayana University. It was concluded that lack of ergonomics understanding could affect to ergonomics development in Udayana University. The effect was on promotion process of the graduated program and the students who follow the program was decreased. The regulation has changed and needed hard effort to disseminate ergonomics program and can be followed from all major of lectures and can be used in promotion process.
Keywords: linearity, ergonomics understanding, promotion process, program sustainability
1. Background
Job promotion for the lecturer is one aspects of lecturer achievement during their career. One of the effort to achieve the promotion is the lecturer must continue their study from bachelor to master program and finally doctor program. Linearity of their study from bachelor to doctor was a big issue for job promotion and can affect to the plan to choose their program.
Ergonomics is one master program in Udayana University who have student from many major and came from many universities. The sustainability of Ergonomics master program was depend on teaching learning process and availability of student who follow this program. Misunderstanding of ergonomics program was an important think that affect to the student that follow the program. Finally the student becomes decrease cause of that issue.
The effort is still needed to disseminate among the candidate, education management and lecturer who must continue their study. Understanding of ergonomics as a multidiscipline education was still low and finally affect to the lectures who want to study in ergonomics. The problem was come from the home base of program study in the university and the affiliation of the lectures, and the topics of research as a final research to complete the study. This problem occurs from the linearity regulation and understanding of management about this linearity. The problem was occurred in Ergonomics Master Program in Udayana University as one of the center of ergonomic program in Indonesia.
decreased of physical and psychological among others is fatigue of worker (Adiatmika, 2009). Ergonomic intervention is done based on recent situation on the site and need active participatory from the employee and employer or other stakeholders (Kogi, 2006; Manuaba, 2004; Vink, et.al. 2006). Every interaction of human to their work can be analyzed by ergonomist. On this occasion every work field need ergonomist to solve the ergonomic problem on each work field such as engineering, medical, agriculture, education, art, sport and others. That is the reason for the lecture from varies major need to study ergonomic in Ergonomics Master Program. But, linearity can make them doubtful to follow this program.
Linearity is an adjective form of linear and line. Linear mean in line to something (Oxford Dictionary, 2011). This means something having a similar between input and output. On the previous time, linearity can make the lecture confius who was studying in different program from their bachelor or master (Hamid, 2015). The linearity is important for the short-term, but it is needed an integrated perspective for the long-term (Muchdie, 2010). On the other perspective, Ergonomics Master Program is run based on Total Ergonomics Approach (Manuaba, 2004). This condition showed that linearity is not the goal of education process. In the change world that become more complex and competition, everyone should have to think and act integrated and holistic. One of the topics that can be used to solve the problem of human live is ergonomics (Manuaba, 2005).
Recently, trend to linearity has been done to something that is not necessary (Djaja, 2014). Sometime the problem could not be solved from one aspect only, because there are many aspects that must be considered. Ergonomics as multidiscipline science teach the student to think and act holistically, through systemc, holisticc, interdisciplinary and participatory approach (SHIP approach) and do ergonomic intervention using appropriate technology (AP). Combination of both method into applied of ergonomic intervention is called total ergonomic approach (Manuaba, 2004). By this approach, the student was encouraged to widen their horizon and always ask for active participation from the other stakeholders. On that way, ergonomics master program can be followed by any major who study of human and its work.
According to the misunderstanding about linearity, there are some effort has been done to explain and declare that ergonomics is multidiscipline and met to the need of many lecturer from any major including the change of regulation. But, interpretation and lack of information from personality still as the source of misunderstanding and affect to interest of candidate entering ergonomics master program.
2. Material and method
The study was done at Ergonomics Master Program in Udayana University at Denpasar Bali. The study was done since 2012. Identification was done to find the source. Identification was done to find out the source of misunderstanding from many stakeholders and the effect of lack of ergonomic understanding on the program sustainability. Data was collected by interview on some informants, data collection from the program. All data was analyzed and explained descriptively.
3. Result and Discussion
Ergonomics Master Program Udayana University (Ergonomics Master Program) was located in Denpasar City, Bali Indonesia. This program was established since 1997 and under authority of Medical Faculty Udayana University. The program is conducted by Postgraduate Program Udayana University. Ergonomics Master Program was the flagship program from Udayana due to many ergonomist was work in Udayana University and run this program including Prof. Drs. Adanyana Manuaba, FErgS.
Curriculum of Ergonomics Master Program was built based on industry demand that wan to minimize work related disease and work accident, increasing productivity and achieve quality of human life. By this condition, program curriculum was designed based on total ergonomic approach (TEA). TEA can be applied for the entire human at work, not only in industry, but for many aspect of human life such as sports, office, agriculture, economics, and for the entire human such as: woman, teenager and children.
During the process of leaching learning, the student was introduced to anatomy and physiology of human, human at work, ergonomic methodology, applied ergonomics at many works. The process was conducted through lecture, discussion, individual learning. The most important thing was the student is encouraged to follow ergonomics conference national or international as a speaker. This process was done to improve and enhance their competencies and have widened horizon.
Student of Ergonomics Master Program in Udayana University was come from many major, universities and provinces. Student bodies for each academic year were showed in Table 1.
Table 1. Distribution of student for last 6 years.
No Academic Year Number of students number of student was trend to decrease in last five years. So, total student was 24 bodies only for 5 years.
All students that were registered in Ergonomics Master Program for 5 years were come from many major as showed in Table 2.
Table 2. Distribution of student base on their bachelor's major.
No Bachelor's major of students Number of students
1 Medical doctor 4
Table 2 showed that all students were come from many majors such as health (medical, physical therapist, nurse, and public health), engineering (electric, industry, civil, polytechnic), art science, education. Variation of bachelor's major of the students showed that ergonomics is an integrated program. So, every major can entering this program, because ergonomics is analyze the human at work. Every major was study about human and their work, and ergonomics can be applied to them.
All students in Ergonomics Master Program were come from many islands in Indonesia as showed in Table 3. Most of them are come from Bali, while the other from Java, Lombok, and Celebes.
Table 3. Distribution of student base on their origin.
No Island Number of students value for the new student to entering this program, but this is still has no enough impact to the new student.
3.2. Linearity of Ergonomics Master Program from Student Perspective
Base on long discussion, interview and get more information from database of Ergonomics Master Program, there are several reason have identified and collected as showed in Table 4.
Table 4. Identification of any factors that related to linearity.
No Comment Percentage
1 Program was under Medical Faculty 10 2 Certificate will not approved for their career as a
lecturer
45
3 Candidate was not a medical doctor 10 4 Most of candidate from engineering 10 5 Ergonomics is one aspect of industrial engineering 3
6 Prospect of graduated to work 5
7 Term ergonomics still not well known 3 8 Graduated of ergonomics was not approved and
must to study another master program
5
9 Industry did not know ergonomics as major program 3 10 Information of ergonomic was minimal 6
Total 100
Table 4 showed that fear of their career as the most import reason from the candidate and graduated. This is supported by the data that some graduation must study again cause on non linear from. This reason came from candidate or graduated who have bachelor's major from engineering. That mean candidate from engineering will not approved for his career if they were study in Ergonomics Master Program.
The other reason was about location of program in Medical Faculty. They were fear that the curriculum is more of medical term that is adopted into their mind. This is related to the term of ergonomics that focus of human at work. Human and diseases was studied in Medical School, while human work will have risk to disease and accident. This is the reason why the program was studied by the medical doctor, nurse and others health program. And one reason was the lecturer who expert in ergonomic was came from Medical Faculty.
Base on that information, its showed that understanding of ergonomics is still low not only for the candidate, but misunderstanding was happen on some person who organize and work in the faculty or university and finally misunderstanding on the assessor who will assess the linearity and approve for job's career as a lecturer. Finally, their promotion will stop and must to study again according to the program that is linear to their job.
The source of misunderstanding was come from misinterpretation of linearity among management and lectures. Interpretation was different base on their perspective because lack of information. Different interpretation from assessor who assessed the administration of lectures who want to get promotion for higher level is found. This situation was happen on doctoral program, too. The situation was is still continue until now, even the linearity regulation has already changed.
Policy of linearity has changed by The Ministry of Education and Culture Indonesia through announcement from Directorate of High Education No. 696/E.E3/MI/2014 on 11 August 2014 and followed by another letter No. 887/E.E3/MI/2014 about linearity (Direktur Jenderal Pendidikan Tinggi, 2014a; 2014b). The letter said that linearity of lecture's discipline have meaning that the discipline lecturer must have contribution to the development of science and technology, and the achievement of learning outcomes of graduated. The statement was followed by another explanation that are:
1. Linearity of lecturer discipline have meaning that lecturer discipline that belong to the lecturer was different to knowledge tree but still in one area of knowledge can be used if can show linkages to development of program base on publication of scientific journal.
2. Different of education in bachelor, master and doctor can be used to be Professor based on international publication that was in one area to the last education.
bachelor, master and doctor (Direktur Jenderal Pendidikan Tinggi, 2014b). This is the more explanation to give the best service for job promotion and can give more widen horizon for the people about ergonomics.
3.3. Effect linearity to the lecturer
Linearity has an effect to the lecturer who have graduated and the candidate who want to enroll in ergonomics. The effect was not good, related to the process of job career of lecturer only, not for the student from industry. But most of them were come from university who must achieve the higher level of their lecturer's promotion.
Effect of linearity to the lecturer who has graduated from Ergonomics Master Program was about their certificate that was not approved. Some of them were resigning during study period, while the other who has graduated must study again in master program. This is cause of their certificate was not approved for their career. The source of this matter is different perception of linearity. This is not a good promotion for the program and can be one effect to the decrease of new student.
Effect linearity on candidate of Ergonomics Master Program was the fear of their study that will not approved by the authority. Finally they were afraid that their study was fail and wasting time and money for them. The source of this matter was from the candidate who wants the program was located in engineering faculty. The other source was the understanding of ergonomics that was linier to other program according to the regulation.
3.3. Effect linearity of sustainable ergonomics master program
Udayana University is one of universities that running ergonomics program on master program and doctor program. There many universities in Indonesia that conduct ergonomics program, but there were involved into different major such as mechanical engineering, technical engineering, health and safety program and others. Ergonomics master program in Udayana has specific curriculum that focus on total ergonomic approach during teaching learning process. This curriculum can be declared as flagship program from Udayana University.
Even as the flagship program, but the student who come to Udayana University was decreased. The last 5 years, the student was minimal according to standard of student bodies for one class (Figure 1). Standard student bodies for one class is 25, meanwhile the lectures was 20. The ratio lecture and student was 1 : 0.5 or less. This mean that the student to study Ergonomics master program have more time to meet the lecture and have more time to discuss their topics in learning process.
Figure 1. Trend number of student in 5 years
The real effect of linearity regulation is the number of student in enrollment process and accepted as a student of master program. On shown at Figure 1 and base on data from enrollment process, the student who accepted was same as the student who followed enrollment process. This situation showed that all students were met to the term and conditions of master program.
The next effect of this condition is the sustainable of ergonomics master program. The program can be closed due to lack of money to run this program. If calculated from economic analysis, the money from new student was not enough to run this program properly. The money was need for investment funds and funds for teaching learning process. The student's money just can be used for teaching learning process and no funds for investment. This condition can slow down the program and high risk to be closed.
According to sustainability of ergonomics master program, Udayana University through Postgraduate Program has regulation about cross money from other program and university. This regulation is applied due to flagship program on Udayana University. Ergonomics Master Program is the program that already known and has wide networking to many ergonomists and ergonomics association. The reason is that the lecture is came from Udayana University and payed by the goverment, so they did not payed as major work as a lecture. This regulation ergonomics master program can run normally and still continue to improve and find many ways to increase its student.
According to the new regulation of Directorate of High Education, linearity must be informed to the candidate and the authority. This is very important, because ergonomics is an integrated topic and can be used in all of human work (Manuaba, 2005). The other reason is the linkages of ergonomics to other program can be proofed base on their thesis. The linkages can be showed from the total ergonomics approach curriculum. The other linkages that related to their job promotion were from publication on journal that analyzes their program from ergonomics aspect. This is the most important to show the linearity of Ergonomics Master Program for the candidate from other program.
4. Conclusion and Suggestion
It was concluded that lack of ergonomics understanding could affect to ergonomics development in Udayana University. The effect was on promotion process of the graduated program. The other effect was the candidate who follows the program was decreased and risk to sustainability of the program. The regulation about linearity has change but still needed hard effort to disseminate ergonomics program and its linearity. The program can be followed by candidate from all major of lectures and can be used in promotion process.
Acknowledgements
I would like to thanks to all of respondent who have gave their information related to this manuscripts, specially to Chair of Master Ergonomics Program, Postgraduate Program, Udayana University
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