Modeling & Simulation as an Enabling Technology for Engineering Innovation Education James F. Leathrum, Jr. and Roland R. Mielke Department of Modeling, Simulation and Visualization Engineering Old Dominion University Norfolk, VA 23529, USA ABSTRACT needed to help build mental models and understanding of how complex systems work and are The inclusion of innovation within engineering organized. Simulation provides a cost-effective education is being identified as a crucial effort to means to determine system behavior and ensure our technological competitiveness as evident performance and to investigate life-cycle issues by the number of solicitations including engineering important to a successful system design. It is our innovation education by the National Science position that making an engineering student into an Foundation. While most work is spent on identifying innovator will be enhanced or even enabled if that how to create environments that foster innovation, student has the tools needed to conduct the process of this paper focuses on developing a technical skill set innovation. We are proposing a path for the that enables innovation when in the correct introduction of M&S skills with an emphasis on environment. The premise of this paper is that the enabling innovative ideas within existing STEM skills taught within the modeling and simulation curricula. curricula are those that enable innovative thinking. The skill set focuses on the abstract thinking, Innovation is the complex process of introducing communication, and evaluation skills. This paper novel ideas into use or practice and includes does not propose changing current engineering entrepreneurship as an integral part [1]. curricula, but rather to augment them by introducing Entrepreneurship involves the commitment of finance abstract modeling concepts early in the curriculum, and business acumen in an effort the transform the allowing students to see the generation of an new concepts of inventions into economic goods. innovative idea. This is be done through a series of The most obvious form of entrepreneurship is that of small modules and assignments spread throughout starting new businesses. While much is being done the curriculum. Furthermore, the modules benefit the to encourage entrepreneurship, our focus is on the existing curricula by providing a context for why the complex process of innovation, which is less students are learning the classic material. understood yet is the most vital to comprehend. Keywords: Innovation, Modeling and Simulation, This paper proposes developing new and novel Engineering Education approaches for teaching innovation in the STEM areas, especially engineering, that can be integrated into existing curricula with minimal effort. Should 1. INTRODUCTION the introduction of innovation be a heavy burden on existing curricula with little immediate rewards, it is The basis for this paper is our recognition that the unlikely the proposed work will be adopted. We also concepts and methods that comprise the discipline of believe that innovation and the associated skills need modeling and simulation are precisely the tools and an early introduction for students to embrace them skills required to conduct the process of innovation. and follow educational paths leading to innovation. Modeling skills are required to capture new ideas and As a first step in the innovation education process, systems, and then to communicate those ideas to we identify M&S as the enabling technology other groups that often have vastly different allowing the reasoning, visualization, evaluation, and backgrounds and points-of-view. Visualization is communication required in innovation. We propose core skills from M&S that should be taught to all small, multidisciplinary, connected to academic engineering students to improve the likelihood of institutions, intense workers, and visionary. Again, fostering innovation. these are characteristics, not identifying appropriate skill sets in which engineers should be educated. The proposed engineering educational evolution follows the maturation process of M&S as a This paper attempts to identify a skill set to enable discipline in its own right. This is similar to the innovative thinking in engineers when placed in an development of computer science as a discipline appropriate environment. The skill set focuses on the through the 1960's and early 1970's and the abstract thinking, communication, and evaluation recognition that the skill set was required by skills. Current engineering education is primarily engineers as well. As a result, a core competence in based on analysis, teaching design in a bottom-up computer science was introduced into engineering fashion by introducing low level theory and building curricula and became a requirement for accreditation. up to larger designs of systems that already exist. Likewise, M&S has matured over the last decade This paper does not propose changing that basic with the creation of graduate programs (Old philosophy, but rather to augment it by introducing Dominion University, University of Central Florida, abstract modeling concepts early in the curriculum, University of Alabama - Huntsville, CSU - Chico, allowing students to see the generation of an etc.), followed by the first undergraduate program innovative idea. This can be done through a series of being introduced in 2010 at Old Dominion small modules and assignments spread throughout University. Thus it follows that the time has come to the curriculum. The modules would work in the evaluate the discipline's role in engineering opposite direction from the classic bottom-up education. This paper considers the introduction of method, but would augment the existing curricula by M&S as a core competence to enable innovation providing a context for why the students are learning across all engineering disciplines. the classic material. 2. INNOVATION IN ENGINEERING 3. M&S CONCEPTS IN INNOVATION EDUCATION ENGINEERING Some work has been done attempting to introduce an Problem understanding is important in recognizing innovative environment in the engineering the intricate and nuanced issues involved with curriculum. [2-7] However, these primarily focus on identified problems. Once understanding is achieved, developing an atmosphere and that fosters the problem description requires unambiguously opportunity to be creative, but ignore the engineering documenting the problem so that it may be easily skill set that best enable engineers to be innovative in communicated. Then, recognizing that the problem a timely and cost efficient manner. Steiner does may be defined within certain known categories of attempt to identify the skills that make people problems will help support finding a solution to the innovative, but through querying managers, she problem or problem resolution. Properly really concludes on personal skills (energetic, investigating these creative processes and facilitating enthusiastic, competitive, etc.) not technical skills them through application of proven M&S tools and (potentially including abstract modeling, top-down techniques fills an existing gap in the research of design, rapid prototyping, etc.). innovation. Other works attempt to define the innovative process. We propose the following concepts as the core [8-12] But again they focus on creating an competencies in innovative engineering: atmosphere that fosters creativity or identifying what needs assessment - the act of capturing the needs techniques have worked. In attempting to identify of a problem the characteristics of teams that have been successful conceptualization - the creative act of in innovations, Petre identified that the teams were formulating an idea. visualization - the act of creating a representation allow studying concepts at a behavioral level prior to of an idea for better understanding. design. evaluation - the testing of an idea, may include engineering, manufacturing, and marketing Modeling provides a means for engineers to capture feasibility. their ideas. The simple act of model development communication - the act of presenting the idea to often promotes a better understanding of a system. It others, potentially for collaboration or marketing. also enables the definition of interfaces between While methodologies for teaching these subsystems within a system model, allowing a competencies is not addressed in this paper, the partitioning in the idea development. Then by importance of M&S to enable each is elaborated. simulating the system, a deeper understanding of system behavior is possible. Needs Assessment Needs assessment involves the definition of the Visualization requirements of a problem for which innovative ideas The ability to visualize an innovative idea is assists are sought. In engineering, this includes in idea development and is crucial to communicating development of the problem specification. the idea to potential investors. M&S utilizes Frequently this involves documentation of ideas in visualization heavily in understanding system writing. M&S attempts to formalize this process by behavior. Physical models support providing a visual capturing specifications as models. The needs are understanding of a design. Data visualization and captured as behavioral models. Developing animation provide the ability to study system executable simulations of these models then allow the behavior as a function of time. engineer to study if the proposed behavior will truly meet the needs. The model then acts as the Evaluation