Teaching introductory simulation in 1996: from the first assignment to the final presentation

  • Authors:

  • Peter Lorenz;Thomas J. Schriber

  • Affiliations:

  • Faculty of Informatics, Institute for Simulation and Graphics, Otto von Guericke University of Magdeburg, D-39106 Magdeburg, Germany;School of Business, Computer and Information Systems, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan

  • Venue:
  • WSC '96 Proceedings of the 28th conference on Winter simulation
  • Year:
  • 1996

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Abstract

Rapid developments in computing and simulation are providing continuing challenges for the design and delivery of courses in discrete-event simulation. Such courses not only need to keep up with relevant developments, but also have the potential for taking advantage of some of the developments in the structuring of the courses. For example, animation can be the topic initially taken up in a course that covers both simulation and animation. We report here on a teaching approach in which a simulation course starts with the topic of animation, then introduces the programming-language subset of a modeling language to support animation at a fundamental level, then returns to animation to introduce more sophisticated aspects of that material, then goes back to the modeling language to investigate the modeling of queuing networks, and so on. Introducing animation first has the effect of capturing intense student interest and dedication at the outset of the course and has the additional benefit of helping students visualize and deal with parallel processes of the type they will be studying and modeling later in the course. Recent technological developments are further reflected by including a World Wide Web-based support system in the course.