Theor. Appl. Ergon., Volume 1, Issue 1 (September 2025) – 3 articles

Gamification, defined as the application of game-like elements in non-game contexts to enhance motivation and engagement, has emerged as a promising strategy in physical education, enhancing student motivation, engagement, and physical activity through the integration of game-like elements into educational practices. However, the design and implementation of these platforms often overlook crucial ergonomic principles, which could have affected both the learning experience and the physical and cognitive well-being of users. This literature review aimed to examine the application of ergonomic principles in gamified physical education platforms, assess their impact on motivation and learning outcomes, and offer recommendations for improving future designs. Following a comprehensive literature search, eight peer-reviewed articles published between 2013 and 2024 were reviewed. The findings emphasized the importance of accessibility, cognitive load management, and visual design in creating effective gamified learning environments. Although the potential of gamification in physical education was evident, several gaps, including the lack of longitudinal studies and limited attention to diverse and disadvantaged contexts, needed to be addressed to create more inclusive, safe, and effective platforms. This review identified key gaps in ergonomic design within gamified PE platforms and highlighted the need for future research to standardize ergonomic frameworks and expand inclusivity in educational game-based environments. Specific recommendations included integrating accessibility features, managing cognitive load, and designing user-centered platforms for diverse contexts. Full article

This study presents an analysis of flight crew communication during the crash of United Airlines Flight 232 at Sioux Gateway Airport in Iowa, USA. Conversation analysis (CA) techniques are used to identify five recurring phenomena in the crew communication and five critical interactions. These are combined to produce a description of the communication process during an unprecedented airline emergency. One of the findings is that communication was simplified and the pilots largely used plain language when speaking with air traffic control (ATC). This was an appropriate communication strategy for the context of the Flight 232 accident but would be problematic if applied to other situations. The analysis also identifies aspects of the crew’s performance that are relevant to contemporary crew resource management (CRM) programs: active participation in communication, updating the shared mental model, making problem solving a joint task, expanding the team boundary to accept an off-duty pilot, and managing the workload. Finally, the study highlights significant details of the Flight 232 accident that are often overlooked and may not generalize to other settings. Full article

It is with great pleasure and enthusiasm that I present you with the inaugural issue of Theoretical and Applied Ergonomics, a new journal designed to address ergonomics from a theoretical point of view, while highlighting innovative and technical aspects of the science [...] Full article