2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Integrating Model-Based Systems Engineering and Systems Thinking Skills in Engineering Courses

Presented at Systems Thinking

The advent of digital engineering practices across industries and defense organizations has created a need for graduating engineers to acquire skills in conceptualizing and creating digital models that capture the lifecycle of the product, system, or service of interest. The transition from traditional document-based models to digital models requires training in modeling languages and modeling methods to apply model-based systems engineering (MBSE) tools and techniques. These pillars are essential to designing digital models and employing a systems-thinking framework. Digital engineering skills focusing on MBSE topics are currently not widely available in undergraduate or graduate programs. We propose a modular approach for integrating these topics in a set of core courses in the second and third years of the engineering curriculum, building incremental skills across this two-year period, and leading to their application in capstone design projects in the final year. The modules are drawn from a recently implemented Digital Engineering graduate certificate for training a civilian Air Force cohort. This twelve-credit certificate included four semester-long courses in: (i) Systems, Models and Simulation for Digital Engineering; (ii) Model-Based Systems Engineering; (iii) Cyber-Physical Systems and Simulation; and (iv) Data-Driven Decision-Making and Risk Management. The modules are hosted on an online learning and course management system. Each module includes an experiential learning project that supports designing use cases with relevant stakeholders, conducting interviews with non-engineering domain-experts and end users of the system or creating digital models using systems modeling languages such as the Unified Architecture Framework (UAF) and the Systems Modeling Language (SysML). We pay particular attention to ensuring engineers learn to incorporate a human-centric approach in systems modeling, fostering a holistic and user-centric design process. This paper presents one example of a case study that introduces students to concepts of stakeholders, use cases and requirements analysis. The example takes the student through a sequence of stages using tools provided by UAF and SysML. These architectural platforms provide structure, but also include several degrees of freedom in design choices, allowing students to exercise and be assessed on the requisite systems thinking competency.

Authors

Prof. Kavitha Chandra University of Massachusetts, Lowell [biography]

Kavitha Chandra is the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs and Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering in the Francis College of Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. She directs the Research, Academics and Mentoring Pathways (RAMP) to Success summer bridge program that prepares first year engineering students with research, communication and leadership skills. Her research interests include computational and data-driven modeling of physical systems in acoustics and communications networks, model-based systems engineering, engineering education and user-centric design of emerging technology.
Dr. Sara Kraemer http://orcid.org/0009-0000-5275-4937 Blueprint for Education [biography]

Dr. Sara Kraemer is an evaluator, strategist, and educator in STEM and education at Blueprint for Education. She has pioneered innovative program evaluation methods that lend themselves to programs, courses, and initiatives that focus on systems-level impacts. She is also a Lecturer in the Interdisciplinary Professional Programs in the College of Engineering a the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she teaches classes on human factors engineering and digital transformation.
Emi Aoki University of Massachusetts, Lowell [biography]

Emi Aoki is a PhD student in Electrical Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Her past research experience has been in data analysis, computational modeling, systems engineering, and augmented reality application development and design. Her research interests include stochastic and physics-based models.
Flore Stecie Norceide University of Massachusetts, Lowell [biography]

Flore Stecie Norceide is a PhD student in Electrical Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Her research interests are neuromorphic computing, machine learning and data analytics. Her primary research focuses on benchmarking hardware and software architectures for event driven computation with a focus on its application to object detection, tracking and pose estimation.
Dr. Ola Batarseh Dassault Systemes [biography]

Dr. Ola Batarseh is Solution Architect Director in the Digital Transformation team at Dassault Systemes where she conducts internal projects to raise the model-based capability, competency, and capacity. She conducts regular client consulting efforts on enabling improved projects using model-based methods and analysis. She is an adjunct professor at UML where she instructs students from USAF, Raytheon, and other professionals in MBSE.

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