Now showing 1 - 10 of 32
  • Publication
    Evaluating transport equity in a post-boom & car dominant city : the case of Dublin, Ireland
    (Irish Transport Research Network, 2012-08-29) ;
    Transportation equity refers to the fairness with which the impacts (benefits and costs) of transport on society are distributed. Transport infrastructure can have significant equity impacts, although many of these impacts are difficult to evaluate. Costs tend to be particularly high in societies with high levels of car-dependency. In addition, certain social and socio-economic groups can be disproportionately burdened by car-dominated infrastructure and policies, for example: the unemployed; lone-parents; the mobility impaired, and children. The paper outlines and discusses the literature on transportation related equity, which is written from a variety of viewpoints and theoretical traditions. The literature review reveals a number of ways to analyse the equity of transport, but that the scope of these is often limited to impact assessment on a particular social group, or an evaluation of an individual proposed infrastructure project. As a result, the true nature and extent of transportation inequity at the large urban scale may not be fully understood. This limits the potential for area based interventions, for example, to increase the attractiveness of multi-modal transport solutions.This paper proposes a broader methodology that brings together many of the relevant variables, but in a new spatially focussed way, using GIS. Impacts and indicators used include: transport noise; pedestrian severance and casualty risk; accessibility for non-drivers; and socio-economic metrics. This provides an overview of the equity of existing transport infrastructure at the larger urban scale, and can be used to highlight areas that should be targeted for further investigation. The application of the methodology is explored through a case study of Dublin, Ireland.
      485
  • Publication
    Encouraging sustainable commuting behaviour through smart policy provision: a stated preference mode-choice experiment in the Greater Dublin Area
    (Irish Transport Research Network, 2017-08-29) ; ;
    This paper explores the results of a stated preference (SP) experiment used to test the impact of policy incentives on commuting modal choice in the Greater Dublin Area (GDA). As a method of encouraging 'car-shedding' behaviour, various policy tools that improve the time, cost and convenience trip attributes of carpooling and car-sharing are examined. These measures are assessed in the literature as an empirical strategy of influencing a shift from single occupancy vehicle (SOV) use to more sustainable usage of the private car, such as carpooling and car-sharing. The SP experiment acts as an effective policy appraisal tool by analysing the behavioural responses to hypothetical choice scenarios and identifying the impact of policy incentives on modal share and choice probabilities. As a result of the analysis presented in this paper, an indication of the potential levels of 'car-shedding' in the GDA is determined. The discrete choice multinomial logit (MNL) findings suggested that a reduction in the modal share of SOVs of up to 8% could be realised given the policy implementation recommended. In addition to this, a 1% change in the time, cost and convenience attributes dictated an increase of up to 0.34% in the probability of carpooling and car-sharing being chosen. This paper provides weight to the argument that additional funding assigned to policy incentives alone is an effective strategy in reducing the number of commuters driving alone to work or education.
      273
  • Publication
    Is Travel Based Residential Self-Selection a Significant Influence in Modal Choice and Household Location Decisions
    (International Association for Travel Behaviour Research, 2015-07-20) ;
    This paper seeks to examine if residential self-selection can be observed in the population of the Greater Dublin Area and to examine how travel choices and household location decisions interact. The research is based on data collected through the means of a postal survey issued in April 2014. The paper outlines the differences observed in travel behaviour across contrasting land-use areas; with the findings showing higher use of sustainable modes for residents of denser, mixed-use urban areas with greater public transport options. The link between residency in such areas and particular respondent characteristics is also highlighted. It was found that there was with a tendency for residents of these areas to be younger renters, without families, havehave lower car ownership and shorter occupancies. The paper describes how for a significant proportion of the survey respondents, modal choices were made prior to actual residency. However, the paper also describes that while transport is an important factor in choosing where to live, it is not the primary factor for many all residents: whether or not it is the primary factor is dependent on the characteristics of the respondent involved. The key conclusion is that residential self-selection does not occur to such an extent that it is more important than land-use factors in determining modal-split characteristics. However, it remains a significant contributory factor for certain populations when sustainable modes are considered: younger people, renters, without cars or children. The paper outlines implications for policy, which highlight the importance of taking self-selection tendencies into account when preparing land-use-transport policies to reduce car dependency.
      468
  • Publication
    Interpreting critical thinking for engineering education - the views of employers and academics
    (International Network for Engineering Education and Research, 2011-08) ; ; ;
    Third level educators are increasingly being called on to clarify the nature of the education they provide and the contribution of their graduates to society. There is therefore considerable interest in the generic attributes of graduates (Jones 2009), and how educational institutions can describe the quality of their graduates in ways that are meaningful to a wide range of stakeholders, including employers, professional groups and policy makers (Barrie 2006). Critical thinking is considered by some to be the primary graduate attribute yet difficulties remain in arriving at precise definitions of the concept and how it is theorised for educational practice. This paper addresses this issue and offers a theoretical framework for critical thinking as it applies to engineering education. The paper will describe: a series of interviews and documentary analysis of course work and course descriptors in the university that examine the perspective of academics from various disciplines and students of critical thinking. Together these data have been used with Karl Maton’s Legitimation Code Theory to develop a model of critical thinking. Also described are plans for a series of interviews which draws upon the views of employers in engineering regarding the employability of university graduates and the importance of critical thinking as an attribute for newly qualified engineers. A key finding is that critical thinking, rather than being a static attribute which is at the pinnacle of student attainment, is a dynamic concept which requires educators to guide their students through cycles of engagement with grounded descriptive knowledge and knowledge which is abstract and obtuse.
      498
  • Publication
    Inclusive Teaching & Learning Case Studies in Engineering, Architecture & Affiliated Disciplines
    Diversity and inclusion are core to UCD values. We seek to attract students from a wide range of social and economic backgrounds and students who reflect the true diversity of the country. And as a global university, UCD attracts international students from over 100 countries. This diversity enriches our campus, and the experience of our students. The University's strategy 2020-2024 'Rising to the Future' also recognises the importance of inclusion and diversity, in seeking to "provide an inclusive educational experience that defines international best practice and prepares our graduates to thrive in present and future societies." However, an inclusive educational experience will not be achieved by simply creating diversity in the student body. It requires that we adjust our approach in everything we do to support and encourage our students’ success. We have clearly articulated in our strategy, and further emphasised in our Education and Student Success strategy, that our goal is to "equip all our educators with the tools and resources required to embed Universal Design for Learning on an institution-wide basis".
      106
  • Publication
    A European review on Critical Thinking educational practices in Higher Education Institutions
    Within the scope of CRITHINKEDU project, this report is directed to university teachers, pedagogical support teams and institutional leaders, providing an overall understanding on how European Higher Education Institutions (EHEI) foster Critical Thinking (CT), taking into account both the current educational intervention studies reported in the literature and teachers' educational practices. Adopting a mixed method research design, 46 papers from the literature were reviewed and 53 interviews with university teachers from 9 European countries were carried out. The analysis comprised both studies and teachers' interviews from 4 different professional fields, namely Biomedical Sciences, STEM (Sciences, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), Social Sciences and the Humanities.
      1056
  • Publication
    Critical thinking in the university curriculum
    This paper describes a multi-qualitative study undertaken to examine the issue of critical thinking as a graduate attribute. Critical thinking is a graduate attribute that many courses claim to produce in students. However, it is important to understand how academics define and describe critical thinking and whether their understandings of critical thinking differ, depending on their discipline or subject area. The paper describes a series of in-depth, semi-structured interviews with academics involved in teaching and learning in a number of disciplines, including engineering. The objective of these interviews is to look at how different disciplines define critical thinking and how they teach critical thinking in their courses. In addition the paper describes how a selection of modules particularly concerned with the acquisition and development of critical thinking will be chosen, and the interviews that will be carried out with module coordinators about the module design and assessment, recognition and measurement of critical thinking.
      385
  • Publication
    Examining Smarter Travel Options to Reduce Emissions
    (Environmental Protection Agency, 2017-07) ; ;
    This deliverable explores a strategy to encourage a realistic modal shift from the private car to sustainable travel modes such as walking, cycling, bus, rail and smarter modes like carpooling and car-sharing in the Greater Dublin Area (GDA). This research is a large component of the work that has been conducted as part of the Greening Transport project. It examines the responsiveness of a sample to a range of policy measures aiming to incentivise sustainable commuting practices to work and education in the GDA. By means of a stated preference (SP) experiment, a selection of policies was tested in various hypothetical scenarios in order to gauge their response in terms of travel behaviour change, ultimately quantified by analysing the potential modal shift. This technical report will assess relevant literature on this subject and delineate the experimental design, survey creation process and most importantly delve into the discrete-choice modelling results and analysis of this study. Motivation for this work was taken from comparable experiments from leading researchers in the field of SP and discrete-choice modelling. However, an approach such as this has to date not been conducted in the context of Ireland. This presents an opportunity to gain a greater understanding of the behavioural outcomes of implementing various sustainable transport policy incentives from which a modal shift can be achieved in Ireland. The aims of this research are in line with those set-out by the Greening Transport project that is leading this work - exploring ways of promoting smarter travel options as a means of attaining emissions savings and mitigating the associated causes of climate change such as air pollution, burning of fossil fuels and noise pollution in urban areas. However, one of the principal goals of this study is to incentivise "car shedding" behaviour, i.e. promoting a reduction in car usage by making alternative and sustainable travel modes more practical and competitive in terms of time and cost amongst other attributes, in addition to being equally or more convenient modes than driving a car alone. A SP survey instrument was implemented to gather responses to a range of hypothetical scenarios, in addition to other revealed preference (current travel activity), attitudinal and socio-demographic questions to generate various types of data for analysis. The main SP component of the survey was utilised to determine the variables of statistical significance that increase or decrease the utility of the modes and predict or forecast behavioural responses and implications, in the form of direct and cross elasticities and "what if" simulations, to various policy instruments ("carrots") included in the stated choice scenario.
      300
  • Publication
    A review of the Irish road networks infrastructure barriers to older peoples mobility: current policy and literature
    (Irish Transport Research Network, 2012-08-29) ; ;
    Over the next thirty years in Ireland, the population aged over 65 is estimated to grow considerably. The maturation of the ‘baby boom’ generation will transform the demographics of the country. In our current and future aging society, transport and mobility are key factors in facilitating active aging. In general, older people now travel more than before, have higher levels of car ownership and are more likely to continue to drive for longer. Modal shift to more sustainable modes of transport is simply not practical for older people living in areas with limited public transport. Older people, who are suffering from ailments, will tend to cease walking long before they cease driving. Maintaining mobility is crucial in later life. The lack of transport alternatives, in the short term, can be bridged by enabling older people to continue to drive safely for longer. A need exists for alternative travel modes and will become more pertinent given the increase in the number of older people who can no longer drive but will still require mobility. While older drivers have fewer reported crashes per capita in developed countries, extreme driving conditions place excessive demand on their abilities compared to younger drivers. A reason for older drivers over representation in certain types of crashes can be contributed to road design which follows standards based primarily on measures of performance of young males. By improving the road network for older people it will encourage and assist them to stay mobile for longer and improve safety for all other users. This paper identifies the deficit in the Irish road networks design and research in catering for the older driver through a review of the research literature and highway design policy and through an interrogation of collisions involving older drivers identifies the key highway design and behaviour indicators that contribute to older driver collisions in an Irish context. The issue for road safety will be whether the increase in older driver exposure is offset by the improvement in design, training and alternative travel mechanisms. Monitoring and future research of these components will be crucial to determine the success of these measures in assisting older driver’s safety and longevity on the network.
      226
  • Publication
    Transport needs of older people in rural Ireland
    Investment in public transport in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland has been predominantly in urban areas, with the development of a coherent rural transport policy being very much neglected. This has lead to high levels of car dependency in rural areas in both countries. This paper describes a project that focuses on one particularly vulnerable group: older people in rural areas. The project examined the problems that are faced by older people in rural areas in accessing services and carrying out trips in rural areas of Ireland and Northern Ireland. It looked at how unmet transport needs are leading to social exclusion amongst older people, a problem which will only become worse in the future as the population ages and as investment in rural public transport remains low.
      1327