Using concept maps to assess learning of safety case studies: the eschede train disaster

• Autores: David C. Shallcross
• Localización: The International journal of engineering education, ISSN-e 0949-149X, Vol. 29, no. 5, 2013, págs. 1281-1293
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • The Eschede train disaster remains one of the worst railway accidents in Europe in recent years. The loss of 101 lives was causedby a range of factors but was most caused by poor engineering design decisions. The derailment of the high speed ICE train at thetown of Eschede in Germany and the subsequent collapse of a bridge on to the train provides an excellent context in which tointroduce first year engineering students to the importance of safety in an introductory course. The poor design decisions that ledto the derailment and the subsequent collapse of the bridge have been used as a case study in a general first year engineeringsubject at the University of Melbourne for several years. This paper begins by describing the sequence of events that started withthe fracture of a steel tyre on one of the bogies on a passenger coach and that culminated in the collapse of a concrete overpasscollapsing onto the train. The key lessons that may be learned from the disaster are then described. The learning around this safetycase study is assessed in the classroom using concept maps. An analysis of 84 concept maps prepared by the class 15 weeks afterthe material had been presented to them provides an insight into how well the students integrated and retained the material fromthe case study. A method is proposed to analyse the concept maps to assess student and cohort learning of the case study.