Playful and Collaborative Inquiry Into Adaptive Cruise Control

• In Event: Poster Session 14
  In Poster Session: Poster Session: Research on Innovations in Learning Technologies

Abstract

This study compares the reasoning of dyads and individuals who are given publicly-available educational materials about adaptive cruise control (ACC), which include an interactive simulation, and asked to solve problems using the simulation. ACC is an enhancement of conventional cruise control that automatically adjusts speed based on traffic ahead. In addition to comparing group performance on these problems, we compare the collaborative reasoning processes of dyads who performed well on the simulation-based problems with those who performed poorly. This paper presents the results of this analysis, including a code set for analyzing collaborative problem-solving skills. We suggest that persistent, collaborative relationship-building and hypothesis creation were integral to a well-developed understanding of ACC when learning using this computer-based simulation.

Authors

• Ethan P. Valentine, Kirkwood Community College

• Yile Zhou, The University of Iowa

• Benjamin M Devane, The University of Iowa

• Joyce L. Moore, University of Iowa