A student e-learning tool for the classroomOn the road

Suitable for:Yrs 7–10: Science, Maths, PDHPEYr 11–12: Physics, Maths, PDHPEYr 11 FSDr – Focus Study Maths and Driving

Available FREE on

desktop and iOs

Teacher Resource

What is On the Road?

Creating safer, better, driversOn the Road is an interactive, engaging online learning tool designed for STEM and PDHPE classrooms and at-home use.

The aim of the app is to introduce students to a range of information on issues around learning to drive including: understanding crash risks, behavioural risk factors, alcohol and drug driving, buying a safe car, future car technology and much more.

Using video, text entry boxes, games and quizzes, On the Road engages students with the questions like ‘What makes a safe driver’; ‘What is a safe car’ and ‘How will technology transform car safety in the future’? On the Road goes beyond the basics of learning to drive and helps students self-assess their knowledge and attitudes on driver safety. Students design their own car, uncover the myths behind road rules, and examine the consequences of driver behavior.

Designed by the NRMA along with teachers and STEM content experts, in conjunction with the Australasian New Car Assessment Program, On the Road is an intuitive, comprehensive e-learning tool that delivers the science behind staying safe on the road to secondary and senior secondary students.

Download On the Road from the App Store or access the desktop version on the NRMA website.

Introduction

How students use the tool

Using On the Road in classStudents can access On the Road on their Apple device or website.

Students log in to create a unique ID and password, and enter their email. This allows them to submit quiz results and text entry Q&A directly to their inbox, and share their results with their teacher.

There are four sections of the e-learning tool, each of which can be completed in isolation, or combined together: Start your driving journey; Safety information; Crash factors; Road rules.

Introduction

The On the Road learning tool has been mapped to the NSW Syllabus (pp.5–6). While On the Road can be used in the classroom as it is; a matrix of activities has been developed to integrate the tool into a broader, flexible teaching strategy (p.6). The On the Road Teacher Matrix includes activities:

• mapped to the BOSTES Key Competencies

• differentiated for ability levels

• mapped to 7–10 Math, Science, PDHPE

• mapped to HSC Math and Physics

How students use the tool

Using On the Road in class

Introduction

Within each section students enter text answers, complete quizzes and make choices about the information they learn.

As they progress, students can save this information to complete at a later date, and also have the option to share screens on social media.

Once they have completed the quizzes and survey answers, students can send through their results to their teacher via email through the ‘Save and send information’ option within the Menu.

There is also a Future tech – Challenges section where students can choose one of four challenges around the future of driver safety.

This section is designed to pull together student thinking on choosing car safety options, and how future car design will affect how we make decisions to stay safe as drivers and passengers.

In the following pages, some suggested activities to undertake before and after using the app are included.

Years 7–10

NSW Syllabus Curriculum links

Mapping the tool

SCIENCE

PW1 Energy transfer through different mediums can be explained using wave and particle models

PW2 The motion of objects can be described and predicted using the laws of physics

PW3 Scientific understanding of current electricity has resulted in technological developments designed to improve the efficiency in generation and use of electricity

PW4 Energy conservation in a system can be explained by describing energy transfers and transformations

LW1 Multicellular organisms rely on coordinated and interdependent internal systems to respond to changes in their environment

CW3 Chemical reactions involve rearranging atoms to form new substances; during a chemical reaction mass is not created or destroyed

CW4 Different types of chemical reactions are used to produce a range of products and can occur at different rates and involve energy transfer

WS4 Questioning and predicting

WS5 Planning investigations

WS6 Conducting investigations

WS7 Processing and analysing data and information

WS8 Problem solving

WS9 Communicating

MATH

NA Number and algebra

MG Measurement and geometry

SP Statistics and probability

PDHPE

5.4 Strand 2 Movement and Skill Performance - Influences on skill development and performance

5.6 Strand 3 Individual and Community Health - Road Safety

5.7 Strand 3 Individual and Community Health - Risk Behaviours

5.8 Strand 3 Individual and Community Health – Factors affecting access to Health information, products and services

Senior Secondary

NSW Syllabus Curriculum links

Mapping the tool

HSC PHYSICS

8.4.1 Vehicles do not typically travel at a constant speed

8.4.2 An analysis of the external forces on vehicles helps to understand the effects of acceleration and deceleration

8.4.3 Moving vehicles have kinetic energy and energy transformations are an important aspect in understanding motion

8.4.4 Change of momentum relates to the forces acting on the vehicle or the driver

8.4.5 Safety devices are utilised to reduce the effects of changing momentum

PDHPE

8.1 Better Health for Individuals • Identify protective and risk

behaviours for health issues relevant to young people and predict how risk decreases or increases when multiple factors interact

• Determine the effectiveness of a range of health promotion strategies relevant to young people, eg government interventions relating to alcohol consumption and young drivers

• Explain how health promotion based on the action areas of the Ottawa Charter have contributed to positive health outcomes. For example: − reduction in road injuries

9.3 The Health of Young People

• The major health issues that impact on young people − alcohol consumption − road safety

MATHS – YR 11/12

DS Data and Statistics

MM Measurement

AM Algebra and Modelling

PB Probability

YR 11 ONLY

FSDr Focus Study: Maths and Driving

On the Road Teacher Matrix

Mapping the tool

INVESTIGATE/INQUIRYMAKERSPACE/

FABLABICT ETHICAL THINKING

PERSONAL AND SOCIAL CAPABILITY

CREATIVE AND CRITICAL THINKING

TIMELINE

Conduct an experiment from your textbook or the internet that investigates one aspect of motion that relates to driver safety. Examples include: the relationship between speed and stopping distance, the role of inertia and seatbelts to keep passengers safe.ORExplore ways that the car you built in the MakerSpace column works better. Keep a record of the ways you tested and the outcomes of the tests.

Design and/or build a model of a car showing how a specific safety feature works, e.g. crumple zones, tire treads, seatbelts.

Use online argument mapping software such as Rational or a mind mapping tool such as Padlet to explore ideas around whether it is better to invest time and effort into preventing road crashes in the first place, or spending time reducing their impact when they do happen.

Should cars with inbuilt driver warning safety features require less input from drivers? For example, can drivers with warning systems drink more alcohol, send text messages or be allowed to drive faster than drivers who are not assisted by inbuilt driver safety warning features? Discuss this idea using examples and counter examples to justify your comments.

Participate in a Yarning Circle to discuss the social and personal relevance of optimising safe driving, including thoughts on the consequences of belief in some driver and safety myths. Share ideas and stories from your own life to draw attention to important issues.

Design a new road sign that could help improve driver safety. What would the message on the sign communicate? Where would it be placed? Would it use words or images, or both?

Interview a grandparent or other adult about ways driving and road safety has changed since they were young and first passed their driving test. What surprises you? What do you find interesting? Prepare the information so it is ready to share with an audience.

Design, conduct and write up your own scientific investigation related to a research question you have about driver safety. Use ideas from the NRMA On the Road app to think about how you can isolate a single variable to test in the laboratory. When you have finished, assess your methodology as a valid model for the real world.ORConduct and write up a first-hand investigation of one of the features of the vehicle you have built in the MakerSpace column.

Use robotics and/or electronics kits to build a remote controlled vehicle that has one of the new safety features, such as V2V distance sensing or driver alerts.

Design and/or build your own mini app to help teach passengers how to support rather than hinder a driver so journeys are safer.

Do all drivers have the same values, rights, responsibilities and points of view? If not, should they? If not, what are the consequences? Would the roads be safer if they did?

Keep a personal diary of your journey as a learner and P plate driver. In what ways can a driver diary help you to become a better driver?

What new approaches can you think of that are not already in place that could help new drivers become safer drivers? To help generate ideas think about things that would have helped you or could help you as a new driver that are currently not available and suggest an action plan (e.g. who, what, where, when) to implement at least one of your ideas.

Create a timeline of car safety features as they were introduced, such as seatbelts, airbags, rear vision cameras. Include information about the year and manufacturer. Analyse your timeline to identify any trends. Project your timeline into the future by adding a brand new safety feature for launch in the year 2030. How much safer can vehicles become?

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Activities

From passenger to driver

Start your driving journeyAs students embark on the journey from being a passenger to a driver with passengers of their own, and before they look at the relevant section of the app, they can consider the following questions:

• What do they believe about driving before they start driving or even learning to drive?

• What are their concerns?

• What do they want to learn?

• What do they hear others say about driving?

• Who would they class as a good driver and why?

After completing this section of the app they then complete a question builder to log any further questions that come to mind about car and driving safety. Teachers are provided with a questioning toolkit for the students to elicit thinking around driving concerns for new drivers.

Activities

Questioning toolkit

Start your driving journeyChoose some or all of the questions , or write your own. Write your ideas relating to each of the types of questions.

TYPE OF QUESTION SAMPLE QUESTIONS YOUR IDEAS AND OPINIONS

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONSThese are the most important and central questions. They probe the deepest issues that confront us and can be difficult to answer.

How do I have to drive to be a safe driver?

SORTING AND SIFTING QUESTIONSThese questions help us to manage our information by finding the most relevant details.

How are accidents caused? How are accidents avoided?

HYPOTHETICAL QUESTIONSQuestions designed to explore the possibilities, the ‘what ifs?’ They are useful when we want to test our hunches.

Should teenagers be banned from taking their L licence written test if they are shown to display low levels of either social maturity or decision-making skills?

PROVOCATIVE QUESTIONSQuestions to challenge convention.

Are all the extra rules for P plate drivers compared to non-P plate drivers really necessary? Can driving ever be 100% safe?

Activities

Choosing a safe car

Safety informationBefore starting this section of the app students can consider some possible myths around safe driving. For instance, what sorts of conditions do new drivers underestimate when they start driving that might put them in danger once they are behind the wheel?

After finshing the safety aspects of the app they can make a summary of the top 5 safety tips under different circumstances:

• For starting out as a new driver in the city

• Driving in the country

• When carrying passengers of their own

• When being a passenger themselves

Which tips, if any, made it to both lists?

What does this say about the importance of that safety tip?

Students can compare their safety tips lists for similarities and differences. When sharing their ideas students will need to justify their choices.

IMAGE TO GO IN HERE

Activities

Examine crash risk factors

Crash factorsThis section on crash risk factors including real data on crash risk factors, blood alcohol content, driver distraction, drug driving, speeding and fatigue.

Before looking at this section of the app students can brainstorm the reasons they think accidents happen.

After completing this section of the app students can consider the added impact of a combination of crash factors.

• Which are more likely to occur in combination?

• Which combination might be the most dangerous to drivers and which more dangerous to passengers?

Students must support their ideas with examples, counter examples and/or logical arguments.

Students can design scientific research questions about testing single or a combination of crash factors to learn more about them.

Activities

Responsible road users

Road rulesIn this section, student visit the top 10 misunderstood road rules, watch other student videos around road behaviour as witnessed by drivers and independent witnesses, do an interactive image quiz with different driving scenarios; and choose correct driving behaviour.

Before starting this section of the app students can make a list of as many road rules that they can think of.

Which road rules do they think are broken more often?

After completing this section of the app students can consider reasons why drivers break rules.

• Are road rules broken intentitonally?

• Is there ever a good reason to break a road rule?

Students can write a note to themselves about the value of observing road rules and how they can optimally adhere to road rules

Activities

The future of cars

FuturechallengesThis section looks at technology on the road, including connected roads and car features such as automatic emergency call, traffic signal recognition and V2V communications.

In this section students create their own ideas around driver and car safety.

Before going to this fun section of the app, students consider some of features of new cars that they find appealing or might be wary of.

• Which would they like to be able to make use of as drivers?

• Which would they have difficulty using?

After completing the app students can exercise their imagination by brainstorming and developing ideas of their own for future car, road and driver technologies .

What might cars, roads and drivers look like in 10, 20, 50 years time?

IMAGE TO GO IN HERE

Activities

Evaluate and review

Bringing it togetherStudents can revisit their ideas and concerns from the first activity and review what they have learnt and how any initial concerns have been addressed.

Suggested review questions include:

• What did you learn?

• Of the new knowledge you gained: - What do you value learning the most? - How will you apply it to your own driving? - What will you pass on to others?

• What questions did you have at the beginning of the unit that were answered?

• Are any questions you had left unanswered? How can you gain answers to these questions?

• Are you surprised by anything you learned? If so, why were you surprised? And if not, why not?

• What new questions do you have?

• How do you feel about your driving future now that you have used this app?