645.769.1130 - System Test & Evaluation

Course Structure

The course is divided into nine modules.  Lectures, individual and team assignments, and reference materials are found in the modules.

Course Topics

• Test requirements
• Test strategy
• Test objectives
• Critical test parameters
• Validation and verification
• Test plan development
• Test events
• Similarities and differences between hardware, software and system testing
• Test tools
• Integration and test facilities
• Test cases and procedures
• Integration testing
• Environmental testing
• System qualification
• Field testing
• Operational test and evaluation

Course Goals

Develop an understanding and simulated experience of the application of “Test and Evaluation” as a critical aspect in the continuum of systems engineering activities needed to develop, produce, and field complex systems.

Textbooks

There is no textbook for the class because there is no comprehensive text on the topics of testing and evaluation.   

Graduate level research is expected, pulling on references from previous courses, the current course, and authoritative sources to augment course provided materials.  

All external sources of information used to support assignments must be appropriately referenced. Wikipedia may be used to search for source materials, but is not considered to be an authoritative source for student assignments.

EP students may access electronic versions of textbooks through the Sheridan Libraries. Instructions on how to search for available textbooks are accessible through this link: Browse Electronic Textbook Instructions

EP students may access electronic versions of textbooks through the Sheridan Libraries. Instructions on how to search for available textbooks are accessible through this link: Browse Electronic Textbook Instructions

Other Materials & Online Resources

All class lectures, notes and homework assignments and references will be available on Canvas. All reading materials will be provided or will be accessible via the Internet. All students are expected to make extensive use of the Internet and library resources, publications, etc.

Required Software

Microsoft Office 365, including Teams are provided by the university for students' use.  Microsoft Project, in the form of a cloud service, can be provided on request.

Student Coursework Requirements

This course will consist of three basic student requirements:

There will be five (5) assignments. These assignments will be available in the Assignments section of Canvas and are expected to be completed on a weekly basis, with the due dates and times indicated on Canvas.   

Assignments are either individual or team-work.  The first assignment is an individual assignment.  The subsequent 4 assignments are team assignments which all contribute to the completion of the final team project.   Many problems will require some research outside of the class lectures. All research for this class, however, can be accomplished via the Internet.

Students are required to complete a Mid-Term Exam within five days of assignment. The exam will be posted in the Assignments section. Students are expected to complete the exam individually, using any non-human resource available.  Responses are graded on creativity, efficiency, technical merit, and quality of communication.

3. Team Project

Students will be grouped into teams and assigned a project which will require the use of tools and techniques used throughout the semester. Project materials will be provided in Canvas for download by the students. The project will consist of four parts:

(a) four team assignments which are incremental parts of the final team report and presentation

(b) a team developed final report in MS Word format presenting your team’s work and conclusions

(c) a team developed final presentation in MS PowerPoint summarizing the findings of your team’s project work

(d) an individual developed team member assessment using a provided MS Word template, which provides an individual perspective of teammates’ performance on the project

During the semester, the team members are encouraged to interact among themselves, other teams, and the instructors through meetings, email, or through Teams or Zoom live sessions, especially during office hours for discussion with the instructors.   

Assignments, instructor feedback and discussions are designed to help the student incrementally contribute to their team project and enhance their on-line learning experience.  Most responses involve completion of part of a test and evaluation plan, including approaches to test and evaluation situations.  Responses are graded on creativity, efficiency, technical merit, and quality of communication.

The instructors are always available to provide feedback when requested, within a reasonable response period.  Interim team project reviews are based on the 4 team assignments, which incrementally contribute to the final project report and presentation and provide a calibration of team progress through instructor feedback.

The specific grading criteria for the team project report is provided in a rubric with the project materials. Creativity, efficiency, technical merit, and quality of communication are emphasized.

Grading Policy

All assignments, projects, and exams will be graded on a scale from 0 to 100. Based on the final class numerical distribution, the final grade will be translated into a letter ranging from A+ to F as follows:

A+ between 97% and 100%

A   between 93% and 96.9%

A-  between 90% and 92.9%

B+ between 87% and 89.9%

B   between 83% and 86.9%

B-  between 80% and 82.9%

C   between 70% and 79.9%

F    69.9% and below

Final grades will be determined by the following weighting:

Grading Policies and Guidelines

It is assumed that graduate students are adept at writing English and no points will normally be subtracted for English errors; in cases of exceptionally poor English points will be deducted. All external sources of information used to support must be appropriately referenced.

Homework and Midterm Exam

Each student is required to complete all assignments, the team presentation and final report, and the mid-term exam to earn a course grade. Assignments will be evaluated and graded on a scale of 0 to 100, and assignments that fully meet all objectives will typically receive a grade of 95. The remaining 5 points are reserved for products that go beyond the established objectives of the assignment and clearly identify creativity, efficiency, additional effort, and additional research. Homework or exams not submitted will receive a grade of 0, resulting in an incomplete for the course. Completed homework assignments and the mid-term exam should be uploaded to Canvas by the specified due date indicated on Canvas.

Late homework assignments will be reduced by a 10 point penalty per week late. For a given “due date” specified in the assignment, the latest date/time stamp for on-time completion is 11:59PM Eastern time on the due date.  Students/Teams may request an extension for valid personal or business reasons, and MUST BE REQUESTED PRIOR TO THE DUE DATE AND TIME OF THE ASSIGNMENT.

Deficient homework will be returned to students for resubmission within one week; the final grade for the specific homework assigned will be the average of the two grades (including any late penalty points assessed on the original submission). 

The mid-term exam may not be re-submitted.   The intent is to ensure that you are successful in learning the concepts and practices taught in this course. Homework assignments will generally involve answering a scenario problem based upon specific systems engineering skills. Students/teams are required to upload assignments, mid-term exam and final report/presentation onto Canvas in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Powerpoint) format. Any resubmissions should be submitted via Canvas.

Class/ Project Participation

Student participation in class discussions and activities significantly enhances the overall value of the course. Lessons learned and past experiences provide the entire class with a broader perspective of the topics being discussed. All students are required to participate throughout the semester. Students are also required to fully participate and contribute to their team.  As shown in the table above, class/project participation will count toward the student’s final grade. 

Team Project

Teams will be established for the team project by the course instructors. The intent is for the teams to be multidisciplinary, and each team will be comprised of 5 or more students. Each team will be required to deliver a final project report and a team presentation. All team members are expected to contribute to the team project and each team member will be required to submit a teammate evaluation. The team project report will be due 3 ½  days prior to the last session and the presentation slides due the evening before the last session.

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.