An Education of Simulation Discussion

This paper takes three different viewpoints on the problems faced in the development of Modeling and Simulation (M&S) educational material. Two educational environments - academic and commercial - are discussed. The paper starts with a discussion on the establishment of the undergraduate M&S engineering program at Old Dominion University. The paper then explores the education in a commercial environment, discussing the challenges and possible connections between the two environments. The associated issues which have arisen in the M&S community, especially the accessibility problem, are discussed through the outcomes of a workshop. There is a strong relationship between M&S education and the ease of determining M&S usefulness (i.e., the evidence of success in M&S applications). This paper advocates for detailed case studies to be developed and used within the M&S classrooms. The more case studies (both successful and non-successful), the better the chance to understand different types of complex problems.