2013 Session: 504

• Expanding Transportation Education Across the Academy: The Sustainable City Year Program
  Abstract: Transportation agencies are grappling with new and unfamiliar issues from addressing big problems like climate change to focusing on accessibility, where land use, urban design, and active transportation modes are more important. These challenges come at a time when the resources necessary to meet them are scarce and many agency staff members are reaching retirement. At the same time, Universities continue to attract a new generation of students who are not only comfortable and familiar with these new concepts, but are eager for a workplace that embraces this multi-disciplinary environment.A multi-disciplinary approach that includes fields not normally associated with transportation would seem to be critical to making sustainable transportation thrive in the complex environment of the city. The Sustainable City Year Program (SCYP) at the University of Oregon addresses this complexity head on by annually connecting twenty-five courses across ten or more disciplines with transportation and other sustainability projects identified by city staff of a different city each academic year. Each year, about 25 faculty and 500 students give over 80,000 hours of effort to help local cities move forward on vexing issues. Students gain professional hands-on experience, an opportunity to learn from multiple disciplines, and an understanding that complex transportation issues require a diverse set of skill sets and perspectives to solve. This paper describes SCYP, highlights a few transportation-specific projects that “non-traditional” transportation students take on, and presents a new model for higher education across the country that can help train the next generation transportation workforce.
  Authors: Schlossberg, Marc A.; Larco, Nico
  Authors: Schlossberg, Marc A.; Larco, Nico
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Education and Training
  Session: 504
  Paper Number: 13-0862
  Practice-Ready: Yes
• Adult Learners: Principles, Barriers, and Best Practices
  Abstract: Abstract:The practice of teaching and educating adults, commonly known as andragogy, touches many areas of workforce education. Programs such as the Tribal Technical Assistance Program (TTAP) and Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) and others have adults as their primary audiences. Bringing 30+ years of experience as a practitioner and a researcher, the author will give valuable information about adult education and its basic principles, barriers and best practices as well as the impact of societal and generational changes on adult education. This session will provide summit attendees current valuable and practical practices which could be implemented in their next training sessions or classes. With a continued “Graying of America” and increased emphasis on learning throughout one’s life span, all educators, both formal and informal would benefit from knowing more about the topic of adult education. Scholars such as Knowles, Merriam, Brookfield, and Mezirow have contributed valuable research in this field. Adults are different from youth with different needs or reasons for pursuing education as well as differing levels of motivation. Adults also seek to learn what they have identified as important, look for immediately applicable learning as well as focusing more on problem centered learning rather than subject centered learning. Generational theory in relationship to adult education will be discussed as it relates to tailoring of educational approaches. This paper will provide best practices to increase the effectiveness of the teaching/learning process.
  Authors: Self, Mary Jo
  Authors: Self, Mary Jo
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Education and Training
  Session: 504
  Paper Number: 13-1722
  Practice-Ready: Yes
• Certificate Program in Transit Management and Operations
  Abstract: The overarching goals of this project are to provide college students with an educational and hands-on experience regarding employment opportunities in the public transit industry and to fully prepare them to enter the transit workforce. The project is intended to serve as a model for other transit operators and universities around the country where similar interests exist. While working toward a degree, students will elect to earn a “Certificate in Transit Management and Operations”, awarded jointly by UMass Transit, UMass Transportation Center, and CTTransit. Requirements include classroom preparation and on the job training. Each student will complete a 400 hour internship split between UMass Transit and CTTransit, or transit facilities of similar size. In addition, students will be expected to enroll in a minimum of fifteen credits (five courses) and various non-credit course offerings. The certificate should be earned over a 12 to 18 month period while the student is enrolled as an undergraduate or graduate. Upon graduation, they will be better prepared to consider professional job opportunities in the transit industry with transit operators and transportation.
  Authors: Byam, Allan; Oldread, Krystal
  Authors: Byam, Allan; Oldread, Krystal
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Education and Training
  Session: 504
  Paper Number: 13-1059
  Practice-Ready: Yes
• Multiagent Route Choice Game for Transportation Engineering
  Abstract: In undergraduate transportation engineering courses, traffic assignment is a difficult concept for both instructors to teach and for students to learn, because it involves many mathematical derivations and computations. We have designed a multiplayer game to engage students in the process of learning route choice, so that students can visualize how the traffic gradually reach user equilibrium (UE). For one scenario, we employ a Braess' Paradox, and explore the phenomenon during the game-play. We have done the case-control and before-after comparisons. The statistical results show that, students who played the game improve their understanding of the Braess' Paradox more than those who did not play. Among game players, younger students benefit more in their learning; while those who are not comfortable with exploring a phenomenon on their own think this game not as effective as those who prefer hands-on learning experiences.
  Authors: Di, Xuan; Liu, Henry X.; Levinson, David M.
  Authors: Di, Xuan; Liu, Henry X.; Levinson, David M.
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Education and Training
  Session: 504
  Paper Number: 13-3291
  Practice-Ready: Yes
• Adult Learners: Principles, Barriers, and Best Practices
  Authors: Self, Mary Jo
  Authors: Self, Mary Jo
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Presentation; Poster
  Subject: Education and Training
  Session: 504
  Paper Number: 13-1722
• Expanding Transportation Education Across the Academy: The Sustainable City Year Program
  Authors: Schlossberg, Marc
  Authors: Schlossberg, Marc
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Presentation; Poster
  Subject: Education and Training
  Session: 504
  Paper Number: 13-0862
• Multiagent Route Choice Game for Transportation Engineering
  Authors: Di, Xuan
  Keywords: poster presentation; poster design; poster template
  Authors: Di, Xuan
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Presentation; Poster
  Subject: Education and Training
  Session: 504
  Paper Number: 13-3291
• Certificate Program in Transit Management and Operations
  Authors: Oldread, Krystal
  Authors: Oldread, Krystal
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Presentation; Poster
  Subject: Education and Training
  Session: 504
  Paper Number: 13-1059