An illustration from Levinson's TEL grant proposal showing "the evolution of an undifferentiated network (left) to a hierarchical one (right) using simple travel demand and network investment rules (link width and color indicate link speed)"

Students will be able to adjust network parameters by filling out Web forms (such as the portion of one shown here), then see how network models such as those above are affected (view enlargements); a prototype Network Dynamics Model (Java) is available on Levinson's home page

 

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Stimulating the Interaction of the Growth of Networks and Land Use Case Study

David Levinson, an assistant professor in the Department of Civil Engineering on the Twin Cities campus, is developing Web-based travel demand and network forecasting simulation software for civil engineering and urban and regional planning students. The students will use the software to test hypotheses about the effects of behavioral, land use, economic, and network decisions on traffic levels, future network investment, and land use.

Instructional Goals

Levinson hopes to use the simulation software to meet the following goals:

• help students relate theory to practice, which is often difficult for them to do because they can't go out and build a road or experiment with ramp meters;
• assess students' theoretical learning in practice; and
• help students learn by doing.

Technology Strategies

A research assistant is modifying software that was previously developed as a part of Levinson's research and creating a Web-based Java applet. Students will be able to access these via the Web, adjust parameters such as those listed below by filling out Web forms, and then see how network models are affected:

• speed and land use distribution;
• traveling costs; and
• revenue and investment variables.

Levinson will incorporate the use of the simulator into his courses as an assignment. He hopes to set up experiments with students, have them formulate their own hypotheses, and then have them test these hypotheses using the simulator.

Learning Outcomes

During fall semester 2003, students in CE 3201 used pilot versions of the simulator and answered survey questions to evaluate the interface and the learning effectiveness of the simulator. Based on the results, Levinson thinks they need to eliminate frustration with the tool by redesigning the interface and making feedback appear faster. In response to a statement that the simulator enhances learning, the students rated it 5.6 on a 0 to 9 scale, and the answers were normally distributed, so Levinson could draw no conclusive implications about the impact of the simulator on learning. However, he plans to conduct an additional experiment at the end of spring semester 2004 to capture the educational effects of the simulation. He will conduct pre- and post-assignment surveys, assign a control group a traditional case study and a testing group a simulation, then compare the survey and assignment results.

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dmc@umn.edu

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