Learning by Almost Doing: New Education Methods for Learning about Driving Automation Systems
Typ
Examensarbete för masterexamen
Master's Thesis
Master's Thesis
Program
Industrial design engineering (MPDES), MSc
Publicerad
2023
Författare
Bengtsson, Adam
Vestberg, Alfred
Modellbyggare
Tidskriftstitel
ISSN
Volymtitel
Utgivare
Sammanfattning
Driving automation systems (DAS) in cars are systems that can take over parts of the driving control from
the driver. There are standardised ways of categorising five levels of automation (LoAs) by defining the
control of the car and the where the responsibility of the car lies. There is a problem for driver’s and
automakers that some drivers are having trouble understanding DAS in the correct way. This could
increase the risk that some drivers misuse the DAS because they fail to understand the limitations and
functions to a certain degree which causes some safety concerns. There is mode confusion which
increases risk for some drivers to misunderstand the modes of automation in their cars. DAS are getting
developed even further which leads to more complexity for the driver.
It is in automakers interest to have their drivers use their systems as intended but it is also becoming a
demand from outside authorities to provide effective education as DAS is becoming more common and
advanced. To support this, the methods of educating drivers needs to be developed in order to be more
efficient and motivating in according to human learning behaviour.
Other studies have researched ways to educate drivers by suggesting new methods which have been
successful. What this thesis researched was a comparative study of education methods to create a base for
what a good education needs in term of being effective and motivating. This was done by creating
education concepts which applies different methods of education which were then tested on people to see
if they understood the content.
A literature study was first done to establish a starting ground in the subject. A focus on a learning theory
in constructivism was used which says that learning is constructed in an individual when they actively
participate. To achieve an effective learning method, it needs to create motivation within the learner who
will otherwise be bored and find something else to occupy their mind. A certain level of immersion and
engagement is required according to learning theory to create an effective learning method. Other
methods for creating good motivation within the learner is gamification. It uses elements from games
designed to keep the player feeling motivated and rewarded for their work. Two new conceptual
education methods for DAS were created and tested. One concept made for simulating the environment of
driving in a car with DAS which involves the learner on an active level. They get to watch scenarios from
a drivers POV where DAS are relevant. They affect the outcome by making choices that results in
different outcomes. The other concept uses gamification in a quiz format where the user progresses
through higher levels by completing questions. They were rewarded and could track their progress. In
both concepts they got feedback for each correct or incorrect answer resulting in them learning something
new.
These concepts were used in a user test with a printed user manual as a comparative baseline method. The
test participants were provided with an educational material (Scenario concept, Quiz concept, or User
manual) that educated them in DAS. The test involved observation of simulator driving, survey questions,
and interview questions.
The scenario concept performed the best in our user test, with the quiz coming second. The scenario
concept had good performance when using DAS in the simulator but also on a theoretical knowledge
level. It showed that a good method for education is to immerse the learner in real environments where
they are actively participating and affecting the outcome. It creates both an effective learning method but
also a motivating one where the learner enjoys doing it.
We have created design guidelines with the help of the findings from the concepts which describe how to
design effective and motivating educational material for DAS.