NSF Award
2315450
This project aims to serve the national interest by establishing a novel learning platform, Engaged Learning Environment for Emerging Transportation Technologies (ELET2), to deliver fundamental and up-to-date knowledge on emerging transportation technologies to undergraduate students. Under the Engaged Student Learning track, this Level 1 project will employ advanced simulation, visualization, and modeling techniques to develop the ELET2 platform that promotes vivid, engaging, and realistic learning experiences and critical thinking through integrated active and experiential learning processes. Once completed, ELET2 will be an online, virtual, interactive, open platform. It will be easily adoptable across a wide variety of relevant STEM fields and will also promote cross-institutional collaborations while enhancing financial equity, especially for students in minority-serving institutions. This project will act as an ambassador connecting undergraduate STEM education with the latest advances in transformational transportation technologies and preparing the next-generation workforce to navigate the current and future landscapes of the transportation industry.<br/><br/>The goal of this project is to improve undergraduate student learning of emerging transportation technologies using advanced simulation/visualization/modeling techniques. By leveraging cutting-edge modeling and simulation approaches, web/mobile-based interactive visualization, and gamification, the proposed ELET2 learning platform will provide an immersive learning environment to engage students. Focusing on two vital emerging transportation technologies, namely Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAVs) and Shared Mobility, the virtual and interactive ELET2 learning platform is empowered by four integrated teaching modules targeting essential aspects of shared mobility and CAV system and infrastructure, their related behavioral issues, and operations and safety impact. The effectiveness and impact of this project will be rigorously assessed through independent evaluations focusing on two fundamental aspects: a) Evaluation of Learning via case-control comparative studies, classroom observations, and focus group discussions and b) Evaluation of Motivation and Retention via student exit interviews and longitudinal surveys. Project results will be disseminated to the transportation engineering education community through open-source platforms, publications, and presentations at professional conferences and meetings. The NSF IUSE: EDU Program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. Through the Engaged Student Learning track, the program supports the creation, exploration, and implementation of promising practices and tools.<br/><br/>This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
