Exploring Cooperative Learning through Gaming Simulation in an Integrated Land Use-Transportation Planning Course

摘要

The paper describes the use of gaming simulation in the teaching of integrated land usetransportationplanning as a part of an undergraduate civil engineering course. The game allowsstudents to explore aspects of the land use and transportation development process in ahypothetical setting, by assuming the roles of either public sector planners or private sector realestate developers. The paper describes the background to and rationale for the game, andexplains the game and simulation aspects in detail. Assessment of student performance showedthat the game significantly enhanced the achievement of learning outcomes. Students who facedmore complex and open-ended tasks performed better, reaching higher levels of competenceearlier on in the game. The game also appears to be valuable as a cooperative learning tool, bypromoting collaboration between students pursuing different objectives. Gaming simulationholds promise as a response to contemporary students’ preferences for more active and sociallearning styles.