Integrating Digital Intelligence into Transportation Economics Education: A Teaching Reform Based on ADDIE-PBL Framework for Sustainable Development

Abstract

The global push toward Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) demands that transportation education equip students with integrated skills in data analysis and sustainability. Traditional curricula, however, often lack digital intelligence tools and multidimensional (economic-social-environmental) analysis training. This study reformed the Transportation Economics and Analysis course by integrating Virtual Reality (VR), Python, GIS, Tableau, and a blended learning platform within a Project-Based Learning (PBL) framework guided by the ADDIE model. Over 16 weeks, 137 undergraduates (2023 cohort) engaged in real-world projects such as carbon footprint optimization for urban rail transit.  Quantitative pre/post assessments showed a 34% improvement in sustainability quantification skills (p<0.01), and qualitative analysis of policy briefs revealed that 89% of students demonstrated advanced ethical reasoning. Comparative analysis with 2022 cohort (n=130) taught under the traditional curriculum confirmed the effectiveness of the reform. The results indicate that digital-pedagogical integration significantly enhances students’ ability to address sustainable transportation challenges, offering a replicable model for engineering education aligned with SDGs.