Simulation to Enrich Practical Learning Experience in ECE Principles for Mobility Systems Course

As everyone witnessed a few years ago, the COVID pandemic caused devastating impacts on society and on all sectors of the economy. Among its most severe interruptions was on education at all levels. Students in all parts of the world and from every economic background experienced the negative consequences of school closings and poorly planned or supported online or virtual learning. The problem was further exasperated by shortage of teachers and staff and mental problems due to the impact of the pandemic on the lives of people. To address some of the challenges, many educational communities strived to find or develop online tools that could support or improve the learning experiences of their students, specifically during virtual delivery. This paper presents the experience of the author in using simulation tools for effectively teaching an ECE Principles for Mobility Systems course for graduate students who come from non-ECE backgrounds. Since the course was initially delivered in hybrid mode with most of the students attending virtually, the author found it to be important to offer simulation-based tools so the students can grasp the course concepts more easily and appreciate its practical applications. The paper describes the activities that were created and the actual simulation tools used for each course topic, so that others who might be interested can use it as a reference. Survey results show the effectiveness in its delivery method and student satisfaction with the learning experience.