2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

To be successful, Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) requires the coordinated application of an appropriate modeling language and methodology within a suitable tool. The language, methodology and tool chosen to support MBSE depends on the specific aims of the engineers. Teaching MBSE, therefore, presents the challenge of simultaneously instructing students in three distinct but interdependent concepts: the application of the systems engineering process, the expression of systems concepts in a rigorous modeling language, and the construction and analysis of system models using modeling tools. At the University of Arizona, MBSE is taught through the application of the Systems Modeling Language (SysML v1) and a simplified version of the Object-Oriented Systems Engineering Methodology within the ‘Magic System of Systems Architect’ tool.
Following recommendations from professional engineering associations, active learning practices are becoming increasingly applied to engineering education. Active learning refers to a teaching and learning approach where students actively engage in the learning process through various activities, discussions, and problem-solving tasks, rather than passively receiving information through lectures or traditional instruction.
In this paper, we present various graduate-level approaches that leverage active learning techniques to support the teaching of MBSE. We highlight effective teaching approaches such as student modeling assignments, discussion sessions, adapting to online learning constraints, and emphasizing vendor-specific resources. We present a semi-flipped classroom teaching style, a closed-loop approach to feedback, and ways in which inherent motivation can be fostered by emphasizing authenticity, ownership, and community. The paper underscores the importance of fostering student engagement, critical thinking, and proficiency in MBSE practices. We also review the challenges of implementing these techniques in a hybrid classroom setting, present lessons learned based on feedback from the cohort, and discuss how the teaching of MBSE can be further improved using active learning techniques and modern technology.