Transportation Engineering Workforce Development Through Technology Integration

Engaging K-12 students in transportation planning and engineering is an effective way to reach out to the future generation of transportation professionals, as well as current and future transportation system users. However, sparking the interest and retaining the attention of young learners can be a challenging task. Using cutting-edge mobile technologies developed in active research projects, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology developed transferable modules appropriate for K-12 age groups that they employed with 5th and 6th grade students at a local public school. This paper uses the case study example of this outreach initiative to discuss the importance of using novel technologies with students. The paper outlines the methods used, specific modules, and assessment techniques. The technology-enriched modules cover a wide range of topics including pedestrian accessibility, transportation mode choice, roadway complexity, traffic engineering, and travel survey methods, while also introducing the students to exciting developments in transportation research and scientific inquiry. The initiative showcases that mobile technologies effectively enhance and enrich educational outreach to middle school students.