Undergraduate Simulation Exercises Tutorial--CCSC:SW 2010

Teaching Undergraduates to Analyze Systems in Multiple Domains
Using Modeling and Simulation Exercises

Michael Doherty
Department of Computer Science
University of the Pacific
mdoherty@pacific.edu
Abstract
There is increasing need to expose undergraduate computer science students to multiple application domains and to improve their skills in system analysis and design. Our experience in developing a computer simulation course has shown that simulation exercises are an ideal way to accomplish these objectives.

Our simulation course is designed for breadth in application domains, modeling techniques and use of toolkits. Students must change context rapidly, learn multiple modeling languages and gain proficiency in multiple tools. To accomplish this, the course has evolved from a lecture and homework format to a directed collaborative exercise format and the focus has shifted from implementation towards modeling. The new format allows students to learn more rapidly by sharing knowledge and has opened the course to a wider audience.

The tutorial will use exercises from the course to illustrate what we expect students to learn and how they work collaboratively towards that objective.

updated 2010 February 7 Email webmaster