1. Analyze sustainable solutions and innovative tech-based approaches not only for their potential to reduce carbon emissions but also for their capacity to mitigate environmental injustices and promote inclusivity.
2. Gain an understanding of the environmental and social justice implications of personal transportation emissions, particularly their disproportionate effects on marginalized communities.
3. Apply computer science concepts to design a sustainable transportation solution that prioritizes climate justice, considering how the solution can benefit underserved communities and reduce disparities in transportation-related impacts.

Educational Level: Suitable for students at various levels of computer science courses, including introductory courses, app development courses (mobile app, web app), and capstone projects.

Prerequisite Skills/Concepts: Students should have a basic understanding of computer science concepts, programming languages, and app development principles. Prior knowledge of environmental issues and sustainability is helpful but not mandatory.

Class Size: Small to medium-sized classes, allowing for effective group discussions and peer feedback.

Instruction Type: A combination of a lecture and a lab exercise. The presentation on environmental impact can be delivered in a lecture format, followed by hands-on lab sessions for research, discussions, and app design.

Time Needed: Multiple class sessions, depending on the depth and scope of the app design and research. It can be adjusted to fit within the duration of a regular course module or extended for more comprehensive projects or capstone assignments.

Special Equipment: Typically requires standard classroom facilities with access to computers, the internet, and presentation tools. For app development courses, students may need access to development environments and relevant programming tools.

Course Context: For introductory computer science courses, this activity can be introduced after covering foundational concepts. In app development courses, it can be integrated as a module focusing on sustainable app design. For capstone projects, it can serve as a real-world application of computer science skills in creating sustainable solutions.

Adaptability: The activity is highly adaptable and can be tailored to different computer science courses and projects. It can be customized to address specific app development platforms (e.g., Android, iOS, web-based) and can be adjusted to match the technical expertise and learning objectives of the students. The flexibility allows educators to align the activity with the specific goals and context of their courses.

This activity requires four class sessions for implementation in a classroom with approximately 20-30 students, organized into teams of four.

Class Session #1 (50-min): Environmental Impact Presentation: Begin the activity with a presentation on the environmental consequences of personal transportation emissions, including greenhouse gas contributions, air pollution, and their effects on climate change and public health. The presentation can be created using authoritative resources such as U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) for up-to-date data on emissions and environmental impact. Present data on extreme weather events and climate change. Use studies and reports from organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) to support your points. Highlight examples of cities and countries implementing green transportation initiatives .

Assignment #1 (2-week outside class time) Sustainable Transportation Technologies and Climate Justice Research: Students conduct research on various sustainable transportation technologies, such as electric vehicles, alternative fuels, and smart traffic management systems. They identify the advantages and challenges of each technology and discuss climate justice issues. SustainableSolutions_ResearchAssignment.docx (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 16kB Oct6 23)

Class Session #2 (100-min) Group Discussion and Brainstorming: Divide students into small groups to discuss their findings and share insights. Facilitate a brainstorming session where groups generate ideas for integrating sustainable transportation technologies with computer science solutions.

Class Session #3 (5-week outside class) Designing an Equitable Sustainable Transportation App: Students design a computer application that not only promotes sustainable transportation practices but also prioritizes equity and climate justice. The app may include features like carpooling arrangements, real-time emissions tracking, energy-efficient routing, or actively advocating for accessible and affordable public transportation options in underserved communities.

Class Session #4 (100-min) Project Presentation and Peer Review: Students showcase their sustainable transportation app designs, followed by constructive peer review sessions where they offer valuable feedback and improvement suggestions after each presentation. During peer review, students are encouraged to evaluate the presentations and document any comments, questions, or concerns. We recommend using online retrospective tools such as Reetro.io for this purpose. The rubric for evaluating the app design: Rubric for Presentation and Peer Review (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 14kB Sep6 23)

The goal of the activity is to encourage students to explore innovative and equitable solutions that can effectively address the challenges of personal transportation emissions with a commitment to climate justice and sustainability.

The activity starts with an introduction to the concept of sustainable transportation technologies, environmental racism, and the growing need to tackle environmental issues associated with personal transportation emissions. The instructor presents various sustainable transportation technologies, such as electric vehicles, alternative fuels, and smart traffic management systems, as potential solutions.

The class is divided into small groups, promoting collaboration and diverse perspectives. Each group is tasked with researching and analyzing specific sustainable transportation technologies to understand their advantages, limitations, and potential for integration with computer science solutions. They investigate the technical aspects, environmental impact, and scalability of the chosen sustainable transportation technologies with a specific focus on their potential contributions to climate justice.

Following the research phase, groups gather for an interactive brainstorming session. They share their findings and insights and discuss on potential ways to integrate sustainable transportation technologies with computer science solutions. During this creative process, students are encouraged to think outside the box and consider various angles for seamless integration.

During the app design phase, each group begins to develop comprehensive ideas that leverage computer science principles to enhance the feasibility and effectiveness of equitable sustainable transportation technologies. These ideas may encompass concepts such as smart traffic management algorithms, electric vehicle charging optimization systems, or eco-friendly ride-sharing platforms.

Once the app design is complete, each group is given an opportunity to present their integrated sustainable transportation solution to the class. During these presentations, students demonstrate how their proposed solutions align with the principles of sustainability, address environmental concerns, and harness computer science concepts for real-world impact.

After each presentation, the class engages in a constructive peer review session. Students provide valuable feedback on the presented ideas, offering suggestions for improvement, and highlighting the strengths of each integrated solution. This collaborative feedback process encourages students to refine their concepts and think critically about their proposals .

Here are the assessment strategies aligned with each of the stated learning goals:

1. Analyze sustainable solutions and innovative tech-based approaches not only for their potential to reduce carbon emissions but also for their capacity to mitigate environmental injustices and promote inclusivity.

Assessment Strategy: A research assignment on sustainable transportation technologies and climate justice research
Students are expected to conduct research and report their findings. Evaluation will be based on the following criteria:

• Depth and accuracy of research on sustainable transportation technologies.
• Consideration of climate justice issues.
• Clarity and coherence of the written report, including a well-organized structure.
• Critical analysis of the advantages and challenges of each technology.
• Thorough comparison and evaluation of the technologies based on relevant criteria.
• Quality of the presentation, including effective communication of research findings.

2. Gain an understanding of the environmental and social justice implications of personal transportation emissions, particularly their disproportionate effects on marginalized communities.
3. Apply computer science concepts to design a sustainable transportation solution that prioritizes climate justice, considering how the solution can benefit underserved communities and reduce disparities in transportation-related impacts.

Assessment Strategy for the learning goals 2 and 3: App Design Proposal and Presentation
Students submit their app design proposals, including a detailed description of its purpose, features, user interface, and the anticipated positive impact on reducing personal transportation emissions. Students will present their equitable sustainable transportation app designs and will be evaluated based on the following criteria :

• Understanding of Climate Justice
  • Does the proposal discuss how climate justice principles are incorporated into the application's objectives?
  • Does it address the disproportionate impact of emissions on vulnerable communities?
• Environmental Impact Assessment
  • How thoroughly does the proposal analyze the potential reduction in personal transportation emissions?
  • Are there data-driven assessments?
• Equity and Accessibility
  • How does the proposal ensure that the app is accessible and beneficial to diverse range of users, including underserved populations?
• Technology Integration
  • How effectively does the proposal use technology, such as IoT devices, AI, data science, to achieve its goals?
  • Are there consideration for data privacy and security?
  • Is the solution scalable?
• Innovation and Feasibility
  • Is the proposal grounded in practicality and feasibility for real-word implementation?
  • What innovative features does the app propose to reduce emissions?
• App Design (Architecture Design)
  • Does the proposal provide detailed information on the app's user interface, layout and user experience?
  • Are there wireframes or mockups to visualize the app's design?
• Clarity and Communication
  • Does it effectively communicate the app's purpose and functionality?
  • Is the proposal well-structured and easy to follow?
• References and Citations
  • Are there proper citations and references to support the claims and ideas presented in the proposal?
  • Is there a reference list included?
• Overall Impact
  • What potential impact does the proposal envision on reducing personal transportation emissions?
  • Does it consider long-term sustainability and scalability?

This work is supported in part by NSF-IUSE grant (DUE 2043535).

References:

• Transportation and Climate Change" - United States Environmental Protection Agency
  https://www.epa.gov/transportation-air-pollution-and-climate-change
• Technologies Supportive of Sustainable Transportation, Annual Review of Energy and the Environment, Vol. 25:89-113 (Volume publication date November 2000) https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.energy.25.1.89
• Damilola Oladimeji, Khushi Gupta, Nuri Alperen Kose, Kubra Gundogan, Linqiang Ge, Fan Liang, "Smart Transportation: An Overview of Technologies and Applications", Sensors, vol.23, no.8, pp.3880, 2023. [Smart_Transportation_An_Overview_of_Technologies_a.pdf (Acrobat (PDF) 959kB Oct6 23)PDF]
• The Role of Technology in Sustainable Transportation" - Transportation Research Board Special Report, https://nap.nationalacademies.org/
• EJSCREEN: Environmental Justice Mapping and Screening Tool", The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) offers the EJSCREEN tool, which allows users to explore environmental indicators and demographic information to assess environmental justice issues in specific areas. https://www.epa.gov/ejscreen
• Sanchez, Thomas & Stolz, R & Ma, J & Change, Center. (2003). Moving to equity: Addressing inequitable effects of transportation policies on minorities. Moving_to_equity_Addressing_inequitable_effects_of.pdf (Acrobat (PDF) 618kB Oct6 23)