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Qualification and Assessment Requirements for Simulation-Based Electrical Engineering Education

Abstract

Modeling and Simulation (M&S) is a discipline for developing an understanding of the interaction of the parts or of a whole system. The level of understanding developed using M&S is rarely achievable using other disciplines. However, except for handful institutions that offer a Master of Science program in M&S, no other educational program is currently available at the undergraduate level, especially for electrical engineers. This demands the development of a curriculum and requirements for its assessment, which is the topic of this presentation. The development is part of a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant for a course, curriculum, and laboratory improvement project called Undergraduate STEM Education Initiative in Creative Educational (USE-ICE) innovation for electrical engineering students at the College of Engineering, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL).

1. Introduction

Globalization and international research and development have changed the way the United States must approach educating and training students. As our engineers prepare for the 21st century global market economy, they will face significant international competitors who are building on the technologies the U.S. pioneered in the 20th century. Although the United States has led the world in advances in technology, competitors are harvesting the technological and economic advantages. Simulation-Based Engineering Science (SBES) is a major area with current and future potential. In order to stay on the cutting edge, we must meet the challenges presented by other countries, such as those in Western Europe and Asia, whose governments are investing heavily in modeling and simulation and computational engineering and science, threatening U.S. leadership in basic research.

Currently, M&S programs offered in the U.S. include graduate level programs at a number of universities, such as Old Dominium, Arizona State, Florida, California State Chico, and Alabama at Huntsville [1,2]. Arizona State and Old Dominium universities have embarked on establishing such a program at the undergraduate level. However, at present there is no established M&S program in the U.S. at the undergraduate level in electrical engineering.

Thus, to stimulate educational innovations through M&S, to develop M&S-based programs, and to provide plans for embedding M&S in the electrical engineering curriculum, we need to address the qualification criteria for the graduates, the responsibilities they will hold, and the assessment and evaluation of the program by an accrediting body.

Currently, there are no required or agreed upon set of skills for the M&S graduates, no list of accepted qualifications, and no established M&S program is available in the U.S. at the undergraduate level in electrical engineering. In an effort to address some of the above issues, we propose a set of criteria for critique and feedback from our colleagues who may be interested in developing such a program in their institution.

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Vakilzadian, H., & Moeller, D. (2009, June), Qualification And Assessment Requirements For Simulation Based Electrical Engineering Education Paper presented at 2009 Annual Conference & Exposition, Austin, Texas. 10.18260/1-2--5797