Thesis
Comparison of students' and practicing engineers' knowledge in traffic signal engineering
Washington State University
Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
2013
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/102109
Abstract
The current literature suggests that conceptual understanding, misconceptions, and the context of knowledge are important for the learning of students. Furthermore, the literature indicates a difference in the thinking between novices and experts. However, no research has been conducted to characterize the conceptual thinking of practicing engineers or to investigate practicing engineers' misconceptions and their comparison with students. Research is needed to determine the correct context for students in the engineering classroom, which would foster an environment with greater authenticity that would mimic the engineering practice. This study used clinical interviews to extract misconceptions and contexts quotations from the interviewees, and compared the data between novice students, expert students, and practicing engineers. The results of the misconception prevalence and the context of the concepts were used to compare the knowledge of traffic signal engineering between the three cohorts. The investigation of the misconception prevalence revealed that most of the concepts did not follow the trend hypothesized by the researchers. Furthermore, the results of the misconception prevalence also revealed frequent misconceptions across the three cohorts. The investigation on the context prevalence revealed that the three cohorts generally followed the trend hypothesized by the researchers. Additionally, the novice students generally discussed the concepts in the context of their driving experience, the expert students discussed the concepts in the context of their advanced coursework, and the practicing engineers discussed the concepts in the context of their engineering experience. As a result, the three cohorts discussed the concepts in different contexts. Consequently, engineering curriculums should present concepts in the context of how engineers use the concepts in the real world to foster students to think about the concepts in a similar fashion as engineers. This would result in engineering students who are better prepared for the engineering workforce.
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Details
- Title
- Comparison of students' and practicing engineers' knowledge in traffic signal engineering
- Creators
- Kelvin B. Daratha
- Contributors
- Shane Brown (Degree Supervisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Civil and Environmental Engineering, Department of
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University; [Pullman, Washington] :
- Identifiers
- 99900525137701842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Thesis