Transportation Modeling as a Didactic Tool

Abstract

Background. Interconnections of settlement, transportation, and society are extremely varied, complex, and context-specific. The Simulation Game HUMAN SETTLEMENT AND TRANSPORT (HST) aims to assist in the training and continuing education of transportation students and professionals with the transportation modeling software VISUM. Aim. The key research questions are as follows: Can transportation models be used as didactic tools to improve the teaching on causal chains between land use and transport? Why and how does transport modeling enhance students learning in transportation planning and settlement structure? What are the self-reported learning outcomes and how do they vary from conventional didactic settings such as chalk-and-talk teaching, case studies, closed exercises, and desk research? Method. A case study is used to evaluate the game’s ability to simulate the complexity of actual human settlement and transportation. We focus on self-reported learning and how the expert game encourages students to discover knowledge. Results. This expert game successfully replicated complex and context-specific scenarios that actual urban planning committees might face. Participants revealed that they unearthed interrelations between settlement, transportation, and society similar to those found in the relevant academic literature. Conclusions. The results affirm the game’s effectiveness as an educational tool for transportation engineering, urban planning, and transportation modeling students and professionals. Recommendation. This research suggests that properly incorporating policy games into the curriculum can enhance students’ learning in transportation planning and settlement structure.