FROM EXPERTS TO USERS: FRAMEWORK FOR EVALUATING THE CRITICALITY OF ACC KNOWLEDGE GAPS AND USER AWARENESS FOR ADAS CONSUMER EDUCATION DESIGN

Abstract

Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) have become increasingly common in passenger vehicles, yet learning is hard, and drivers are often expected to supervise these systems with inconsistent and unprioritized consumer education. Existing ADAS training research has examined whether training improves users’ mental models, attitudes, trust, and performance, and has compared modalities such as text, video, simulation, and blended learning. However, less attention has been given to how ADAS knowledge itself should be developed, which knowledge gaps should be prioritized, and how critical knowledge should be represented in consumer education. This dissertation addressed this gap through a knowledge-centered framework for ACC/ADAS consumer education. The dissertation asks four connected questions: how prior ADAS/ADS training research has designed consumer education; how ACC knowledge should be extracted and structured; which ACC knowledge gaps are most critical and should be prioritized; and how users’ awareness, perceived importance, information sources, and preferences align with knowledge criticality. Results show that ACC knowledge gaps are not equally critical. Some knowledge areas create greater safety concerns because they may involve more severe consequences, are more likely to be lacking among users, or are more difficult for drivers to detect before risks occur. Results also suggest that users’ awareness of ACC knowledge does not fully align with the knowledge areas experts identified as critical. This mismatch indicates that ACC education should not present all information with equal emphasis; instead, higher criticality knowledge should be prioritized in a more understandable and actionable structure for users. This dissertation contributes a structured approach for designing ACC/ADAS consumer education by connecting literature knowledge gaps, knowledge unit development, expert-based safety prioritization, and user-centered assessment. The contribution provides a method for extracting and prioritizing ACC/ADAS knowledge and offers guidance for developing targeted education materials that could support safer interaction with vehicle automation systems.