SIMULATION

Both novice and experienced educators across dif ferent disciplines have expressed the need for a tool to help orient them to teach computer simula tion. This paper presents the Simulation Educa tion Homepage (http://www.acs.ilstu.edu/faculty/ dldoss/yurcik/nsfteachsim/indexnew.html) which was initiated as a result of an US National Sci ence Foundation sponsored Simulation Education Workshop held in August 1998 in Washington D.C. With input from leading simulation educa tors, web-based simulation education resources have been linked and cross-referenced in this one "virtual " location which serves as a meeting place for discussion about teaching simulation. After introducing the different categories of resources (software/courses/textbooks/people/etc.), data about categorization and use of the resources is presented. We found clear trends within categories and common characteristics between requests for information and recommendations for new links from all over the world. We also include discus sion of a future project to enhance the interactivity of this website using XML integrated with database processing.

A case study is presented on the use of web-based technol ogy to transition from a lecture-based delivery system to an online/multimedia technology delivery system at the University of Oklahoma's School of Industrial Engineer ing. Coupling web and multimedia technology with a pyramid approach to a simulation course sequence, the goal is to provide both undergraduate and graduate stu dents with strong simulation skills in both modeling and analysis. Web-based technology is used to provide course access to non-traditional students, to re-enforce prerequi site knowledge, and to support learning statistical con cepts. The approach has been successful at (i) generating two types of graduates, the simulation modeler and the simulation analyst/consultant, (ii) increasing the reten tion of non-traditional students (industrial engineering students with full-time jobs and other engineering majors without strong statistical backgrounds), and (iii) gradu ating two non-traditional students in the School's master's degree program as based on their research in simulation analysis. However, online technologies are not without their disadvantages. While the burden has been eased on student learning and their out-of-class activities, the faculty is now tasked with an increased load of sup porting online courses and utilizing web-based technolo gies both within and outside the classroom.

The development of high performance computing and communications is enabling the creation of new excit ing automated learning environments. In particular, the creation of richer distance learning environments has been obtained by merging together the World Wide Web with the educational features of multimedia and simulation technologies. However, most of today's Web-based courseware tools is often limited to the presentation of non-customized instructional ma terials. Those tools are in essence equivalent to computer assisted learning systems-they are static and unable to personalize the interaction with the user. Contrariwise, new-generation distance learning software tools should be able to exploit (i) adaptive mechanisms, (ii) Web technologies, and (iii) net worked multimedia and simulation in order to drive each different student through his/her personalized learning path. This paper presents the design and the multimedia/hypermedia architecture of a simulation- based distance learning tool which has been designed and developed to provide instructional support tai lored to the personal profile and needs of each different user.

In this paper, simulations to enhance learning and retention in a course in Civil Engineering (Soil Mechanics) are presented. One type of simulation deals with the delivery of course con tent to better elucidate on selected basic concepts using interactive animations. Another type of simulation deals with the development of a vir tual laboratory in which the student can conduct laboratory tests and interpret the results as if they were in a real laboratory. Both of these types of simulations can be delivered on the Web or on portable storage media such as CD. The simula tions are integrated into an interactive multimedia courseware that contains interactive problem solving, electronic quizzes, a glossary, notation, a notepad, and computer program utilities in ad dition to the virtual laboratory and interactive animations of the selected topics. The simulations were developed using various royalty-free, com mercial software such as Authorware. Prelimi nary evaluations indicate that simulations can significantly enhance the presentation of some topics and improve learning and retention.

Each year, object-oriented methodology (including its three main aspects—analysis, design, and programming) has been gaining more and more acceptance from the soft ware industry. This acceptance is preceded by multi-disci plinary research in the fields of simulation, artificial intel ligence, computer science, and software engineering. Year after year, new computer science and engineering pro grams produce graduates that join the ranks of software systems developers. Software industry representatives fre quently complain that the newcomers lack skills in practi cal aspects of software engineering. Another deficiency of undergraduate programs has been caused by traditional approach to teaching procedural programming. In the last few years, more programs started using C++ or Java for introductory computer science classes. However, in many cases, the teaching methodology did not change and the objects are introduced as an afterthought. This paper de scribes a junior-level course in an undergraduate com puter science program, designed to teach object-oriented design and coding, while introducing discrete modeling and computer simulation concepts. Additionally, the course provides a vehicle for development of small team class projects addressing critical aspects of the modern software development life cycle. The author's experience with teaching the course may serve as a model for similar offerings in other colleges and universities.