Experiences in simulation-based education in engineering processes

Abstract

The lean advancement (formerly lean aerospace) Initiative at MIT has applied lean business processes to the Aerospace Industry. The material has proven difficult to teach to engineers, as it is empirical and based on processes founded on human interactions, not scientific and based on mathematical and physical laws. Simulation-based education has proven highly effective in getting past this barrier. Design of a number of pedagogical simulations, and experience with both professional and student audiences are discussed. Data is available to evaluate both a manufacturing simulation and a full simulation of an aerospace enterprise and its supply and engineering chains which capture enterprise interactions. Good data on student satisfaction and perceived outcomes, and lower-quality data on some directly-measured outcomes, support the idea that simulation-based education is highly effective in this challenging situation.