Embedded Knowledge in Transportation Engineering: Comparisons between Engineers and Instructors

Abstract

Substantial research in a diversity of fields suggests that being successful in a skilled profession requires ways of thinking that are unique to the context of that profession and present in practitioners of that field. The purpose of this study is to characterize embedded knowledge of sight distance and stopping sight distance in instructors and engineers and similarly examine course materials. Individual interviews were conducted with 29 transportation engineers and 19 transportation instructors. Course notes from a selection of instructors and three commonly used textbooks were also analyzed. Although instructors and practitioners expressed similar content knowledge, there were significant differences in the context in which it was embedded. Engineering practitioners used and referred to software, manuals, and specific experiences, while instructors primarily spoke in a more abstract context or referred to textbooks. Also, engineers discussed methods of mitigating for the inability to meet minimum design criteria; this was not found in course notes or textbooks. This research strongly suggests that context-dependent embedded knowledge exists in transportation engineering and efforts are necessary to integrate this knowledge in the curriculum.