645.757.81 - Foundations of Modeling and Simulation in Systems Engineering

Course Structure

The course materials are divided into modules which can be accessed by clicking Modules on the course menu. A module will have several sections including the overview, content, readings, discussions, and assignments.  Readings listed in any module week are intended to amplify the lecture for that week and should be completed before viewing the lecture for the following module week. You are encouraged to preview all sections of the module before starting. Modules run for a period of seven (7) days starting on Monday and ending the following Sunday evening, as shown in the Course Outline. You should regularly check the Calendar and Announcements for assignment due dates.

Course Topics

Course Goals

To provide an introduction to the field of modeling and simulation (M&S) from the perspective of M&S as an essential tool for systems engineering.

Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs)

• Select the appropriate modeling techniques for a given task.
• Plan the development of a model/simulation and the modeling of its input data.
• Analyze the results of a model/simulation execution to support decisions at key milestones of a system's lifecycle.
• Define and distinguish key modeling and simulation (M&S) terms.
• Describe the types of M&S tools used in the phases of the systems engineering process.
• Distinguish between key elements of simulations of system performance and effectiveness.
• Explain when M&S will provide meaningful support to a technical program.

Textbooks

Kelton, D. W., Sadowski, R. P., & Zupick, N. B. (2015). Simulation with arena (6th ed.). Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.  ISBN: 0073401315.  The 5^th and 4^th editions of this textbook are acceptable as well. There is also a 7^th edition available, but we have not yet adopted it for this course.

Other Materials & Online Resources

In addition to the text, additional notes will be posted on the course site. These will include a draft version of several chapters of an in-process text tentatively titled Modeling & Simulation in Systems Engineering.

Required Software

Arena

The required software is: Arena version 15.1.0004, which can be downloaded for free from the textbook publisher’s website. Go to: https://highered.mheducation.com/sites/0073401315/student_view0/arena_software_download.html

Select and down the appropriate version for your computer, either 32- or 64-bit. Also download book examples from the link in the upper left corner of the page.

Arena Software Requirements

To use Arena, your system must meet the following software requirements:

• Windows XP Professional (SP2 or later), Windows XP Home (SP2 or later), Windows 2000 Professional (SP4 or later), Windows 2000Server (SP4 or later), Windows Server 2003 (SP1 or later).
• Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 (Service Pack 1) or later.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader 7.0 or later to view documentation.
• (Although not supported by Rockwell, Arena has been run satisfactorily on Macs using emulator software such as Parallels.)

Arena Hardware Requirements

To use Arena, your system must meet the following hardware requirements:

• Hard drive with 75–250MB free disk space (depending on operating system and options installed).
• 64MB RAM (recommended 128MB RAM or higher, depending on operating system).
• Minimum Pentium® processor 300Mhz or higher. The Arena software can be run on single-processor, dual-processor, and dual-core processor computers; however, only one instance of Arena can be run at a time.

Student Coursework Requirements

It is expected that the class will take approximately 8 hours per week: listening to the audio-annotated slide presentations (approximately 3 hours per week), reading the assigned sections of the texts (approximately 3 hours per week) as well as some outside reading, and writing assignments (approximately “2 hours per week).

This course will consist of the following basic student requirements:

Post-Lecture Discussions (10% of Final Grade Calculation)

You are responsible for carefully reading all assigned material and being prepared for discussion.

Most lecture modules include one or more discussion questions, which are intended to substitute for discussions that occur naturally during live classes. You are expected to post a response to each discussion question before the end of the module week. About half of the modules include "two-phase" discussion questions. For two-phase discussion questions, in addition to posting a response to the question before the end of the module week, you are also expected during the following week to post a response to (at least) one of the student responses posted during the module week.

We will monitor class discussions and will respond to some of the discussions as discussions are posted. In some instances, we will summarize the overall discussions and post the summary for the class.

Late entry of responses to discussion questions will result in a deduction of 15% per week (pro-rated) of the grade for that week's discussion question (i.e., only about 0.1% per week of the Final Grade Calculation), up to a maximum of 3 weeks. However, if any assigned discussion question response is not provided by the last day of the course, a grade of zero will be assigned for that discussion question.

Reading assignments as well as readings from the texts and other outside sources will be important sources of material for your assignments and class project.

In preparing your written assignments, please put the class assignment number and your name on each assignment, even though it will also be submitted electronically. The purpose of the assignment is to give you the opportunity to demonstrate your understanding of the course concepts.

All assignments are due according to the dates in the Calendar and Assignments items in the corresponding modules.

Late submissions will result in a deduction of 15% per week (pro-rated), with no exceptions without prior coordination with the instructors, up to a maximum deduction of 45 points. However, if an assignment is not submitted by the last day of the course, a grade of zero will be assigned for that assignment.

A class project will be assigned several weeks into the course. The class project will be due at, and will be presented during, module 13 week. Draft slides are due at the end of module 12 week.

The class project is evaluated by the following grading elements:

1. Student preparation and participation (as described in Class Project Description) (40%)
2. Student technical understanding of the class project topic (as related to individual role that the student assumes and described in the Class Project Description) (20%)
3. Team preparation and participation (as described in Class Project Description) (20%)
4. Team technical understanding of the class project topic (20%)

Grading Policy

The two assignments, the class project, the midterm and final exams, and the final course grade will be graded using the following grading scale, with expanded numeric ranges mapping to letter grades as follows:

The amount and quality of your class participation will be considered in deciding final grades in borderline situations. Final grades will be determined by the weighting below. 

Course Policies

The first two assignments and the midterm and final exams will be individual assignments. The third assignment will be a team project for teams of three students each (to the extent possible based on actual class size), with an online (Zoom) presentation by each team to be scheduled during module 13 week.

Academic Policies

Deadlines for Adding, Dropping and Withdrawing from Courses

Students may add a course up to one week after the start of the term for that particular course. Students may drop courses according to the drop deadlines outlined in the EP academic calendar (https://ep.jhu.edu/student-services/academic-calendar/). Between the 6th week of the class and prior to the final withdrawal deadline, a student may withdraw from a course with a W on their academic record. A record of the course will remain on the academic record with a W appearing in the grade column to indicate that the student registered and withdrew from the course.

Academic Misconduct Policy

All students are required to read, know, and comply with the Johns Hopkins University Krieger School of Arts and Sciences (KSAS) / Whiting School of Engineering (WSE) Procedures for Handling Allegations of Misconduct by Full-Time and Part-Time Graduate Students.

This policy prohibits academic misconduct, including but not limited to the following: cheating or facilitating cheating; plagiarism; reuse of assignments; unauthorized collaboration; alteration of graded assignments; and unfair competition. Course materials (old assignments, texts, or examinations, etc.) should not be shared unless authorized by the course instructor. Any questions related to this policy should be directed to EP’s academic integrity officer at ep-academic-integrity@jhu.edu.

Students with Disabilities - Accommodations and Accessibility

Johns Hopkins University values diversity and inclusion. We are committed to providing welcoming, equitable, and accessible educational experiences for all students. Students with disabilities (including those with psychological conditions, medical conditions and temporary disabilities) can request accommodations for this course by providing an Accommodation Letter issued by Student Disability Services (SDS). Please request accommodations for this course as early as possible to provide time for effective communication and arrangements.

For further information or to start the process of requesting accommodations, please contact Student Disability Services at Engineering for Professionals, ep-disability-svcs@jhu.edu.

Student Conduct Code

The fundamental purpose of the JHU regulation of student conduct is to promote and to protect the health, safety, welfare, property, and rights of all members of the University community as well as to promote the orderly operation of the University and to safeguard its property and facilities. As members of the University community, students accept certain responsibilities which support the educational mission and create an environment in which all students are afforded the same opportunity to succeed academically. 

For a full description of the code please visit the following website: https://studentaffairs.jhu.edu/policies-guidelines/student-code/

Classroom Climate

JHU is committed to creating a classroom environment that values the diversity of experiences and perspectives that all students bring. Everyone has the right to be treated with dignity and respect. Fostering an inclusive climate is important. Research and experience show that students who interact with peers who are different from themselves learn new things and experience tangible educational outcomes. At no time in this learning process should someone be singled out or treated unequally on the basis of any seen or unseen part of their identity. 
 
If you have concerns in this course about harassment, discrimination, or any unequal treatment, or if you seek accommodations or resources, please reach out to the course instructor directly. Reporting will never impact your course grade. You may also share concerns with your program chair, the Assistant Dean for Diversity and Inclusion, or the Office of Institutional Equity. In handling reports, people will protect your privacy as much as possible, but faculty and staff are required to officially report information for some cases (e.g. sexual harassment).

Course Auditing

When a student enrolls in an EP course with “audit” status, the student must reach an understanding with the instructor as to what is required to earn the “audit.” If the student does not meet those expectations, the instructor must notify the EP Registration Team [EP-Registration@exchange.johnshopkins.edu] in order for the student to be retroactively dropped or withdrawn from the course (depending on when the "audit" was requested and in accordance with EP registration deadlines). All lecture content will remain accessible to auditing students, but access to all other course material is left to the discretion of the instructor.