Text Mining-based Qualitative Student Assessment of Interactive Simulation Learning Using SIMIO Tool – A Work in Progress

Computer simulations complement and extend the real-world components of industries and manufacturing organizations. Teaching simulation-based tools helps students in modeling and analyzing the behavior of real time systems. With the increased demand observed in products and technology consumption, manufacturing industries are evolving to embrace new technologies and initiatives. To keep the emerging workforce technically competent in current tools to understand and interpret manufacturing processes, this paper portrays an effort by the authors in introducing SIMIO i.e. a tool on Simulation of intelligent objects to undergraduate students at University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and in understanding the influence of using a hands-on tool to stimulate student learning. With the help of SIMIO, students were introduced to the concepts of Basics of Simulations, Logics and Methodologies, Developing Simulation Models, Analysis of Simulation Data, applications to Industrial and service system designs. To understand student learning and the grasp of the concepts discoursed during the course, Natural Language Processing techniques have been used to qualitatively measure concept association by the students. SIMIO Tool Introduction and Background Simulation of Intelligent Objects (SIMIO) is an object-oriented modelling tool that helps in building and executing dynamic models to analyze, understand and predict a systems performance. Object-oriented modeling has been around for 50 years, first introduced by the modeling tool known as Simula [1]. The method used in these kinds of tools involves the user selecting objects from a library and placing them into a modeling “canvas”. Traditionally, rapid modeling of complex systems has been challenging because of the limited selection of objects and the highly technical programming skills needed to develop new ones, if and when that is available. SIMIO has overcome this barrier by using process-based objects rather than the use of code-based objects that require significant programming and the associated skill. The logic for a SIMIO object is defined by graphical process flows and is visible to the user. They are easier to understand and to modify, perhaps the easiest example of which is the SEIZE-DELAYRELEASE logic model. Not only does the defined delay time determine release, but resource constraints are factored in as well [1]. Aside from the advantages of being easier to create, understand and modify, the object behavior in SIMIO is defined using high-level process modeling constructs that span time, again providing development advantages. The ability in SIMIO to modify existing objects is a key feature of object-oriented modeling tools. [1],[2]. Major educational benefits of SIMIO include enabling its users to directly see the impact of the change in a simulation model. Users can especially see how the proposed or modified system design provides value based on the required key performance measures along with understanding the impact by the system variation. This clearer view of the effect of randomness on