Modeling and Simulation Education for the Acquisition and T & E Workforce


Book Description

Modeling and Simulation (M & S) is used throughout DoD system development and acquisition to improve and lend confidence to the decisions made by program developers and leadership. In order to realize the benefits of M & S, the DoD acquisition workforce must understand the available tools. The DoD Modeling and Simulation Coordination Office recognized a need to educate the acquisition workforce. To meet this need, the Naval Postgraduate School partnered with six universities recognized for their prominence in M & S education. We developed 16 full academic courses, two resident short courses, ten online courses, 11 standalone case studies, an updated Acquisition Manager's Guide to M & S, and a longitudinal assessment plan for evaluating the courses over the long term. All of these materials are intended for broad distribution in the public domain to maximize their usefulness. This report describes these products in detail.




Workforce Modeling & Simulation Education and Training for Lifelong Learning


Book Description

This technical report describes the contents of a Microsoft Access database developed in support of the Workforce Modeling and Simulation Education and Training for Lifelong Learning project. The catalog contains searchable information about 253 courses from 23 U.S. academic institutions. While not exhaustive, the catalog captures a representative set of the existing training and education in Modeling and Simulation (M & S) available to the DoD acquisition workforce. The Naval Postgraduate School was funded by DASN RDT & E to develop a learning architecture for an educational program that enables members of the DoD acquisition workforce to more effectively implement the use of Modeling and Simulation (M & S) throughout the system acquisition life cycle. In support of the requirements phase of this effort, a catalog of existing resources for M & S education has been constructed. This catalog will fulfill the following objectives: 1. Assist in the overall assessment of the availability of M & S education for acquisition workforce members. 2. Facilitate the gap analysis between desired educational skill requirements and the learning objectives accomplished by existing courses and programs. 3. Answer specific questions regarding the available education including delivery methods, costs and program lengths. A detailed discussion of the catalog contents, how it is to be used, and a description of a future update expected in a later phase of the effort are included in this report. The background and overview of the project are provided in appendix A. The purpose of this technical report is to accompany the delivery of the database to the sponsor. Combined, this technical report and the education catalog serve to satisfy the first deliverable of FY07 for the project specified in ASN (RDA) CHENG Task Statement 6.4.3.1.




Modeling & Simulation Education for the Acquisition and T & E Workforce: FY07 Deliverable Package


Book Description

This technical report presents the deliverables for calendar year 2007 for the "Educating the Modeling and Simulation Workforce" project performed for the DoD Modeling and Simulation Steering Committee. It includes the results for spirals one and two. Spiral one is an analysis of the educational needs of the program manager, systems engineer, and test and evaluation workforces against a set of educational skill requirements developed by the project team. This is referred to as the 'learning matrix'. Spiral two is a set of module and course matrices, along with delivery options, that meets the educational needs identified in spiral one. This is referred to as the learning architecture . Supporting materials, such as case studies and a handbook, are included. These documents serve as the design framework for spirals three and four, to be completed in CY2008, and which involve the actual production and testing of the courses in the learning architecture and their longitudinal assessment. This report includes the creative work of a seven university consortium and a group of M & S stake-holders, together comprising over 60 personnel.




Developmemnt [sic] of a Modeling and Simulation Training Needs Model for Selected Defense Acquisition Workforce Communities


Book Description

The DoD Modeling and Simulation Steering Committee (M & S SC) identified Modeling and Simulation (M & S) as an educational objective for the Acquisition, Technology and Logistics (AT & L) workforce. Notably, past usages of M & S in system acquisitions for both DoD and commercial industry have demonstrated improvements in efficiency and effectiveness over traditional acquisition techniques. However, to achieve expected and consistent performance by this workforce in these new techniques, the M & S essential skill requirements for this workforce may be extensive. This research aims to validate the content and level of competency in selected M & S tools and technology necessary for consistent workforce performance. The notion here is to achieve greater efficiency and effectiveness in the acquisition process through thresholds of competency that must be resident in or available to the acquisition workforce. This research proposes a matrix of training objectives and levels of competency for portions of the AT & L workforce that was validated through survey by individuals who are leading experts in both M & S and acquisition. This effort combines rigorously defined learning objectives and parameters by academia with practical learning insights from the military and industry ground perspectives. The resultant Joint Learning Model aims to identify the workforce educational foundations necessary to achieve more widespread efficiency and effectiveness in current and future DoD acquisitions.




The Profession of Modeling and Simulation


Book Description

The definite guide to the theory, knowledge, technical expertise, and ethical considerations that define the M&S profession From traffic control to disaster management, supply chain analysis to military logistics, healthcare management to new drug discovery, modeling and simulation (M&S) has become an essential tool for solving countless real-world problems. M&S professionals are now indispensable to how things get done across virtually every aspect of modern life. This makes it all the more surprising that, until now, no effort has been made to systematically codify the core theory, knowledge, and technical expertise needed to succeed as an M&S professional. This book brings together contributions from experts at the leading edge of the modeling and simulation profession, worldwide, who share their priceless insights into issues which are fundamental to professional success and career development in this critically important field. Running as a common thread throughout the book is an emphasis on several key aspects of the profession, including the essential body of knowledge underlying the M&S profession; the technical discipline of M&S; the ethical standards that should guide professional conduct; and the economic and commercial challenges today’s M&S professionals face. • Demonstrates applications of M&S tools and techniques in a variety of fields—such as engineering, operations research, and cyber environments—with over 500 types of simulations • Highlights professional and academic aspects of the field, including preferred programming languages, professional academic and certification programs, and key international societies • Shows why M&S professionals must be fully versed in the theory, concepts, and tools needed to address the challenges of cyber environments The Profession of Modeling and Simulation is a valuable resource for M&S practitioners, developers, and researchers working in industry and government. Simulation professionals, including administrators, managers, technologists, faculty members, and scholars within the physical sciences, life sciences, and engineering fields will find it highly useful, as will students planning to pursue a career in the M&S profession. “ ...nearly three dozen experts in Modeling and Simulation (M&S) come together to make a compelling case for the recognition of M&S as a profession... Important reading for anyone seeking to elevate the standing of this vital field.” Alfred (Al) Grasso, President & CEO, The MITRE Corporation Andreas Tolk, PhD, is Technology Integrator for the Modeling, Simulation, Experimentation, and Analytics Division of The MITRE Corporation, an adjunct professor in the Department of Engineering Management and Systems Engineering and the Department for Modeling, Simulation, and Visualization Engineering at Old Dominion University, and an SCS fellow. Tuncer Ören, PhD, is Professor Emeritus of Computer Science at the University of Ottawa. He is an SCS fellow and an inductee to SCS Modeling and Simulation Hall of Fame. His research interests include advancing methodologies, ethics, body of knowledge, and terminology of modeling and simulation.




Program Manager


Book Description




Understanding Models for Learning and Instruction:


Book Description

The pioneering research and theories of Norbert Seel have had a profound impact on educational thought in mathematics. In this special tribute, an international panel of researchers presents the current state of model-based education: its research, methodology, and technology. Fifteen stimulating, sometimes playful chapters link the multiple ways of constructing knowledge to the complex real world of skill development. This synthesis of latest innovations and fresh perspectives on classic constructs makes the book cutting-edge reading for the researchers and educators in mathematics instruction building the next generation of educational models.




Simulation and Learning


Book Description

The main idea of this book is that to comprehend the instructional potential of simulation and to design effective simulation-based learning environments, one has to consider both what happens inside the computer and inside the students' minds. The framework adopted to do this is model-centered learning, in which simulation is seen as particularly effective when learning requires a restructuring of the individual mental models of the students, as in conceptual change. Mental models are by themeselves simulations, and thus simulation models can extend our biological capacity to carry out simulative reasoning. For this reason, recent approaches in cognitive science like embodied cognition and the extended mind hypothesis are also considered in the book.. A conceptual model called the “epistemic simulation cycle” is proposed as a blueprint for the comprehension of the cognitive activies involved in simulation-based learning and for instructional design.







The Future of Nursing


Book Description

The Future of Nursing explores how nurses' roles, responsibilities, and education should change significantly to meet the increased demand for care that will be created by health care reform and to advance improvements in America's increasingly complex health system. At more than 3 million in number, nurses make up the single largest segment of the health care work force. They also spend the greatest amount of time in delivering patient care as a profession. Nurses therefore have valuable insights and unique abilities to contribute as partners with other health care professionals in improving the quality and safety of care as envisioned in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) enacted this year. Nurses should be fully engaged with other health professionals and assume leadership roles in redesigning care in the United States. To ensure its members are well-prepared, the profession should institute residency training for nurses, increase the percentage of nurses who attain a bachelor's degree to 80 percent by 2020, and double the number who pursue doctorates. Furthermore, regulatory and institutional obstacles-including limits on nurses' scope of practice-should be removed so that the health system can reap the full benefit of nurses' training, skills, and knowledge in patient care. In this book, the Institute of Medicine makes recommendations for an action-oriented blueprint for the future of nursing.