Effectiveness of Learning Transportation Network Growth Through Simulation

Wenling Chen and David Levinson

No 200601, Working Papers from University of Minnesota: Nexus Research Group

Abstract: Computer simulation plays an increasingly important role in engineering education as a tool for enhancing classroom learning. This research investigates the efficacy of using simulation in teaching the topic of transportation network growth through an experiment conducted at the Civil Engineering Department of the University of Minnesota. In the experiment, a network growth simulator program (SONG) was incorporated into a senior/graduate class in transportation system analysis. Results of the experiment show that the use of SONG effectively enhanced students' learning in terms of helping students develop in-depth understanding about the development process of network patterns, and helped them develop some aspects of judgment, problem-solving, and decision-making skills. However the use of SONG may have been more effective had some other barriers to learning been overcome.

Keywords: Simulation; Engineering Education; and Transportation Network Growth . (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A23 R40 R42 R48 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2006
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-geo and nep-net
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Published in ASCE Journal of Professional Issues in Engineering Education and Practice Vol. 132, No. 1, January 1, 2006.

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http://hdl.handle.net/11299/179945 First version, 2007 (application/pdf)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nex:wpaper:song

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