Abstract
Using DARWin 3.1 in Undergraduate Pavement Design CoursesAbstract The purpose of this study was to explore the use of Windows-based software as a cognitivecomputer tool in undergraduate pavement engineering design courses. Engineering studentsworked cooperatively on design and analysis tasks. DARWin 3.1 stands for: Design, Analysisand Rehabilitation for windows. As students completed in-class labs and/or take-home projectswith the assistance of DARWin 3.1, specific attention was given to real-life problems thatstudents may encounter in their senior design projects and/or later in their future jobs. Studentswere assigned to work in groups of two members each. Collected Data included studentquestionnaires and assignments. Participants believed that the use of DARWin 3.1 allowed themto spend more time on interpreting results and focus on understanding by significantly reducingproblem solving time as opposed to hand calculations. Also, the cognitive computer toolenhanced students’ learning experience as long as they know how it works and the rationalebehind it, which in turn stimulated students’ thinking.