Signalized Intersection Simulation Program for Education

In the “Introduction to Transportation Engineering” class, two of the most difficult topics for students to learn are often queuing theory and signal operation and analysis. It is well documented in that the current generation of students are largely ‘visual’ learners and that ‘active learning’ exercises are likely to be a more effective teaching method than the traditional lecture. This learning paradigm for students lends itself well to the use of computer software, particularly traffic simulation programs, to significantly enhance student education in transportation engineering. Software programs can be valuable learning tools, if the program is designed with the focus on education. With a well-designed signalized intersection simulation program that is focused on education and considers pedagogical issues, student interaction with the program through activelearning exercises will allow them to easily visualize the relationship between the various inputs and performance measures, which should lead to more efficient and effective student learning. The result of this STRIDE project is a signalized intersection microscopic simulation program that can lead to more efficient and effective learning of signalized intersection operation and analysis than traditional commercial simulation programs.