ME Curriculum Workshop Systems Engineering Discussion Rich Granger August 3, 2012

Systems Engineering Technical Topic Areas Systems Engineering Principles & Strategies Requirements Definition and Management Concept & Architecture Development Design Specifications & Verification Plans Risk Management Validation & Verification System Integration & Interfaces System Deployment & Life Cycle Support Sources: –The Center for Systems Management (CSM), engineering.htmlhttp:// engineering.html –“Systems Engineering Concepts”, Air Force Center for Systems Engineering,

Systems Engineering Concept Illustrations Source:

Systems Engineering Concept Illustrations Source:

Systems Engineering Existing Course Option Course Title: –ISE 5820: Systems Thinking in Engineering & Design Course Description: –Concepts and heuristics in systems thinking and complex systems analysis and how these concepts apply to engineering and design projects. Course Goals: –Basic principles of systems thinking and complex systems –How to apply systems of systems concepts to large scale projects –Basic concepts for modeling adaptive, co-evolving & self organizing systems –Systems thinking concepts to analyze safety issues in complex systems –Steps in human systems integration –Basic steps to manage complexity and avoid creeping complexity Additional Details: –14 weeks, 3.0 credits, 3 hr lectures, open to undergrad (Rank 4) and grads –Grading: Homework & class participation 20%, Exercises 50%, Exams 30%

Systems Engineering Additional Course Options New elective course or “Module” during May session –1 week of 2 credit hour course (5 lectures, M-F, 90 minutes each) –4 weeks of 1 credit hour course (12 lectures, M/W/F, 90 minutes each) Content could be drawn from several sources: –ISE 5820 course material –Case studies (open-source and/or purchased), e.g. Air Force Center for Systems Engineering at WPAFB, Center for Systems Management (CSM) –Case studies developed by faculty/lecturer (potential for NSF funding?) Course format concepts: –Use the case study method to organize course topics; similar method could be used for other topics (e.g. project management, ethics). –Student teams are presented with narrative description of open-ended situation with supporting data, and are asked to develop a recommended solution, applying principles from textbook and lectures. –Students would form teams and present solutions to the class. –After student presentations, instructor (and case author, if available) could discuss the actual solution, possibly as panel discussion.

Systems Engineering Course Structure Example Session # Lecture Topics (60 minutes) Case Study Presentations (30 min) 1 Systems Engineering Principles & Strategies Requirements Definition and Management Systems Engineering Process (Instructor-Led) 2 Concept & Architecture Development Design Specifications & Verification Plans Requirements Definition (Student Group 1) 3 Risk Management Validation & Verification Design Specs & Verification Plans (Student Group 2) 4 System Integration & Interfaces System Deployment & Life Cycle Support Risk Management, Validation & Verification (Student Group 3) 5 None (allocate 30 minutes for each student group presentation) Final Case Presentations (Student Groups 1, 2, and 3) Turn in written report (individual or group -- TBD)