Conceptions of curriculum for simulation education: panel

In the Winter Simulation Conference 1999 in Phoenix, a series of discussions, conversations, and exchanges on the topic of personnel to meet the current modeling and simulation demands of the civilian application and world military as well led to the idea of giving this discussion a more structured shape in the Winter Simulation Conference 2000. We continue to discuss the complex issue of Simulation Education. A general demand for modeling and simulation professionals can be observed in a large number of enterprises. However computer science graduates are not adequately prepared for employment opportunities involving simulation as a tool in solving problems. Most computer science majors have very limited exposure to simulation. They gain experience in handling of simulation problems by on-the-job-training. Moreover, there doesn't exist any consensus of simulation as a discipline. The following questions hence emerge:• What are the reasons for shortages of modeling and simulation professionals?• What would make simulation into a discipline?• What skills should professionals develop during the education and training?• Impact of developments in simulation technology: what do we educate simulation professionals for?• What are the educational strategies to meet current and anticipated world needs in simulation?• What are the goals of an educational curriculum for simulation?• How to organize education of simulation to make it attractive for students?• What are criteria on selection of tools for teaching simulation?• Are there initiatives currently going on in the Modelling and Simulation community to establish some structure in the M&S education and training?The panel collects 6 simulation professionals from educational institutions that currently offer simulation programs, and non-educational organizations with interests in simulation education. The objective is to address issues related to the growth and need of degree programs in simulation. The panel members from academia, enterprises when the outcome is not known but is sought to aid in the creation of new knowledge either for its own sake or aid decision maker in a decision process. Entertainment simulation provides an experience where the outcome is simply entertainment While these three categories are useful, there are not sharp boundaries between the three. There is overlap among all three categories. Simulation environments can be used for all three simultaneously. At Old Dominion, the focus is on environments for training and education and, especially, on environments for discovery. Of particular interest are those instances where outcomes of the simulation environment include both training/education and discovery.