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Development of learning tools is critical for improving engineering education and teaching difficult engineering concepts. Representations are learning tools that can help students understand conceptual systems by providing insight to a concept, problem, or system through explicit cues. Researchers at the University of Idaho have developed structured activities involving animations that are representations of traffic simulations designed as part of the Mobile Signal Timing Training (MOST) project for teaching traffic signal timing. In this study, the effectiveness of the MOST animations were evaluated through a pre-/postcomparative case study. Overall, the MOST animations were successful in improving student understanding of timing parameters involved in actuated control at signalized intersections. The MOST activities were more effective than comparison methods in facilitating student learning for concepts of minimum green time, maximum green time, and duration of the green indication. Students also showed an improved understanding of the relationship between cycle length and delay and passage time, but not more so than comparison students. Results indicate that animations are effective in improving student understanding of concepts involving dynamic processes or reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tracking vehicles through roundabouts is laborious. Because of this, turning movement volumes are usually estimated using a variety of methods. This paper identifies and evaluates practical methods of estimating turning movement volumes at roundabouts. Thirty four experiments were used to test the effects of different estimation treatments: estimation procedure, time interval size, count location configuration, and turning movement sample procedure. A new economical sampling procedure was introduced and included in the experiment design. The experiments were evaluated using volume estimation and capacity estimation errors. Findings showed that the new sample procedure works well relative to a random sampling procedure. Other insights were gained regarding the four treatments included in the experiment design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents information on a study which investigated the geometric elements associated with parallax error in video-image systems. Information on how to minimize parallax error; Description of a model for video image distance calibration; Derivation of video-image distance model.