Planning: Machine Learning in Transportation: Enhancing STEM Education and Research Capacity at The University of Texas at El Paso

在改善本科STEM教育：西班牙裔服务机构（HSI计划）的支持下，该规划项目旨在利用机器学习的潜力，促进交通工程领域的跨学科教育。这个问题很重要，因为机器学习有可能彻底改变交通规划和运营，但缺乏能够充分利用其潜力的跨学科教育。该项目旨在通过开发跨学科课程来解决这一差距，该课程强调基于项目的学习和学生反馈，重点是机器学习在交通中的应用。该课程将通过现实世界的项目和校园范围内的机器学习挑战来丰富，目标是创造一种超越课堂的研究和学习文化。项目计划包括八项任务，旨在实现拟议的研究和教育目标，重点是通过综合回顾性评价和研究因素衡量绩效。该项目更广泛的影响是改变交通领域，并促进STEM的更大多样性。它旨在培养一批能够有效地将机器学习应用于交通问题的熟练学生，最终为交通系统的效率、安全性和可持续性做出贡献。该项目还希望提高机器学习及其在更广泛社区中的应用的可见性和理解。该项目的具体目标是通过将机器学习整合到德克萨斯大学埃尔帕索分校（UTEP）的交通教育和研究中，弥合当前工程教育的差距。主要的研究问题是：如何将机器学习技术有效地整合到交通工程教育中，以提高学生解决复杂现实问题的能力？假设理论指导与实际应用相结合的综合性、以项目为基础的方法可以显著提高学生在这一跨学科领域的学习成果。研究方法围绕一个新的交叉上市课程的开发和交付。该课程将辅以每月一次的系列研讨会和UTEP的“交通运输中的机器学习挑战”，以促进实践学习和跨学科合作。预期的结果包括提高学生的自我效能，跨学科思维的发展，以及交通和机器学习交叉的概念发展。这些结果将通过侧重于这些关键领域的回顾性研究进行评估。这项工作的结果将被传播，使UTEP以外的教育工作者和机构能够从研究结果和方法中受益。通过这些举措，年轻的学生可能会受到启发，从事STEM研究和职业，并鼓励公众参与技术、交通和社会需求的重要交叉点。HSI计划旨在加强HSI的本科STEM教育和能力建设。HSI计划支持的项目也将产生关于如何实现这些目标的新知识。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

With support from the Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI Program), this Planning project aims to foster cross-disciplinary education in transportation engineering, leveraging the potential of machine learning. This problem is important because machine learning has the potential to revolutionize transportation planning and operations, but there is a lack of cross-disciplinary education that can fully leverage its potential. This project seeks to address this gap by developing an interdisciplinary course that emphasizes project-based learning and student feedback, with a focus on the application of machine learning in transportation. The course will be enriched with real-world projects and a campus-wide machine learning challenge, with the goal of generating a culture of research and learning that extends beyond the classroom. The project plan includes eight tasks designed to attain the proposed research and education objectives, with a focus on measuring performance through an integrated retrospective evaluation and research element. This project's broader impact is to transform the transportation field and contribute to greater diversity in STEM. It aims to produce a skilled cohort of students who can effectively apply machine learning to transportation problems, ultimately contributing to the efficiency, safety, and sustainability of transportation systems. The project also expects to enhance the visibility and understanding of machine learning and its applications in the broader community. The specific aim of the project is to bridge the gap in current engineering education by integrating machine learning into transportation education and research at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). The primary research question is: How can integrate machine learning techniques be integrated effectively into transportation engineering education to enhance students' capabilities in solving complex real-world problems? The hypothesis is that a comprehensive, project-based approach combining theoretical instruction and practical application can significantly enhance students' learning outcomes in this interdisciplinary area. The research methods center around the development and delivery of a new cross-listed course. The course will be supplemented by a monthly seminar series and a "Machine Learning in Transportation Challenge" at UTEP to foster hands-on learning and interdisciplinary collaboration. The expected results include improved student self-efficacy, interdisciplinary mindset development, and conceptual development in the intersection of transportation and machine learning. These results will be evaluated through a retrospective study focusing on these key areas. The results of this work will be disseminated, allowing educators and institutions beyond UTEP to benefit from the findings and methodologies. Through these initiatives, younger students might be inspired to pursue STEM studies and careers, and encourage public engagement with the important intersections of technology, transportation, and societal needs. The HSI Program aims to enhance undergraduate STEM education and build capacity at HSIs. Projects supported by the HSI Program will also generate new knowledge on how to achieve these aims.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.