Simulation, Exploration, and Understanding in Engineering G. W. Rubloff Materials Science

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Simulation, Exploration, and Understanding in
Engineering G. W. RubloffMaterials Science
Engineering, and Institute for Systems
ResearchUniversity of Marylandrubloff_at_isr.umd.ed
uwww.isr.umd.edu/rubloff/
How can we help people develop insight in both
engineering education and practice ?
with special thanks to Anne Rose, HCIL
Center for Engineered Learning Systems www.isr.umd
.edu/CELS/ Institute for Systems Research
Human-Computer Interaction Laboratory www.cs.umd.e
du/hcil/ Institute for Advanced Computer Studies
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Developing Insight in Engineering Education and
Practice

• CHALLENGES
• Domains are unfamiliar to the user
• Often no hands-on physical experience
• Unfamiliar length and time scales
• Principles are abstract
• Subtle until experienced
• Ultimately must be understood in mathematical
  terms
• Systems-level behavior enlarges complexity
• Multi-level metrics
• Heterogeneous, hierarchical models
• Dynamic stochastic behavior
• Environments and tools for engineering insight
  are limited
• Education and training
• Broad engineering practice

• EXAMPLE semiconductor chips

people
equipment
factory costs and operations/ logistics
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Developing Insight in Engineering Education and
Practice

• CHALLENGES
• Domains are unfamiliar to the user
• Often no hands-on physical experience
• Unfamiliar length and time scales
• Principles are abstract
• Subtle until experienced
• Ultimately must be understood in mathematical
  terms
• Systems-level behavior enlarges complexity
• Multi-level metrics
• Heterogeneous, hierarchical models
• Dynamic stochastic behavior
• Environments and tools for engineering insight
  are limited
• Education and training
• Broad engineering practice

SOLUTIONS
Simulations of physical phenomena
Desired attributes of simulation environments
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Engineering Simulations

• EXAMPLE semiconductor chips

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Engineering Simulations

• EXAMPLE semiconductor chips

While valuable to specific technical experts, how
beneficial are these for education and broader
practice?
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Developing Insight in Engineering Education and
Practice

• CHALLENGES
• Domains are unfamiliar to the user
• Often no hands-on physical experience
• Unfamiliar length and time scales
• Principles are abstract
• Subtle until experienced
• Ultimately must be understood in mathematical
  terms
• Systems-level behavior enlarges complexity
• Multi-level metrics
• Heterogeneous, hierarchical, dynamic, stochastic
  behaviors
• Environments and tools for engineering insight
  are limited
• Education and training
• Engineering practice

SOLUTIONS
Simulations of physical phenomena
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SimPLE
Simulated Processes in a Learning Environment
control the simulation
view dynamic results
keep history
timer
operate system and see consequences in real time
communicate
save document
learning by DOING
carry out experiments and annotate results
access background and guidance materials, locally
or from Internet
Demos in HCIL
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Features in the SimPLE Framework
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Tightly-Coupled Guidance
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Learning Historian
History
Simulation
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Teacher Kit

• Teacher may create specific setups to customize
  educational scaffolding

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SimPLE Applications
TrafficSim transportation management
SortSim computing algorithms
NileSim hydrology social science
EquiPSim semiconductor manufacturing
WaferMap multistep process optimization
WaterSim environment manufacturing
HSE factory operations
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Messages

• Engineering insight through SimPLE environments
• Free and guided exploration through simulation
• Powerful tools for individual and collaborative
  learning
• Also science, computer science, math, social
  science,
• You can use this learning systems technology now
• Teachers specific topical areas development
  of new areas
• Developers SimPLE platform new features to
  come
• We invite your participation
• Collaborations, workshops,

www.isr.umd.edu/CELS/
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Acknowledgements

• ENGINEERING
• L. Henn-Lecordier
• B. Levy
• P. Tarnoff
• G. B. Baecher
• B. Levine
• J. W. Herrmann

COMP SCI UMIACS A. Rose B. Shneiderman C.
Plaisant G. Chipman
EXTERNAL F. Shadman (U. Arizona CEBSM) M.
Lesiecki (MATEC) S. Braxton (Bowie State)